Operational technology innovations usually come at a cost, such as big upfront investments, integration issues, and workforce challenges. High volume fluid transfer has been a good example of that over the past 50 years.
Pneumatic diaphragm pumps have inefficiencies, but they are reliable with self-priming, ability to run dry and stall features. Though electrical pumps have been around for many years, there have been too many historical hurdles for widespread conversion, primarily much higher costs (up to six times that of a pneumatic pump), size, and complexity. Pneumatic pumps continue to meet the basic needs of operators and remain a default solution.
But Graco has produced game-changing technology, an affordable electric alternative to pneumatic diaphragm pumps that will meet with approval from your operators, engineers and facility managers. The new QUANTM™ electrically-operated double diaphragm (EODD) pump:
Is an affordable option
Is easy to use
Offers operational flexibility
Helps achieve sustainability goals
The Graco QUANTM pump can pay for itself in under a year by cutting energy usage and costs by up to 80 percent.
New Electric Pumps are a Breakthrough in Operational Sustainability
Every industrial facility is focused on lowering its carbon footprint to reduce costs and meet environmental, social, and governance (ESG) goals. You may have converted to LED lights, more efficient HVAC systems, and high-efficiency air compressors. But it has been tougher to find workable solutions within operational processes.
Pneumatic pumps consume so much power because they are inherently inefficient, with about 40 percent of compressed air vented to the atmosphere during operation. Electric drives also lose an amount of efficiency due to mechanical inefficiencies. Based on industry research, every dollar spent on compressed air for a pneumatic pump results in about 30 cents worth of production. A Graco QUANTM pump produces 83-85 cents worth of production for every energy dollar spent.
That means Graco QUANTM offers about five to eight times energy savings compared with pneumatic pumps. So while the new EODD pump costs about twice as much as its pneumatic counterpart, the reduced cost of electricity means the pump can pay for itself in less than 12 months if you are using the pump for three hours or more per day.
Both public and private utilities provide incentive dollars for pneumatic to electric conversions to help achieve ESG goals. If you are at a big facility, with more than a few dozen pumps, you may have a utility sales person who calls on you regularly to see how they can help you achieve compliance with increasingly tight regulations.
How Graco Made a Product Better That is Less Expensive
With a lack of significant improvements over the years, pneumatic pumps have become a commodity product. Most assemblers in the crowded field concentrate on transactions and low prices.
Graco is among a select few companies doing research and development in fluid transfer, and electrically-operated pumps in particular. Their first generation of EODD pumps came out in 2017, and in the past five years they have received 17 patents on the new QUANTM technology.
Graco has kept the costs down for the QUANTM line without sacrificing quality with their vertical integration controls. Electrical devices typically have a lot of pass-through costs associated with key components such as the motor, starter, drives, etc. But Graco manufactures the motor and drives internally. They also do injection molding of their own plastics, and they do their own coating and finishing.
QUANTM is simplified from previous electric diaphragm pumps with nothing to wire in beyond the pump – no downstream pressure devices, external pressure control, and nothing to manage at the dispense point. Depending on required ancillary equipment, QUANTM can be a 1:1 exchange vs. pneumatic pumps.
It features one-touch operation, so it is as easy to operate as a pneumatic pump. The QUANTM pump also is smaller than previous electric pumps, similar in footprint to a pneumatic pump.
Benefits Range from Easier Installation to Reduced Maintenance
Graco has removed a significant adoption hurdle for electric fluid transfer pumps by providing them factory-wired for fast and easy installation, with no additional infrastructure work beyond a power supply. It’s no more difficult than installing a pneumatic pump. Service and maintenance is now similar to that of a pneumatic pump as well.
A look at some of the features of the innovative QUANTM pumps:
It can produce up to eight times more continuous torque at low speeds than conventional motors.
A unique motor design replaces the “rat’s nest” of copper wiring with a simple, low-resistance circular coil, which reduces energy lost to heat and further increases efficiency.
There are simple adjustments for pump speed, easy to read status and on-board diagnostics.
It’s the only electric diaphragm pump on the market that stalls under pressure, eliminating the need for pressure sensors and additional control and reducing downtime by preventing pump failures caused by clogged lines or closed valves.
How to Address Objections in a Transition to Electrification
When you put new technology in front of operators, there usually is a learning curve. You might hear: “I don’t know the pump,” or “I don’t know the technology.” But with the improvements in the QUANTM pumps, an operator’s job has not changed at all.
You might also involve maintenance people and plant managers in a conversion to electric fluid transfer pumps. They can relate to other tech transitions, such as changing out air compressors, which now have fewer parts with a screw drive as opposed to the old piston and crankshaft.
The finance department also might be an advocate for investing in multiple EODD pumps as the comparison for a similar measurable financial impact is the switch from fluorescent lights to LED.
Work with Spray Equipment & Service Center for Electric Pump Needs
We can help you determine if a QUANTM electric double diaphragm pump is the right solution for your operation. We also provide qualified technical support after the purchase and provide added value through:
ADVICE: Our experience, expertise, and approach work for you at every stage
SUPPLY: We have the right equipment and parts
SERVICE: We are just a phone call away (866-953-0526).
