Leather processing heats up with new Lowara e-SV for high temperature applications

BYPELL Srl Tannery, Bassano del Grappa, Italy
BYPELL Srl is an Italian leather tannery which has been in operation for almost 150 years. Starting out in the mountainous Asiago region close to Vicenza, the company began treating leather with alpine vegetable oil which was produced onsite. At this time, the business was called Conceria Bernardo. In 1920 it moved to a purpose built 17,000 m2 facility in Bassano del Grappa where in 1990 it become BYPELL Srl. Today the company employs 70 local people and produces and sells leather and hides.
The process of tanning leather requires large quantities of overheated water. With production levels increasing, BYPELL Srl decided to invest in a market leading vertical multistage pump which could pump 170°C water without the need for external mechanical seal cooling methods.
The old horizontal pump took up a large amount of space in the basement of the tannery and required manual cooling in order to maintain optimum output and to prevent breakdown.
“Manually cooling the mechanical seal was a time consuming task. We used potable water which was non-recyclable and represented an additional running cost.
Cooling a conventional pumping system externally poses real health and safety hazards. If the seal is not cooled sufficiently it is at risk of breaking and if a breakage occurs, large plumes of steam are emitted from the pump which can reach 150-170°C causing the stop of the system. With workers operating machinery in the basement, this risk to their safety was of grave concern to the employer.

  • A market leading solution :

    Expert local installer Mario Parolin of IVAT, Romano d’Ezzelino was instructed to find an ideal solution to the tannery’s pumping problem. Having worked with Xylem’s portfolio of high quality products for a number of years, IVAT was quick to explain the benefits of the new range of Lowara vertical multistage pumps designed to withstand temperatures of up to 180°C – perfect for the tannery’s needs. With an internal cooling system, the new e-SV ”Boiler” 180°C pumps would erradicate the need for external cooling processes, making the basement of the tannery far safer for the pump operaters to work in.

  • A cool result

    CNot only does the vertical design of the new Lowara pump occupy less space within the basement compared to its horizontal counterpart, but the internal cooling system and market leading technology allows for optimum performance output at a lower cost.

    “Electricity is an expensive commodity and having a new pump with a great output but a smaller motor will translate into cost savings for the company” declared Sergio Boscardin, General Manager of the tannery company.

    The new e-SV ”Boiler” 180°C can pump water at 170°C for 12 hours continuously without the need for regular external maintenance such as mechanical seal cooling, which is of enormous benefit to the customer.

    With an 8 bar input pressure and a 9.5 bar output pressure, the new pump can maintain operation levels within the tannery whilst delivering savings on both water and electricity. The Lowara e-SV ”Boiler” 180°C collection forms part of a wider range extension. Other new additions include a range of Low Net Positive Suction Head (Low NPSH) pumps for heavy industrial application where cavitation is an issue, and a selection of High Pressure pumps designed for ultra-filtration and pressure washdown systems up to 45 bar.