RAP Technologies, the leading supplier of water pumps in South Africa, has a long-standing partnership with the LEO Group in supplying their products to the local market. A well-supported staple in this product range is the LEO XST Series Standard Centrifugal Pump.
As its name suggests, the XST Series Standard Centrifugal Pump is an axial suction and radial discharge centrifugal pump designed in accordance with ISO 2858 and EN 733 standards. These standards respectively specify the designation, nominal duty point and dimensions on both 16 and 10 bar pressure end-suction centrifugal pumps. The pump can be used for the circulation and transfer of clean, chemically non-aggressive water and other liquids with physical and chemical properties similar to water.
Carl Mulock Houwer, RAP Technologies’ Marketing Manager, comments, “Centrifugal pumps play a significant role in water supply – be it with pressure boosting systems or irrigation systems – in the industrial, mining, construction and agricultural sectors,” adding, “The XST Series Standard Centrifugal Pump – made of the highest quality materials – boasts very low maintenance, excellent efficiency and power absorption properties. The lifecycle cost on the pump is very competitive and the spare parts are cost effective and easily interchangeable.”
The pump is used in a range of applications including water supply, water circulation in air-conditioning systems, irrigation, landscaping, fire pumps, as well as cooling for heavy industrial equipment. The pump boasts a flow of up to 220 m3 per hour with a head of up to 95 m and a power range of between 0.75 and 55 kW. Standard temperatures sustained are from -10˚C to 85˚C with an optional range between -20˚C and 120˚C.
Features
The product boasts a great number of advantages, most important of which are its reliability, efficiency and ease of installation. “The pump is highly efficient and the electro-plated coating or ‘e-coating’ inside the volute casing helps to guard the pump body, impeller and bracket against corrosion. What’s more, the volute casing can rotate for any type of pipe installation,” remarks Mulock Houwer.
The pump cover and motor front are designed in an integrated way, which reduces the possibility of pump damage over time. The pump shaft and motor shaft also have no coupling connection (pump with power of 7.5 kW and below), which increases pump efficiency and reduces wearing parts. Finally, thanks to the new wetted part design of the impeller and pump body, the pump is 3-8% more efficient than a conventional end-suction centrifugal pump.
“The product has a back pull system from 7.5 kW upwards and the maintenance factor is quite simple. The motor itself is rewindable, meaning that it can be rewound by any amateur rewinders. Alternatively, any motor from another manufacturer can be fitted onto the pump and it will work.”
Benefits of the pump to the end user are also many: The high efficiency of the pump makes for energy- as well as cost savings; the pump is compact, makes little noise and is also easy to maintain. “A critical point to note is that the pump’s efficiency and power absorption – two main features of the product – are being improved upon all the time,” notes Mulock Houwer.
When compared with a conventional end-suction centrifugal pump, the XST Series Standard Centrifugal Pump comes up trumps. It occupies a third less space, and employs a monoblock design for the pump and motor, improving heavily on pump performance and noise reduction as well as making for an impressive 70% reduction on maintenance costs.
Applications
Municipal water pressure is insufficient to meet the water requirements of high-rise buildings, which more often than not require booster pumps like the XST series. The pump can also be used in commercial settings, like offices or hotels, and because of its compact size, it can even be used in small HVAC systems. The pump is well suited for use in irrigation, landscaping and industrial equipment cooling, and with SS or brass impeller, the XST pump can also be used in both fire-fighting and sprinkler systems.
“We have many clients from a number of different industries using the product. From farmers to industrial suppliers and even air-conditioning installers, the common denominator is that they need quality centrifugal pumps that won’t let them down. With RAP Technologies, they can get all that and more from a reputable company that offers exceptional after-sales service and has established itself as the leading supplier of water pumps in South Africa,” Mulock Houwer concludes.
As sole appointed agents for LEO in the country, RAP Technologies offers products backed by years of water pump technology expertise.
