You might be familiar with our revolutionary sliding vane technology, but how much do you know about our vane construction offerings? Blackmer^? Sliding Vane Pumps are available in a variety of materials to better meet your unique application requirements. However, the vane composition itself must be taken into careful consideration, as the vane must be strong enough to withstand the stresses of pressure, centrifugal and mechanical forces. Each application also demands chemical compatibility and good wear properties to support a long life of vane performance.

While each model is engineered for adaptability and optimized performance, some construction materials naturally handle certain temperatures, pressures and viscosities better than others. Blackmer offers vanes composed of Enduravane, Duravane, laminate, iron and bronze. Each vane material performs optimally in different conditions. For example, plastic material vanes such as Duravane, laminate, and Enduravane operate much better at viscosities below 4250 cP. In higher-viscosity fluid applications, metallic vanes made of iron or bronze perform much better.

Enduravane Basics

Today, we’ll be highlighting Enduravane material. Enduravane uses the same thermoplastic base material as the Duravane, but the additives are adjusted to further reduce wear between the vane and the pump. These additives are more lubricating and can be gentler in certain applications.

With this development in Duravane technology, Enduravane excels in difficult applications at differential pressures above 150 psi, especially in stainless-steel pumps, which are more prone to wear and galling. Constructed to reduce wear during operation and perform well in these stressful operations, Enduravanes are recommended for high-pressure MAGNES Series Sliding Vane Magnetic Drive Pumps applications, and are therefore only available for MI4 and MS4 models.

Cost-Effective Handling at High Pressures

And though the Enduravane costs slightly more than the Duravane, its benefits in high-pressure applications far outweigh the price tag. This is evident when we consider how the Enduravane material performs in pump operations. Centrifugal, mechanical and pressure forces create sliding wear of the vane on the cylinder and rotor. The vane is also moving very quickly, up to 30 feet per second, and is sliding in very tight clearances. These demanding conditions require a vane that can balance pump longevity with not wearing the pump’s mating surfaces. MAGNES Series MI4 and MS4 Sliding Vane Pump models equipped with Enduravanes achieve this balance, despite extreme operating conditions.

Testing has revealed that, in high-pressure fluid-handling applications, Enduravanes last up to three times longer than Duravanes before replacement is required. This means that operators face less downtime and lost productivity when employing Enduravanes. Preserving service life and performance enables operators to save time and money, especially in high-pressure MAGNES Series applications.

Building Off Previous Success

Though vane design is a delicate balance between strength and gentleness in the face of many forces and wear points, Blackmer vane materials are up to the task. From our metallic lines to thermoplastic models, Blackmer Sliding Vane Pump technologies are engineered to meet each application’s unique fluid processing demands. And thanks to the reliable track record of Duravane material, we were able to develop the Enduravane and build off of this success.

Enduravanes are only available for 4-Inch MAGNES Series Sliding Vane Magnetic Drive Pumps. Learn more about MAGNES here.

Access more information about Blackmer Enduravane design and functionality here.