The pump manufacturer Tsurumi Europe GmbH, DĂŒsseldorf/Germany, now offers an impact cover that protects the build-in water level sensor even in the event of massive force (Figure 1). The installation is very simple: loosen the two screws of the sensor, put on the protective cover and fasten the screws. From now on, the sensor is protected from external damage. After all, impact destruction is always possible, even with careful handling or during unattended pump operation.
The sensor on Tsurumi pumps, e.âg., on the KTVE and KTZE series, comes by no means unprotected. Its flexible rubber bend absorbs shocks quite effectively – but only to a certain extent. In order to guarantee protection even in the event of violent impact, Tsurumi has developed the conical ram protection cover made of solid sheet steel. This practically rules out mechanical damage to the sensor, according to the manufacturer.
Sensor pumps are popular because they allow the device to control itself. If the water rises to a certain level, the unit starts up – and switches off again when the level drops. This also saves operating costs. The ram protection safeguards this function.
By the way, unlike other suppliers, Tsurumi relies on electrodes to measure the water level. This approach is potentially much more fail-safe because it does not require mechanics. Electrodes also react faster and are usually more accurate.
Of course, every measuring instrument is vulnerable. In this respect, the recommendation to pump operators is to install the low-cost ram protection. The manufacturer has not yet stated whether this cover will become standard for new pumps.
Further information: Tsurumi (Europe) GmbH www.tsurumi.eu
When the decision for a new dewatering pump is pending, the models are often meticulously compared. However, users quickly overlook the fact that the success of the drainage system depends to a large extent on the cable used.
Cables on the construction site: which is the right one? Safe operation of the dewatering pump must be ensured. Photo: Tsurumi
What many people do not know, but repair statistics prove: a defective power cable is the most frequent cause of pump failure.
The pump manufacturer Tsurumi points this out. The company is considered the world’s largest manufacturer of dewatering pumps for the construction industry. It regularly evaluates user experiences. After all, the cable is the first link in the failure chain and therefore the most important element to consider first.
Mining quality instead of hose line
When choosing a new pump, be sure to consider the specification of the power supply. Photo: Tsurumi
A closer look reveals various causes of failure. Improper use is a major factor. Probably everywhere in business there are occasional time bottlenecks. But when things have to be done quickly, the manufacturer’s specifications are not always followed. “The pump is sometimes pulled out of the sump just by the cable,” Stefan Himmelsbach reports. The expert at TsurumiÂŽs EU headquarters in DĂŒsseldorf, Germany, knows all the damage patterns. He points to handle and eyebolts, which are on the pumps for a good reason – only here point loads are permitted.
“Another cause is crushing damage”. However, this can always happen unintentionally, he says. Usually heavy vehicles run over the cable lying on stony ground, or the cable is overlooked when unloading building materials and equipment.
That is why the grade and quality of the cable is so relevant. Rubber hose cables, for example according to the specification H07RN-F, are common on the market. These are allowed, but only fulfil the basic requirements, says Himmelsbach.
In a direct comparison, technical aspects such as the structure of the stranded wire, the material of the core insulation, the outer sheath and (if available) the inner sheath, the maximum voltages and current carrying capacities, the bending radius and the temperature range in which the cable can maintain the assured properties are relevant.
10 years ahead
For its own 400V pumps, Tsurumi uses higher quality cables. “We switched to NSSHĂU cables 10 years ago,” says Himmelsbach. And for single-phase pumps, they use cables of the (better) specification H07RN8-F. “Since then, pump failures due to cable damage have drastically decreased”. They are no longer an issue today.
Clear difference: Mining-grade Tsurumi cable on the left, standard cable on the right. Photo: Tsurumi
The NSSHĂU cable is a mechanically robust rubber cable that is actually intended for the heavy use in mines and quarries. But experience shows that the limits of physics are quickly reached even in “normal” civil engineering projects.
