The terms bitumen and asphalt are often used interchangeably, but they are two completely different materials, causing confusion inside and outside the industry. Throw in regional differences in meaning and language, and it’s time to set the record straight, along with tips on bitumen pump selection.
Let's start in Connecticut. Fuel oil is one of Viking Pump’s oldest applications and can be found in EVERY US state, so why highlight Connecticut? First Connecticut, like much of the US Northeast, utilizes fuel oil to heat their homes. In fact, nearly half of all Connecticut households are heated by fuel oil. As a result, much of the fuel oil reserve is stored in Connecticut as well. Viking Pump fuel oil pumps can be found at every step of the supply process.
In Ohio, like the rest of North America, the most common roofing material for homes is shingles. Ohio, and many other states, utilize Viking pumps to produce and deliver filled roofing asphalt to the felt backing for making roofing shingles in a variety of colors and styles. This application is hot, viscous, and highly abrasive requiring hardened Viking pumps to handle this tough application. In New Jersey, Viking ammonia pumps are used mostly for refrigeration, but you’ll also find Viking ammonia pumps with a different purpose.
An Engineering firm recently purchased three large internal gear pumps through a local distributor in northern Illinois. In this case, the pumps were intended to be a prime mover for loading their customer’s product—vacuum gas oil (VGO)—onto a transport barge. Traditional pumping technology, i.e., centrifugal pumps, was not a viable option, as pump performance tends to vary based on product viscosity changes. Since pump operations were scheduled for during the middle of winter, VGO viscosity was sure to increase with dropping temperatures, making it harder to pump.
A major producer of chocolate confections in the eastern United States had been operating many Viking pumps on a variety of confectionary liquids for decades.
Many of these gear pumps have shaft packing, an extremely reliable means of preventing leaks, but which require some level of “controlled leakage” to cool and lubricate the packing. In a time of stricter FDA standards, food processors are now seeking new solutions to eliminate leakage, as it can create a slip and fall hazard and, furthermore, waste valuable product.
Let's start with Texas. Whether you’re in Houston, or Dallas, or West Texas, it’s impossible to get away from Viking pumps used in the petroleum industry. Certainly you’ll find Viking pumps for crude oil here, but also at the finished end of the process helping to manufacture a variety of lube oil blends from conventional motor oil to full synthetics, to special blends for colder environments, high mileage engines, marine, aviation, and dozens of other specialty applications. South Carolina’s textile industry is older than the US itself.
Viking Pump’s original applications started at home, right here in Iowa. This original list included asphalt, fuel oil, turpentine, linseed oil, and water but did not include one of Viking Pump’s most common applications in the state today: corn syrup. Corn syrup is a sweetener made from, you guessed it…corn, and used in a variety of foods, candies, beverages, and pet foods. Next, is Rhode Island. Bunker C has many names: Heavy Fuel Oil, Bunker Oil, #6 Fuel Oil.
Copper is fast becoming a critical resource as the world shifts to an increasingly lower carbon footprint, and with the growing demand comes a need for more efficient processing (i.e., refining) of the mineral ore.
The owner of a copper mine in Antofagasta City, Chile wanted to replace its legacy centrifugal pumps used for injecting sulfuric acid into agglomeration tanks – where crushed copper is heaped into uniform particles and sprayed with sulfuric acid + water. The acid component helps to optimize ultimate metal recovery by improving permeability of the raw material at this stage in reparation for the next step: lixiviation, or leaching, to extract the metal.
With today’s fast-paced supply chain demands, it is essential that tanker truck systems can unload contents quickly to ensure timely delivery for optimum manufacturing efficiency. Stony Run Enterprises Inc., a family-owned trucking enterprise located in Hamilton, Ohio, understands this sense of urgency with its commitment to transport multiple types of products with “speed, safety, and professionalism.”
Since our founding in 1911, Viking Pump has built over 7,000,000 pumps and supplied them to customers all over the world. These pumps handle the broadest range of liquids in the industry. We’ve prepared a listing of 50 Viking pump applications, tying each to a state where this application can commonly be found. In our fifth episode, let’s explore Viking Pump applications in New Mexico, Massachusetts, Alaska, Kansas, and Oregon.
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