An air pump diaphragm is made from various materials, Fluimac diaphragm pumps offer the following materials:-
NBR
Hytrel
EPDM
Santoprene
Silicon
Teflon
NBR
Hytrel
EPDM
Santoprene
Silicon
Teflon
The air pump diaphragm is often the most expensive component in the spares basket. For this reason, it is very important to commission the pump correctly, especially when it comes to pumps fitted with TEFLON (PTFE) diaphragms.
Fluimac recommends that a Air Filter/ Regulator be fitted to each pump, especially those with Teflon diaphragms. Because Teflon has no memory and will keep the shape to which it has been stretched, it is critically important to set up a new pump installation with very low pressure while the discharge pipe and the fluid chamber is empty. Only once the pump is primed and the pressures on both the air side and the fluid side are similar should the drive air pressure be increased slowly.
Fluimac recommends that a Air Filter/ Regulator be fitted to each pump, especially those with Teflon diaphragms. Because Teflon has no memory and will keep the shape to which it has been stretched, it is critically important to set up a new pump installation with very low pressure while the discharge pipe and the fluid chamber is empty. Only once the pump is primed and the pressures on both the air side and the fluid side are similar should the drive air pressure be increased slowly.
While Air operated diaphragm pumps are simple devices and extremely easy to operate and manage, the diaphragm pump must be correctly set up and managed in order to benefit from the low costs associated with this type of pump operation.
GM Pumps really helped us resolve the issue we had of operators turning up or destroying the air filter regulators on our diaphragm pumps.
GM Pumps took the time to investigate the reason for our considerable pump diaphragm failures and engineered a simple solution, the regulators are now all locked up once set.
Our repairs have reduced to a minimum and the pumps are lasting for years instead of weeks or months.
We really appreciate the efforts of this company and they have become great friends as they continually assist us in improving our operation.
Solvent plant owner, Durban, South Africa
One way to protect the air pump diaphragm is to set the air pressure on the regulator once the pump has been installed into a fixed location. Install an air “Filter Regulator Lockup” device like the GMPUMPS CC unit shown. This allows the unit to be set and locked so that plant personnel cannot change the setting. This effectively locks the speed and the pressure of the pump removing any option to change that settiing.