MagnaDrive Coupling Screw Pump
City of Eugene, Oregon – Wastewater Division – MagnaDrive Magnetic Coupling on Archimedean Screw Pump
1.0 Problem
The City of Eugene, Oregon U.S.A. was experiencing premature wear in the bearings from the gearbox connecting their motor to their double flight, Archimedean screw pump. Because they were using a belt drive to transfer torque between a 200HP motor and the gearbox turning their 90 inch (2.29 m) diameter, 63’ (19.2 m) long screw, they were experiencing premature wear in the system’s bearings. The lateral forces of the belt drive on the gearbox shaft created an unbalanced load leading to the need for increased maintenance activities.
2.0 Solution
MagnaDrive approached Gregory Watkins, Project Manager for the City of Eugene Wastewater Division, with a proposal to replace the belt driven system with a MagnaDrive Magnetic Coupling. Watkins purchased four Magnetic Couplings for his pumps.
3.0 Result
The City of Eugene successfully installed their first MagnaDrive Magnetic Coupling and reports the following results:
- No wear on bearings resulted from lateral tension of belts.
- Virtually no maintenance after installation.
- Longer bearing life.
- No vibration transmitted between the system components.
- High tolerance for system component misalignment.
- Complete system protection from screw jams due to the Magnetic Coupling’s disconnected technology.
- A 35% reduction in motor power required to operate the pump.
- Timely response and support from MagnaDrive.
When asked to summarise his experience with MagnaDrive, Watkins said “The initial price of the Magnetic Coupling was a little higher than other coupling technologies, but when we looked at the total cost of ownership over the life of our system it was definitely the right decision.”
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