The manufacturer has therefore made these cables the standard for many pumps in its huge range. Tsurumi delivers – mostly immediately from stock – more than 500 models with maximum flow rates of up to 30m3/min or 216 m maximum head.
Technically, the Tsurumi cable differs in many aspects from the other variant. Above all, it is more robust, more abrasion-resistant and offers greater notch and tensile strength. The cables are also considerably more resistant to higher temperatures – important because shear and pressure generate heat.
But quite independently of the cable, there is another potentially weak point on every pump: the cable entry into the housing. Here the Japanese have come up with a clever solution. They encapsulate every single electrical conductor in synthetic resin, which hermetically seals the inlet. Pump failures due to penetrating creeping moisture are thus ruled out.
The pump manufacturer sees the easily doubled purchase price for its cables as well spent: No customer should ever be injured by a Tsurumi pump.
Further information: Tsurumi (Europe) GmbH www.tsurumi.eu
Fig. 1. Tsurumiâs LH series made of stainless steel for low pH values: The dewatering water pumps have a slim cylindrical design for use in con-fined spaces. Photo: Tsurumi
Ambitious civil engineering projects and distant raw material deposits: When the job is to go really deep, it is not only sheer pump performance that matters. Often more important is the pH value of the water. This is where the actual selection of the pump model is essential, so that the dewatering does not collapse suddenly. If the value falls well below neutral, there is a risk of serious corrosion damage to the machinery.
The pH value provides information as to whether an aqueous solution is acidic or alkaline. A value of about seven is considered neutral (in fresh water without CO2). Many dewatering water pumps can still be operated relatively well in alkaline environments, with high pH values. However, in acidic environments, things become tough. Only a few manufacturers can still supply suitable pumps for pH values down to two.
The Japanese supplier Tsurumi, with its European headquarters in DĂŒsseldorf/Germany, goes particularly far in this sector. The range includes not only pumps with all common housing materials. As a special feature they offer a dedicated range of pumps that have been developed explicitly for pumping water in deep mines and chemically acidic environments (Figure 1). Tsurumi is one of a few manufacturers with this range of products.
The LH and LH-W series are the nonplus ultra-here, with the LH6110 leading the way. This pump with 110 kW motor power is considered one of the most powerful units in the EU delivery programme. It can pump water up to 177 m vertically upwards and can achieve up to 3.000 l/min. As a submersible motor pump, it is also pressure-resistant to an immersion depth of 30Â m. This means that theoretically a single unit is sufficient for dewatering even the deepest pits.
If numerous mineral substances are found at the extraction site, e.âg., because pyrite, chalcopyrite and similar sulphides oxidise there, the water quickly takes on an acidic character. For this reason, Tsurumi builds models in the above-mentioned series from austenitic stainless chrome-nickel steel with molybdenum addition and uses the material DIN 1.4401, also known as AISIÂ 316. This gives the manufacturer a higher resistance in the aggressive operating environment compared to other grades.
Tsurumi covers different performance configurations in this area. A closer look at the data sheets is worthwhile here. If a conveying depth of about 107 m is sufficient, the sister model LH8110 already achieves a maximum flow rate of 6.500 l/min.
Further information: Tsurumi (Europe) GmbH www.tsurumi.eu
âSmartâ controlled and monitored wastewater pumps and aerators offer many advantages. At IFAT 2020, The Tsurumi Europe GmbH, DĂŒsseldorf/Germany, will show how easy retrofitting is. Featuring a clever function against blockage.
To make existing equipment fit for the future, all you need is the new Tsurumi Connect-Box (Figure 1). It is connected by means of a motor protection plug or a switch cabinet. Really good: Even wastewater pumps, submersible aerators and equipment from other manufacturers can be connected.
The TC-Box connects to the Internet via LAN, Wifi or mobile phone. Users can monitor their system around the clock, control it individually, activate a program, query its location, receive fault and alarm messages, call up consumption statistics and much more. Very simply via PC, tablet or phone. Everything is synchronized and secured via the âcloudâ.
