Piggable Pumps Keep Up with Automated Paint Line Demands

CUSTOMER: Automotive parts manufacturer and finisher

GRACO EQUIPMENT: Endura-Flo 3D350

CHALLENGE: An automotive finisher relied on piggable pumps in its paint kitchen to move through up to 15 colour changes per day along its automated paint line.

The paint and solvent purge in between colours involved aggressively cycling the pumps and hitting them with 5.5 bar (80 psi) (pounds per square inch) of air. According to the automotive finisher, this overloaded their Binks Maple 20 AFP pumps to the point they had to be rebuilt at least every two weeks.

Pump bellows often ruptured, causing paint to leak onto the paint kitchen floor. With each failure came about 30 minutes of down-time to switch out the broken pump and reload the robotic painting system.

The robot engineer and paint shop manager knew something had to change – so did Binks. That’s why the Maple 20 AFP maker brought in a new, redesigned pump. But the company reported that the new pump also started leaking paint in two days.

SOLUTION: The robot engineer and paint shop manager decided to try a Graco Endura-Flo 3D350 pump for one month.

• The Endura-Flo kept running with no problems through more than 10 colour changes per day.
• Employees found the Endura-Flo also was noticeably quieter than a Maple pump.

RESULTS: The automotive finisher overhauled its paint kitchen, replacing 10 Maple 20 AFP piggable pumps with 10 Endura-Flo 3D350s.

More than two years later, the Endura-Flo piggable pumps are keeping up with aggressive solvent and paint purges in between up to 15 colour changes per day. Down-time due to leaky pumps is rare.

In addition, the technicians appreciate the quieter pumps.