Polishing eye glass lenses with abrasive
Hydra-Cell pumps replaced piston plunger pumps on production processes at a manufacturing plant for eye glass lenses - increasing productivity and solving the problem of frequent premature pump failures.
The Florida based manufacturer is a high volume producer of polycarbonate eye glass lenses. Critical to the manufacturing process is the spraying of a polishing medium onto the lenses and then the recirculation of this extremely abrasive liquid. Piston plunger pumps supplied by the Original Equipment Manufacturer were in general use for the polishing and recirculation processes, during which small particles of polycarbonate were being polished off the lenses and entering the recirculation stream - creating a further problem for these pumps.
The size of particles in the polishing medium is nominally less than 5 micron and the initial pressure recommended by the polishing equipment manufacturer was quite low. Despite this, the plunger pumps were lasting less than 2 weeks.
Called in by the lens manufacturer to review the polishing operation, the Hydra-Cell distributor saw that the Hydra-Cell pump would greatly reduce pump failure rate. The seal-less design of the Hydra-Cell allows it to handle dirty, reclaimed and recycled liquids. At the same time, the polishing process itself could be improved by increasing system pressure.
The recommended pump (Hydra-Cell D-10) passed the customer’s testing and evaluation procedure, and following its installation on the production line was reported to have improved the quality of the polished lenses, while allowing output to rise. More lenses are being produced in a given production time.
In addition to the high pressure polishing, Hydra-Cell pumps are now providing long-lasting service as the recirculating pumps for the abrasive polishing fluid, and also the low pressure de-ionised water rinse.
Many more Hydra-Cell pumps have been added throughout the plant, as the plunger pumps continued to fail.
Model: D-10 Pump
Flow: 4.5 gpm (171 l/pm)
Pressure: 800 psi (55 bar)
Careers
Request a technical support meeting online
CALL +44 (0) 1252 816847