Sulzer Pump Solutions Ireland, based in Wexford, has a wide range of pump manufacturing capabilities, including machining, assembly, motor winding, packaging, and shipping of submersible pumps for the submersible wastewater segment. A product research and development team is located on site, and the plant in Wexford is home to a state-of-the-art product testing facility.
The facility in Wexford has a long tradition of manufacturing wastewater pumps since 1973, and it has developed into the largest producer of ABS submersible pumps.
To ensure that the submersible water pumps manufactured by Sulzer are of the highest quality and in full working order, they are put through stringent testing. To do this, Sulzer required two stainless steel test tanks to be manufactured and installed in order for the pumps to be fitted and then submersed in water.
Manufactured at our fabrication department in Wexford, the new tanks were created from 3m x 1.5m stainless steel sheets cut to size and welded together to form two 2m x 1.5m structures. Welded on both sides to ensure no leaks, an 80mm angle iron was also cut to length and stitch welded to the outside of the tanks to prevent the tanks from bulging when full of water.
All internal channel supports for the pipework were cut and fully welded to the inside walls. Following that, internal pipe sections for the tanks were cut to length and flanges for these pipes were welded to one end of each pipe. The pipes were then pushed through the holes of the tank ends with the other flanges then lined up and fully welded.
The lids for both tanks were cut from thick stainless steel sheeting with holes drilled into the lids and in the reinforcing angles around the top of the tanks. Once prepped, the lids were then bolted to the top of both tanks.
When completed, the tanks were transported to the client’s site where the old tanks were being removed. Once the area was clear, the new tanks were moved and lowered into a concrete pit one metre below ground using mobile A frames and electric hoists. The team bolted all internal pipework inside both tanks, whilst all new external pipework, manifolds, flow meters and actuator valves were fitted to the back of the tanks. The existing stainless steel guide rails and clamping systems were removed from the old tanks and fixed to the new ones.
All pipelines were pressure testing by our engineers for possible leaks. To do this, the valves behind each tank were fully closed off, then a special test flange with an air line was dropped down the guiderails and clamped against the new pipework. High pressure air was pumped through the pipes to discover any leaks.
