Advanced materials, bearings extend pump life

Reliability is a major concern for engineers designing medical devices and scientific instruments. Unscheduled downtime may be costly, embarrassing, and problematic for scientists, but for healthcare professionals, doctors, and patients it's critical. "Premature pump failure is as convenient as an unscheduled pit stop when leading a race," says Jay Lawson, sales and marketing manager at Hargraves Technology Corp. (Mooresville, NC).

Two common failure modes for small diaphragm pumps involve the diaphragm tears in the pump head and bearing failure in the motor. As a result, it's common practice to repair the diaphragm in a pump two to three times over the course of its life. In fact, Lawson says, many traditional pump suppliers go so far as to recommend buying a repair kit with every pump-a practice that President and founder Don Hargraves views as an unacceptable and unnecessary economic burden on the engineer.

In order to deliver a competitively priced pump that is conservatively warranted for an uninterrupted service life of 10,000 hours, engineers use a proprietary grade EPDM diaphragm material that resists tearing in the BTC series pumps for gas and liquid applications. In addition, Hargraves developed its own brushless motor design that uses front and rear bearings with a much higher tolerance to demanding radial loads and high temperatures. "We make a more reliable diaphragm pump at a competitive price," Hargraves explains. "And we provide on-time delivery and support."

Additional Details...Contact Jay Lawson, 127 Speedway Dr., Mooresville, NC 28117; Tel: (704) 662-3500; FAX: (704) 662-8744; www.hartechcorp.com or Enter 563