Vaughan Chopper Pumps
- The Vaughan Concept
- Pump Configurations
- Vaughan Applications
- Performance Curves
- Demonstration Videos
Tried, Tested and Proven
Vaughan Concept chopper pumps should not be confused with other types or brands of cutter pumps, grinder pumps, macerator pumps, chopper pumps or “non-clog” trash pumps on the market.
Vaughan chopper pumps have been proven to handle and pump the toughest solids found in municipal and industrial waste streams, including heavy concentrations of rag, grit, plastics and fibrous material – material that other solids handling pumps struggle to cope with. Positive chopping at the pump produces a more homogeneous slurry and reduces pipeline friction. A single Vaughan chopper pump can replace two pieces of equipment; i.e. a comminutor (or pre-grinder) and a “non-clog” pump, resulting in much lower maintenance costs.
Vaughan chopper pump impellers, cutter bars, upper cutters and cutter nuts are made of cast alloy steel which is then heat treated to a minimum of Rockwell 60C hardness to provide extended service life in most applications, while the heavy-duty mechanical seal design and bearing system incorporated in each Vaughan pump reduces down time by withstanding the heavy workload and associated forces of chopping and pumping solids reliably. Vaughan’s 50 years of extensive experience in designing and manufacturing chopper pumps for severe duty applications instills trust and product confidence.
With more than 25,000 units now in operation globally, time-tested reliability and customer satisfaction has allowed Vaughan to GUARANTEE the performance and clog-free operation of every chopper pump sold.
The Vaughan Concept
Some of the innovative and patented design features that make the Vaughan chopper pump so dependable are described below.
Vaughan Seal
Designed and manufactured in-house by Vaughan Co., the unique Vaughan Cartridge Seal is the toughest in the industry and is designed to reduce problems associated with wrapping and abrasion. Grit, debris and heat build up is reduced by eliminating the need for a stuffing box, while face cooling and seal flushing is accomplished through the action of the impeller pumpout vanes.Designed and manufactured in-house by Vaughan Co., the unique Vaughan Cartridge Seal is the toughest in the industry and is designed to reduce problems associated with wrapping and abrasion. Grit, debris and heat build up is reduced by eliminating the need for a stuffing box, while face cooling and seal flushing is accomplished through the action of the impeller pumpout vanes. Upper Cutter
Working in conjunction with the rotating impeller pumpout vanes, a stationary Upper Cutter mounted behind the impeller prevents material from wrapping in the mechanical seal area by shredding and removing stray solids. As standard, the Upper Cutter is supplied heat treated to Rockwell 60C hardness for impact and abrasion resistance.
Impeller & Cutter Bar
All solids entering the pump are effectively chopped by the Vaughan Concept chopper pump’s cupped and sharpened impeller blades turning across a stationary Cutter Bar, creating a smooth slicing effect. The number of impeller vanes will depend on the pump model and the severity of the application. As standard, both the Impeller and Cutter Bar are supplied heat treated to Rockwell 60C hardness for impact and abrasion resistance.
Cutter Nut
More than simply a means of securing the impeller to the shaft, Vaughan’s patented Cutter Nut incorporates a sharpened raised tooth that will cut and shred stringy material that tries to wrap and bind at the pump inlet. As standard, the Cutter Nut is supplied heat treated to Rockwell 60C hardness for impact and abrasion resistance.
External Cutter
An optional Disintegrator Tool or EC2 External Cutter enables heavy or bulky solids to be broken up and/or chopped prior to entering the main pump inlet to prevent blockages. Not recommended for stringy solids.