The possibilities of the âintelligentâ systems are endless, especially since various sensors can be connected. If, e.âg., a frequency converter is coupled, the pump can always run at its optimum operating point. And if it does not run at all due to blockage, the TC-Box detects this and starts a routine for âunblockingâ. In other words, a programmed return sequence to automatically cancel the malfunction, which works perfectly in many cases. The bottom line is that there are a lot of advantages for the user, especially on the cost side.
Corona everywhere: not only for the industry no easy situation. At Tsurumi, a manufacturer of pumps for clear water, wastewater and sewage, the situation is more relaxed than elsewhere. Because the Japanese have a different supply concept.
âThe majority of our product range is available at short notice,â said Daniel Weippert, Managing Director for the Tsurumi Europe GmbH in DĂŒsseldorf/Germany. There are currently no shortages, the warehouses are full. Only extreme weather conditions such as continuous rain could cause short-term bottlenecks. This statement is somewhat surprising, as some companies complain about a difficult delivery situation. In fact, however, many things are different at Tsurumi in comparison to other manufacturers.
Contract manufacturing is the standard of the industry, with weeks and months of waiting time for the customer. Not so with Tsurumi. The Japanese maintain huge intermediate storage facilities and distribution warehouses. For Europe, e.âg., Belgium functions as the central logistics centre. That is where Tsurumi keeps a stock level that can guarantee supply for six months. As a precaution to the Corona crisis, the stock in DĂŒsseldorf has also been considerably increased. A substantial part of the product range can be delivered within 24 h. Even large aggregates are at the customer’s site within a few days after ordering. The spare parts supply in the EU is handled centrally from DĂŒsseldorf.
This organisation is currently playing into the manufacturerâs hands. However, costs have increased because freight rates are higher than before due to scarce transport capacities. But Tsurumi does not pass these on to the customer, Weippert said. He does not see the supply situation for the plants in danger. Most of the pumps are âMade in Japanâ. The country is by far not as affected by the crisis as others.
Think big, is also the motto in direct manufacturing. A product is manufactured in large quantities with a high degree of automation. In Kyoto/Japan, the manufacturer maintains the worldâs largest production facility in the industry (Figure 1). Final individual tests are intended to guarantee the lowest possible response rates. Users also benefit from the efficient pump construction with many identical parts even after purchase, because they can carry out maintenance themselves thanks to the modular design. Admittedly, even Tsurumi, the world’s largest pump manufacturer in the construction sector, is not immune to stagnation should Corona in Asia unexpectedly become more severe again.
Fig. 1. Good mood among the pump experts: the manufacturer Tsurumi is making the British supplier Obart Pumps its fifth sales office in Europe. In the picture Daniel Weippert, Matthew and Jamie Hill (from left to right). Photo: Tsurumi
At Tsurumi, not only the pumps are running smoothly, but business is also flourishing: In Great Britain, the pump manufacturer took over a well-known supplier at the turn of the year. âObart Pumps has done a lot for our brand in the British market. To take the next step together in order to grow further was obvious for both sidesâ, explains Daniel Weippert, Managing Director of Tsurumi Europe. His company has agreed to become a majority shareholder in Obart (Figure 1).
For over 40 years, the dealer from Maidstone, south-east of London, has been supplying the Kingdom with Tsurumi’s construction and wastewater pumps. The company is regarded as a large and experienced supplier, with whom Tsurumi has been working for many years.
âOur UK customers will benefit from this mergerâ, said Matthew Hill, Managing Director of Obart. âWe can now offer them even more expertise and product choiceâ. Hill will continue to lead the company.
Obart is one of the few pump dealers with WEEE registration in the national market, and strong in environmental protection, says Hill. This topic is becoming increasingly important to many customers. It has always been a concern of Tsurumi, too: hydraulic and energy efficiency, repair-friendly modular design and biodegradable lubricating oil are features that many customers appreciate in the products. Together with the long service life of the pumps, they have probably contributed to making Tsurumi the global market leader in the construction sector. In its country of origin, Japan, the manufacturer operates the largest pump production in the industry. The company slogan âStronger for longerâ is intended to underline the companyâs performance claim.
