Heavy-duty drain pump discharges 240 gallons of high-temp gray water solution for injection-molding company

Saniflo’s Sanicom 2 duplex drain pump chosen by Crescent Industries to drain three ultrasonic cleaning tanks, used to keep plastic injection molds contaminant-free.

Problem

NEW FREEDOM, PA — Crescent Industries is a technology-based injection molding facility specializing in 2D/3D part and mold designs, 3D printing, mold-fill simulation, material selection, and more. The company serves the medical, pharmaceutical, dental, defense, safety, electrical/electronic, aerospace, and OEM/Industrial markets.

Whether its products are for medical, pharma, military or security, these molds must be cleaned on a regular basis. Incredibly efficient at removing contaminants, ultrasonic cleaners offer a safe and more thorough alternative to manual scrubbing, which can be a time-consuming, labor-intensive process.

That’s why Crescent Industries invested in an ultrasonic cleaning system that consists of water and biodegradable cleaner concentrate. When the cleaner contacts the surfaces of the injection molding, it strips away any contaminants without damaging the molds’ surfaces. The process can take as little as 10-15 minutes. The molds are then rinsed, dried, and stored for future use.

Daryl Winter, Crescent Industries’ Facilities Maintenance Technician, reached out to Saniflo for support to identify a pump capable of handling the gray water discharging from their ultrasonic cleaning system. The pump also needed to withstand a uniquely large volume of water without overheating.

The company’s ultrasonic cleaning system, located in their maintenance area, has three separate cleaning tanks, each holding approximately 80 gallons of a water solution that heats up to 180°F.  Winter’s main concerns were the water volume the pump needs to handle all at once as well as the high temperature of the solution.

Solution

Since Winter was looking for a pump that could accommodate high temperatures, Saniflo’s technical team recommended the Sanicom 2 to handle the gray water coming from the ultrasonic cleaning system.

The Sanicom 2, which can pump fluids as hot as 194°F, is a powerful duplex drain pump whose dual, two-horsepower, 220-volt motors make it ideal for heavy-duty uses involving multiple commercial fixtures— or, in this case, cleaning tanks. Weighing only 57 lb. and with an internal capacity under nine gallons, the highly compact unit can move up to 140 gallons of water, grease, or even highly acidic chemicals per minute, making it ideal for Crescent Industries’ application.

Smart-pump technology allows both pumps to work simultaneously if the incoming flow rate is higher than the discharge rate of one pump. The discharge rate of the two pumps working together increases until the condition is alleviated.

The Sanicom 2 is designed to discharge the waste through a 1.5-inch discharge pipe up to 32 feet vertically and/or 390 feet horizontally. For the Crescent Industries application, the unit discharges gray water 20 feet vertically and 180 feet horizontally from the cleaning tanks into the facility’s sewer line. The pump has built-in check valves on the discharge of each motor.

The enclosure of the Sanicom 2 is made of rugged high-density polyethylene (HDPE), engineered to resist corrosion from the harsh chemicals found in heavy-duty cleaning tanks. The product has been certified by CSA (IPC, NSPC) and IAPMO (UPC).

Crescent Industries adheres to a standard operating procedure for periodically draining and cleaning the tanks, which puts a premium on keeping maintenance to a minimum. The Sanicom 2 has been routinely up to the challenge. If servicing is needed, its two motors, electrical components, pressure-level switches, and dip tubes are all readily accessible and easily removed.

Results

On the Crescent Industries’ production floor, you will find robots and automated work cells. Behind the scenes, their software monitors the molding process on all injection presses. Meanwhile, in the maintenance room, Saniflo’s Sanicom 2 is hard at work draining the ultrasonic cleaning tanks.

According to Winter, installing the pump and necessary plumbing went smoothly for his team. “I was amazed at how effortlessly the Sanicom 2 went in and handled the large amount of extremely hot gray water.”

“Since its installation, it has been working beautifully,” says Winter, adding: It’s a reliable product that keeps our maintenance room fully operational.”

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ABOUT SANIFLO
SFA SANIFLO U.S.A. – whose parent company originated macerating plumbing technology — offers a complete line of waste and drainage pumping systems for residential and commercial applications. Saniflo developed its innovative, “above-floor plumbing” technology more than a half-century ago and has led its commercialization worldwide. Today, the company markets macerating technology through 24 subsidiaries in 50 countries and has sold more than seven million units worldwide since 1958. Saniflo markets through independent sales agents throughout North America, and the product line is currently available at distributor and dealer locations throughout the United States and Canada.

For more information, contact Saniflo at 1-800-571-8191. Or visit the Saniflo website at saniflo.com.

For editorial assistance, including photography, contact John O’Reilly c/o GreenHouse Digital + PR: 815-469-9100 or [email protected].