Horizontal End Suction
- Available for flows up to 600 L/s and heads up to 80 metres
- Back pull-out design with externally adjustable cutting clearances
- Heavy-duty bearing housing with B10 bearing life 100,000 hours
- Range of sealing systems available including Vaughan “flushless” or tandem seal configuration
- Overview
- Specifications
Vertical Dry Pedestal
- Dry well solution for installations with limited floor space
- Available for flows up to 600 L/s and heads up to 80 metres
- Back pull-out design with externally adjustable cutting clearances
- Range of sealing systems available including Vaughan “flushless” or tandem seal configuration
- Overview
- Specifications
Self-Primer
- Self-priming capability up to 7.6 metres dry suction lift
- Sizes 4″, 6″, 8″ and 10″ discharge available for flows up to 360 L/s
- Back pull-out rotating assembly with heavy-duty Vaughan cartridge seal
- Available as direct-drive or in a range of belt-driven configurations
- Overview
- Specifications
Vertical Wet Well
- Vaughan’s most popular sump pump, available for flows up to 600 L/s and heads up to 80 metres
- Column lengths available from 600mm to 6+ metres long
- Heavy-duty oil-filled bearing housing for extended bearing life
- Capable of running dry or at extremely low liquid levels
- Overview
- Specifications
Cantilever
- Robust design – ideal for severe abrasive or corrosive service
- Available up to 1.2 metres in length depending on speed
- No submerged seals or bearings for reduced contamination
- Electric motor and wiring is kept out of pumped media
- Overview
- Specifications
Vertical Recirculator
- 3″ – 8″ units available for sumps up to 6+ metres deep
- Integrated nozzle off pump discharge for effective sump mixing
- 3-way valve enables easy switch between recirc/pump-out operation
- Lever controls at surface level for easy operator adjustment
- Overview
- Specifications
Electric Submersible
- Ideal for deep pump stations with heavy solids loadings
- Available for flows up to 600 L/s and heads up to 80 metres
- Tandem mechanical seals for maximum motor protection
- Available as a portable unit or for guide rail operation, including retrofit
- Overview
- Specifications
Hydraulic Submersible
- Portable and light-weight submersible ideal for mobile/contractor operation
- Commonly used for sludge tank and digester cleanout service
- Available as pump only or complete with portable ring stand
- Can be supplied complete with hydraulic drive or as bare shaft unit
- Overview
- Specifications
Submersible Recirculator
- 3″ – 6″ units available for flow rates up to 170 L/s
- Integrated nozzle off pump discharge for effective sump mixing
- 3-way valve enables easy switch between recirc/pump-out operation
- Lever controls at surface level for easy operator adjustment
- Overview
- Specifications
Municipal
Vaughan chopper pumps can be found operating in almost every stage of the wastewater treatment process. From handling raw, heavily concentrated solids in pump lift stations, to eliminating clogging problems in anaerobic digesters and sludge heat exchangers, the Vaughan chopper pump’s ability to reliably handle and condition difficult suspended solids without clogging ensures long-term operational success.
Typical municipal applications:
- Council and local authority pump stations
- CSO (Combined Sewer Overflow) facilities
- Water & sewerage headworks
- Screenings & septage receiving
- Primary & secondary clarifier scum
- Clarifier underflow sludge transfer
- Return & waste activated sludge
- Thickened & digested sludge transfer
- Sludge tank & digester mixing (Vaughan Rotamix)
- Digester sludge recirculation & transfer
- Sludge tank & digester cleanout
- FOG (Fats, Oils & Greases)
- Problem areas such as hospitals, prisons, malls, stations and airports where heavy solids clog conventional pumps
Industrial
The application possibilities for Vaughan chopper pumps in the industrial sector are endless. Whether it be pumping a solids-laden pulp and paper slurry, or difficult and stringy meat process wastes, with their heavy-duty and robust design, Vaughan chopper pumps will stand the test of time in the most demanding industrial solids pumping environments to provide unsurpassed clog-free pumping performance.