It also became known that Tsurumi wanted to be more present in France. A visible step is the renaming of its sales company CE2A to Tsurumi France S.A. Following the new addition in Great Britain, Tsurumi Europe now has five subsidiaries â also present in Belgium, Sweden and Spain. In addition, there is a dense network of hundreds of dealers who also offer advice and service.
The European business is controlled from DĂŒsseldorf/Germany. It covers 44 countries in the European and neighbouring economic area. Last year went well for the manufacturer, who was able to increase its sales. One factor in its success is the sheer size of its product range. In Europe alone, some 700 pump types are available for a wide range of applications. So, wherever a drop of water flows, -Tsurumi is a helpful contact. The technology used is remarkable. The pumps move up to 30Â m3/min of water or push it vertically up to 216Â m.
Tsurumi made a technological leap forward: While many models already offered exceptional lifetime in abrasive applications, the market leader now achieves up to four times higher values. Older pumps can also be retrofitted.
The manufacturer’s focus is particularly on the dewatering pumps of the KTV series (Figure 1). It is one of the successful models of the Japanese manufacturer and is regarded as an all-rounder for construction sites.
A key factor is the low weight that Tsurumi achieves with a die-cast aluminium housing. Many customers therefore like to use the KTV, especially as it makes transport to different locations easy. However, the lightweight construction reached its limits occasionally in environments with highly abrasive water, such as mining, tunnelling and special civil engineering. Tsurumi generally recommends other pumps for these applications. However, operators used the lightweight pumps in heavy applications, hence corresponding feedback was provided.
The manufacturer took action and formed a special team. They investigated the mechanical stress, especially on the oil housing, fixing disc, pump housing and wear plate. The focus was on the use of the pumps in very demanding environments such as hard rock. New wear parts were developed in a modified design with a different Shore hardness value. In addition, the parent company in Japan manufactured the oil housing with a greater wall thickness. The upgraded pumps proved to be considerably more resistant. In practical testing in a German tunnel project, the lifetime was extended from five weeks to five months. Further operations in several tunnels, including Austria, delivered even better results. The conversion kit was released.
However, Tsurumi offers the new components on request. The conversion of the series or the retrofitting of existing pumps is not necessarily required. In ânormalâ dewatering applications of construction sites the KTV in standard design does its job perfectly fine. The manufacturer has already installed standard components made of silicon carbide, the hardest naturally occurring material after diamonds. All Tsurumi pumps are designed for unattended continuous operation anyway. Thanks to the patented oil lifter, the oil lubrication remains intact, regardless of the installation position being horizontal or vertical. But if the load is very high indeed and the pump weight is relevant, Tsurumi recommends retrofitting. According to the manufacturer, customers could also do this on their own thanks to the modular design concept of the pumps.
Fig. 1. The Tsurumi TM series pumps are made of titanium, which makes them light and resistant to salt and chloride fluids. // Bild 1. Die Pumpen der TM-Baureihe von Tsurumi sind aus Titan gefertigt, was sie leicht und widerstandsfĂ€hig in salz- und chloridhaltigen FlĂŒssigkeiten macht. Photo/Foto: Tsurumi
If pumps break down prematurely, it is not always related to the granular sediment in the dirty water. This will literally reduce exposed parts such as the impeller. But often the pH value of the water is the real problem.
Clear, dirty and waste water pumps are designed for pumping water with a pH value within a defined range. In clean water, the value scatters around seven on the pH scale, which ranges itself from 0 to 14. The pH value indicates whether a solution is acidic or alkaline. The following applies: The more acidic the water, the more aggressive it is to other materials. Even above the average value, oxidation prevails: Free hydrogen ions attack metals, resulting in corrosion.
