Situation

The 3 Rivers terminal in Joliet, IL was built in 1980 on 123 acres of land with the intent to private-label and package hydrogen peroxide.  While this is still a portion of the business, today the terminal is for-hire and moves product from 42 railcar positions to 7 truck-loading racks and back, as required.  Today the company still moves the hydrogen peroxide, but also caustics, amines, glycerin propylene, glycol, and deicers using 17 storage tanks and 15 blending tanks.

Manual loading can be accomplished by using six drum or tote filling stations for quart bottles to 20,000 gallon batch sizes.  There is also a space on the river for a barge dock, should the terminal choose to expand in that direction in the future.

Glenn Gibisch, executive vice president and COO for the terminal identified that the air-operated, double-diaphragm pumps and side channel pumps were not efficient in terms of loading volume or electricity usage.

Case Evaluation – Seeler Industries (Joliet, Inc)

“To accomplish this new direction, Seeler turned (to) Semler Industries of Franklin Park, IL.  Semler has been a value-added distributor for Blackmer for more than 50 years, in addition to other industrial liquid handling products for a century.” (Holmes, 2009)

Semler Industries was able to recommend four different models of pumps to meet each of the individual needs at the terminal.  Ultimately, the different models included at the Seeler facility at 3 Rivers terminal were able to provide twice the work for the same amount of electricity, which was a tremendous ROI.

Additionally, scale-to-scale (trans-loading) truck times were reduced from 90 minutes per truck to 66 minutes per truck.  Improvements will continue with efforts to get scale-to-scale times under 60 minutes.  This benefit adds further ROI to the process that is tangible and measurable for each load transferred.

Equipment Description

Blackmer® Model STX3 and SNP3J sliding vane pumps were selected due to the self-priming nature and SS construction which makes these models able to handle the multiple fluids transferred at the facility.  Additionally, the non-metallic vanes permit the pumps to run dry for a short period without severe damage, as many other pump types and brands experience.  The 200 to 250 gallons per minute flow rates increase performance and reduce costs to the operating budget.

Mouvex C-series eccentric disc  pumps safely increased the performance of loading from 45gpm to 90gpm.  After seven years in operation, there have been no issues.  The pump design also permits clean-in-place for both intake and discharge lines which decreases service times and further increases efficiency.  In addition to the high-efficiency benefits and increased flow rates, the C-series’ seal-less design results in years of trouble-free, no-leak performance.

Blackmer SystemOne pumps are centrifugal style pumps that are used to blend the hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid to make peracetic acid.  This is difficult for many pumps due to the seals and compatibility demands, but not for the SystemOne centrifugal.  .  The robust design results in a quick ROI for ANSI centrifugal pump users that frequently change seals, and require shaft and impeller replacements.

In addition to utilizing Semler Industries’ expertise and high-quality pump manufacturers, Seeler has turned to Semler for Cross-linked polyethylene tanks to store acids and corrosives safely, as well as filtration equipment to remove contaminants and purify the liquids it stores and distributes to its customers.

Recommendations

Semler Industries is committed to serving its clients through regular contact and expert support.  The broad range of pumps available through Semler Industries distribution channels permits a one-stop shop for terminals and just about any liquid handling need.  This experience and breadth of knowledge can pay off in ROI, increased performance and unbeatable reliability.

References

1. Holmes, Bill.  (2009).   Terminally Successful.  (January/February 2009).   TechTrends: www.Chem.info.
2. Semler Industries employee experience