AxFlow explains own-brand pump strategy

Pump distributor AxFlow has released its own brand range of peristaltic pumps - realax - which is available in France, Great Britain and Ireland. The pumps are manufactured for AxFlow by a European pump manufacturer.

Tony Peters, the UK MD of pump distributor AxFlow explained the launch is designed to fill niches in its broad portfolio rather than compete outright against pump manufacturers.

Peters said: "Our aim to to select the number one manufacturer for each product niche. This hasn't been possible in every area, so we have taken the strategic decision to develop our own brand. We will use it to complete our product range. It is not intended to set AxFlow up as a direct competitor to manufacturers.

"The pumps will be price competitive, but not cheap, we have not compromised on quality. They have already launched in France and we've received our first order in the British Isles."

Operating efficiently at low pressures
AxFlow has been involved in the European peristaltic pump market for 35 years and has established a wide industrial base. As a result, it has strong knowledge of the technology and the applications for which they can be used.

“For quite some time, our customers have demanded a peristaltic pump that operates efficiently at low pressures while continuing to give high levels of accuracy,” added Hakan Bjernér, manager of business development, AxFlow Holding AB. “Easier maintenance and conformity to food applications (EC1935/2004 standard) was another key issue. I am convinced that this new range of peristaltic pumps gives us the possibility to address the low pressure end of peristaltic pump applications.”

The peristaltic pump is a mature product and a proven technology that has evolved over several decades. Room for improvement is, therefore, a challenge for the pump designer. Apart from the development of a low pressure, low capacity pump, realax addresses the issue of making maintenance easier by a redesign of the inspection window on the pump housing.

Generally, the inspection window of a peristaltic pump enables the operator to check the oil lubricant level in the pump housing. The design of the inspection window on realax pumps makes it easy for the operator to access the rotor and the hub, and easy to change the number of shims to accommodate pressure changes demanded by the application. This facility eliminates the need to remove the front cover of the pump case, thereby saving valuable time and making maintenance easier.

“With this new brand of pumps, AxFlow is in a position where it can fill a gap in its product portfolio,” continued Hakan Bjernér. “AxFlow has an extensive supplier list and our goal is to harmonise the product portfolio throughout Europe by having names that represent the highest quality products and technologies in the global market."

Product details
Employing both shoe and roller technologies, the realax pump range comprises four series - the APY, ISI, IP and RP, and 24 models, giving capacity rates from 0.16 ml/rev through to 20 l/rev and pressures from 2 to15 bar. All four series will be available ex-stock along with a comprehensive range of replacement hoses.

The series of seal-less realax pumps have many common features, including: reversible rotation, corrosion and abrasion resistance, high dosing accuracy, dry running without damage and easy cleaning/low maintenance. The pump comes in four versions: bare shaft, gear reducer (fixed speed), integrated inverter and mechanical variable speed. Accessories include: leakage detector, batch controller, vacuum equipment and discharge pulsation dampers.

The realax APY Series is the smallest of the pumps being a roller compression peristaltic pump developed for low volume, low pressure dosing applications. Weighing 2.2kg without drive, the six models can be used for applications including sampling and dosing in the water and sewage treatment industry.

The five-model ISI and six-model IP Series are both roller compression pumps and offer users capacity rates from 0.023 l/rev to 10 l/rev at pressure between 2 and 8 bar. Both pumps will meet the requirement of the many pumping applications encountered in the paints/finishings and coatings industry, food production and where applications require sludges and slurries to be transferred.

The seven-model RP Series is the work-horse of the range, being a shoe compression pump operating at pressures up to 15 bar and capacity rates of between 0.3 l/rev and 20 l/rev. This pump is also designed for handling slurries, chemical products and foodstuffs.

More information can be found at www.realaxpumps.com