How to Pump Glue with a Masterflex Tubing Pump

A web press is complex—and requires constant monitoring. An equipment failure costs both money and time. Reliable tubing pumps, such as Masterflex®, and other components needing minimal attention from press operators are quite valuable.

Situation: A major business forms printer fed viscous, pressure-sensitive glue onto a web press to apply it to check stubs. The silicone-based glue was pumped from a floor-mounted container to a height of six feet. Two pumps fed into a tray of about two quarts of glue. A porous pick-up cylinder transferred the glue to the paper. It was critical that the tray stayed full and the cylinder remained coated with glue. Down the line, the paper ran through a folder in which applied pressure activated the glue.

The printer used centrifugal pumps. Yet, the centrifugal pumps regularly clogged with glue. The clogging required disassembly, cleaning, and rebuilding—a process which ate up at least an hour. And, the life expectancy of the centrifugal pumps was low.

Solution: With Masterflex® I/P® process drives, I/P® Easy-Load® pump heads, and Masterflex® Norprene® pump tubing, the process ran more smoothly. The drives deliver consistent flow and continuous–duty operation. The tubing is chemically compatible with the silicone-based glue and also offers excellent suction and resilience to lift and pump the viscous glue. Norprene tubing also suits this application with its long pumping life—further reducing the maintenance load on operators. When new tubing is needed, the Easy-Load pump head requires only minutes for a tubing change.

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