Generated 02 June 2023

Vesconite in Pumps

Vesconite has been used for decades in a wide range of specialized pump bushing applications.

The material thrives in water and exhibits excellent dimensional stability, with zero delamination. The result is low downtime and associated hassle factor.

Its friction coefficient range of 0.1 – 0.2 allows for dry starting – an issue commonly associated with high wear rates in traditional bushing materials. Corrosion of the bushing is entirely eliminated with Vesconite.

Vesconite Hilube is recommended for many pump applications.

Vesconite Pumps Resources
VERTICAL TURBINE PUMPS
VESCONITE HILUBE BEARINGS AND WEAR RINGS
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PUMP DESIGN-A-BEARING CALCULATOR
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Benefits for Pumps

  • Vesconite does not swell or distort in water.
  • Vesconite does not delaminate.
  • Vesconite does not corrode.
  • Vesconite requires no lubrication for up to
    1 minute after start-up.
  • Vesconite is resistant to oils and fuels.
  • Vesconite bushings are easy to fit and remove.
  • Vesconite prolongs shaft life.

Material Comparison

Between the pump impeller and casing wear rings, tight clearances are required. Swelling and corrosion can be an issue with traditional materials.

This is not the case with Vesconite due to its virtually zero water absorption rate and dimensional stability, and no bimetallic corrosion.

Unlike bronze or rubber bushings, fresh and saltwater serves as an effective  lubricant for Vesconite Hilube. This makes it an ideal material for pump bowl bushings and stuffing box bushings.

Vesconite Pumps Case Studies
Simpler aeration pump design reduces maintenance requirements
There are times when a simple pump design and less maintenance are preferred by pump users, especially in messy dirty wastewater applications.…
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New labyrinth seals avoid galling and failures
Labyrinth seals can now be ordered from Vesconite Bearings using client specifications.
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Vesconite labyrinth seal improves desalination pump performance
A desalination plant in the Middle East commissioned a 6 MW pump with a Vesconite labyrinth seal in 2022. This is according…
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Vesconite aids with plant cooling
A global petrochemical company, headquartered in South Korea, has ordered 20 pump bushings made of Vesconite Hilube, a premier-grade bearing material. The…
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Vesconite Hilube keeps golf courses lush and green
Keeping a golf course lush and emerald green is an important consideration for any golf course maintenance or irrigation engineer. As a…
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WRAS approves Vesconite's Hitemp 160
High-temperature-resistant bearing material Hitemp 160 has been certified for contact with water up to 65ºC (150ºF). This is according to the maker,…
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Geothermal plant to install new Hitemp 160 bearings
In the coming months, a Turkish geothermal plant will be installing Vesconite’s high-temperature bearing material known as Hitemp 160. Specially designed for…
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Keeping drinking water lead free
Vesconite Bearings has created a lead-free-water webpage to outline how the company aims to reduce lead exposure from drinking water. View the…
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Pump bearings going strong after ten years
Vesconite Hilube bowl, stuffing box, suction and line-shaft bearings continue to operate in a condensate pump in the US ten years after…
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Polystyrene industry uses LPG pumps with Vesconite bearings
Several polystyrene factories use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pumps with Vesconite piston-rod bushings being used as a bush and wiper to clean…
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Texas pump manufacturer orders Vesconite bushings for new range
Some 2,000 pump bushings have been ordered for a new vertical turbine range that is being developed by a Texas pump manufacturer.…
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New high-temperature bearing material
Many pump manufacturers are pleased that Vesconite Bearings has developed Hitemp 160, a no-grease-needed bearing material able to operate up to 160°C…
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New electrical isolation pads make SX plants safer
An engineered polymer traditionally used for bearings has reduced fire risks on solvent extraction (SX) plants.   The polymer, Vesconite, has been installed…
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Yearly repair work completed at Hammanskraal Project
Repair work at the Hammanskraal Drinking Water Project in Tshwane, South Africa, has included replacement of the lower bearing on an Archimedes…
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Vesconite deflector protects 30% of pump value
A starch and glucose producer in South Africa fitted Vesconite wear-resistant deflectors to its centrifugal pumps in 2019, and substantial maintenance, component…
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Pump containing Hitemp 160 SABS certified
A pump containing three sleeve bearings made from a new bearing material, Hitemp 160 − which can operate to temperatures up to 160°C and is resistant to abrasive material − has been tested in a pump that has received South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) certification.
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More efficient pumps easily achieved with new Vesconite Hilube wear rings
Independent tests by a major pump manufacturer prove corrosion-free Vesconite Hilube wear rings safely allow reduced running clearances and improve pump efficiency.
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Unbeatable bearings
APE Pumps, a pump supplier to many countries, including Zambia, Iraq and South Africa, replaced every pump bushing that it was able to with Vesconite. The company had tried many different types of bushings but was impressed with Vesconite’s toughness, long-life and self-lubricating qualities.
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Vesconite Hitemp 150 for condensates
When a large energy company in Africa required lineshaft and bowl bearings for condensate pumps at its 4,000 MW power station, it turned to Hitemp 150, an engineered polymer produced by Vesconite Bearings, that can survive temperatures up to 150°C (300°F). The condensate pumps in question reach temperatures of 110°C (230°F), so the contractor to the power producer is satisfied that the pumps will last and that the bearings will not melt, as would be the case with many other polymers.
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Vesconite bushings ensure glue pump restarts successfully after down time
One of South Africa’s largest independent polyurethane and plastic foam manufacturers restarted an important gear pump, used to pump glue to rebound foam chips, without difficulty after the company’s December-January closed period. Not only that, the Vesconite Hilube pump bushings, which were inspected at the time of the restart, showed no wear.
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Electricity cost saving on pumps fitted with Vesconite Hilube wear rings
A large pump original equipment manufacturer compared energy usage on a typical submersible pump when a Vesconite Hilube wear ring was in place and when a bronze wear ring had been installed. The results independently proved Vesconite Hilube’s ability to improve pumping efficiency and decrease electricity usage.
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Vesconite Hitemp 150 pump bushings show no scratches after one year
When the team responsible for the maintenance of the irrigation system at one of South Africa’s premier golf courses was confronted with high levels of debris and pumps running dry for periods, it shifted to a high temperature resistant, high wear resistant polymer, Hitemp 150, for replacement pump bowl bushings. The bushings lasted a year without a scratch.
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Vesconite Hilube used on thermal power station condensate pump
A thermal power station required a low-wearing, low maintenance bearing alternative for a condensate pump assembly.
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Vesconite Hilube performs in challenging Nile river conditions
A Turkish OEM that supplied a Nile River project with one of its pumps that had been fitted with Vesconite Hilube polymer components in late 2018 reports that the line shaft bushings continue to operate well. The project is associated with abrasive water with a large proportion of sand particulates for which hard-wearing Vesconite Hilube is ideal.
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Vesconite water flinger adopted by pump manufacturer
A Southern African pump manufacturer has received its order for Vesconite low-swell hard-wearing water-flingers for four of its pump sizes.
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Supply continues to first Vesconite pump application in Australia
The Australian distributor of Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube continues to supply the company that first proved Vesconite’s suitability for pump applications over 30 years ago. Some 40 to 80 sets of bearings end up in various pumps that this Australian branch of a global pump company uses in repairs or for unique applications, including models of different sizes employed in a variety of conditions.
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