Even stainless steel, usually the pump material of choice, is only conditionally immune. If the protective oxide layer is damaged, e.âg. by notches, the rust will soon bloom. In the case of aluminium, protection only exists in the core range of 4.5 to 8.5 on the pH scale. The fact that aluminium does not rust is a frequent misapprehension. Cast iron has many advantages but offers only limited protection.
More often than assumed, the pH value of water is in the problematic range. Rough rule of thumb for deep excavation, special deep excavation and raw material mining: the deeper it goes, the more problematic. PH values down to â3.6 have already been measured for mine water. In most cases, mixed water is the cause, and this is often the case elsewhere in construction.
The pump manufacturer Tsurumi Europe GmbH, DĂŒsseldorf/Germany, has developed its new TM series (Figure 1) especially for these scenarios while focusing on mobility (frequent relocation). These are lightweight submersible motor pumps where all parts that come into contact with liquid are made of titanium. They effectively protect against the chemical attack of pumped media containing salt and chloride.
Titanium is 45â% lighter than steel and twice as strong as aluminium. The material forms an extremely resistant oxidic protective layer, which can be less sensitive to dents, scratches and notches. Titanium is the material of choice in many applications.
The TM series currently comprises three pump types providing up to 350 l/min on the one hand and 15 m head on the other. Due to the weight advantage of the titanium alloy used by Tsurumi, the pumps weigh only 7,8 kg dry. In addition to titanium, Tsurumi also uses GRP for secondary housing parts and ultra-hard silicon carbide for shaft seals. Like almost all pumps in the range, the TM also comes with encapsulated electrical conductors, a double inside mechanical seal and built-in motor protection.
By the way, a trick can reduce the vulnerability of many pumps: Externally mounted anode blocks made of aluminium or zinc divert the galvanic currents and thus largely discharge the corrosive attack.
No two construction projects are the same, which also applies to the dewatering systems. Two new pumps by pump manufacturer Tsurumi Europe GmbH, Dusseldorf/Germany, offer greater scope to come up with ideal solutions. They will be presented for the first time at the bauma 2019 in Munich/Germany, from 8th to 14th April 2019. With its innovations KTZ415 and KTZ615, the Japanese company has outdone its series of professional drainage pumps for difficult applications.
The 615 is the new top model of the KTZ series (Figure 1) that now comprises 15 models. Thanks to a motor output of 15Â kW, the aggregate achieves up to 2,800Â l/min
with discharge heads of almost 40 m. In contrast, the 415 with the same motor âonlyâ pumps 2,000 l but up to a maximum height of 55Â m. Both submersible pumps can cope with sandy water, groundwater and rainwater. The water may also contain stones with grain diameters of up to 12 mm. The pumps are pressure-resistant to a submersion depth of 25 m and have a pressure port with a diameter of four (model 415) and/or six (mode 65) inches on the outside thread.
The KTZ series was launched back in the 1980s and is one of the best-selling pumps in the product line. Even the smallest model with a motor output of just 1.5Â kW can move 430 l/min up to a height of 21.5Â m. Obviously the manufacturer can deliver precisely what the target group requires with the KTZ. The highlights of the series also include the dry running-safe design (motor cooling and oil lubrication), the high wear-resistance (abrasive pumping media) and the fail-safe feature (electrics). The KTZ is built in Tsurumiâs mega factory in Kyoto/Japan that is the worldâs largest production site of its kind. This manufacturer supplies a total of 44 series for direct sale via 250 dealers in Germany alone. Many pumps can be leased.
Tsurumi will be displaying many other pump models for structural and civil engineering projects, as well as another innovative that it still under wraps but which will be launched in 2019. Engineering enthusiasts can also look forward to exhibits of cutaway pump models and live wet applications. Tsurumiâs European central office in Dusseldorf will also be celebrating its 35th anniversary during this time: this will also be addressed.