Typical industrial applications:
- Food Processing – Beans, Blood, Carrots, Casings, Chickens, Corn Husks, Horns, Fat, Feathers, Fish, Fleshings, Hair, Hide Pieces, Hooves, Horns, Intestines, Paunch, Potatoes, Threads, Tomatoes, Turkeys
- Pulp, Paper & Wood – Broke Pits, Carbonised Bark, Chip Conveyors, Clarifier Scum, Coal Pile Runoff, Conveyor, Gallery Sumps, Drainage Sumps, Fly Ash, Knot and Bark Handling, Log Soaking Vats, Lime Sludge Transfer, Underflow to Dewatering, Woodyard Sumps
- Automotive & Steel – Boiler Blowdown, Chrome Plating Slurries, Coke Breeze, Coke Tar Decanter Sludge, Glass and Plastic, Iron Ore Pallets, Metal Machine Chips, Mill Scale, Oil Washdown, Paint Overspray Sludge, Roll Grinder Coolant (Swarf)
- Chemical & Petrochemical – API Separators, Coke Slurries, Detergent Cakes, Latex Skins, Lead Oxide Slurries, Oil Waste, Plastics, Pumice Hand Cleaner, Refinery Mud, Storm Drains, Sulphur Froth
- Mining, Sand & Gravel – Acid Mine Water, Coal and Sand Washing, Concrete Batch Plant Sumps, Sand and Gravel Silt Ponds, Truck Washdown Sumps
- Contractor Services – Hazardous Waste Cleanup, Lagoon Cleaning, Recycled Solvants, Sludge Dewatering, Storage Tank Cleanout
Vaughan Products in Action
Please find below a selection of original videos that demonstrate the Vaughan Chopper Pump’s unbeatable solids handling capabilities in a range of demanding pumping and mixing applications. Simply click on a tab to expand the video.
General Solids Pumping Demonstration Video
This demonstration videos the raw power behind Vaughan Chopper Pumps. These durable waste water pumps are designed to tackle the toughest of applications, so watch and enjoy as floor wipes, nylons, watermelons, and whole turkeys get pulverised.
Food Waste Pumping Demonstration Video
Vaughan model HE8N horizontal end suction chopper pump tearing through vegetable waste collected with the help of local supermarkets. Watch as this American-engineered powerhouse effortlessly turns solid waste into a thick slurry.
Disposable Wipes Pumping Demonstration Video
Does your WWTP or pump station have wrapping problems due to disposable wipes? With Vaughan Company’s patented internal cutter design you can say goodbye to continuous maintenance and relax as those troublesome fibers are slashed away from the shaft and seal.
Crab Process Waste Pumping Video
This video features a Vaughan Vertical Wet Well in action at a crab processing plant. Crab shells and innards are placed on a conveyor belt, which carries them to a sump. There, they are chopped and pumped by a Vaughan vertical wet well chopper pump. Waste material is pumped across the plant, where it is dewatered and solids are recovered. Since the Vaughan Chopper Pump came online, waste produced by volume has been reduced by 80%. This results in significant savings in transportation and tipping fees.
Rotamix Process Mixing System
Set of three Rotamix nozzles mixing a cylindrical tank. Vaughan Company offers the most powerful hydraulic mixer on the market. Hydraulic mixing offers many benefits over other mixing methods by removing the moving parts from the pit and by utilising the cutting action of the Vaughan Chopper Pump to reduce particle sizes and avoid clogging
Vaughan Small Tank Mixing System
This animation shows how Vaughan’s new small mixing assembly operates within a cylindrical tank. Also included is an animation that depicts the ease of externally adjusting directional flow within a system.
Vaughan Vertical Recirculator Mixing System
This video shows a Vaughan model STV8P-DMA recirculating mixer system at work in the main receiving basin of a pulp and paper mill. The customer was having issues with solids and previously had to call in a vac-truck every 6 weeks to empty the pit, this was until they installed a Vaughan chopper pump and nozzle system in January 2014. After over a year they have not had to call a vac-truck once and have no buildup accumulating in the corners of their retention tank.
Wet Wipes Demo Video
Does your wastewater treatment plant or pump station have wrapping and clogging problems due to disposable wet wipes? With a patented internal cutter design you can say goodbye to continuous maintenance and relax as those troublesome fibers are slashed away from the shaft and seal.
