dual head peri-pump?

[dangerrrr]

Does anyone know if it would be possible to mod one of the motors on the peri-pump to create a dual head? I ask because i intend to use it to do automatic water changes, and the dual head would be more accurate.

Thanks in advance!

[RobbyG]

Not sure if I understand what you are trying to do. Can you explain the dual head and why it is more accurate?

[NeveSSL]

On some peristaltic pumps, you can "stack" heads on them. I believe mostly on the ones in the medical field. This allows you to use one motor for 2 "heads".

I'm assuming dangerrr is wanting to have one pumping in and the other pumping out for his automatic water changes. It would be more accurate because both heads would be on the same motor.

I think... :)

Brandon

[NeveSSL]

Oh, and I'm fairly certain you wouldn't be able to using the Aquatronica pumps, dangerrr... but it may be worth shooting them an email. :)

Brandon

[dangerrrr]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13901496#post13901496 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
On some peristaltic pumps, you can "stack" heads on them. I believe mostly on the ones in the medical field. This allows you to use one motor for 2 "heads".

I'm assuming dangerrr is wanting to have one pumping in and the other pumping out for his automatic water changes. It would be more accurate because both heads would be on the same motor.

I think... :)

Brandon

You are spot on Brandon! One motor, two heads. One would be setup to pump water out of the tank, whilst the other head would be setup to pump water into the tank simultaneously. This way i can be sure that the exact amount of water going out of the tank, is going in. Thus keeping my salinty levels in check.

I know aquatronica sell spare pump heads. I just need to know if it would be possible to mod something up?

Thanks!

[NeveSSL]

I would bet you may be the first to try it! :)

Keep us updated if you do!

Brandon

[dangerrrr]

Well i've discovered that the pump heads have little clips on the front of them that actually enable them to be stacked. I've included a couple of pics. Now i just have to work out how to make the motor pin longer to drive the second head! I think the manafacturer may be able to help me. http://www.gd-thomas.com/

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/dangerrrr/PeriPumpHead2.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c187/dangerrrr/PeriPumpHead1.jpg

[nemo's janitor]

:) Very well spotted. Got something new to experiment with over XMAS:D

[NeveSSL]

Wow! Very very cool and good to know. :)

Let us know what the manufacturer says.

Brandon

[nemo's janitor]

Yup the replacement spare pump part could be added if one can find an extension drive shaft.

[dangerrrr]

well i got the response from the manufacturer;

Good morning. I am not aware of any customer currently doing as you wish to do, not to say it's not possible, however the extended shaft would certainly require a special request upon the factory and for one piece we would not be willing to do this.

The company is set up for OEM supply chain and therefore would start to entertain this for volumes of say 50+ per year.


Best regards,
Andy Streeting
Applications Engineer I

Gardner Denver Alton Ltd
Waterbrook Estate, Waterbrook Road, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 2UD
Tel: 01420 544184 DDI: 01420 567429 Fax: 01420 544183
andrew.streeting@gardnerdenver.com www.gd-thomas.com


not the answer i was looking for. Does anyone know how to extend a motor shaft?????

[ReefingBuddha]

Would it be all that hard to make one? Would it be asking to much for the motor to triple stack?

I ask as I dose Grotech A, B, C trace elements in the same quantities and it would be great to free up 2 of my 3 dosing pumps.

Great idea and find, hadn't thought of it. I'm assuming that if you get some appropriate round bar and grind it down to make the triangular piece you could use that without a problem. Would be finicky work but seems doable.

[nemo's janitor]

I was looking along the lines of pressing a longer 2.5mm ss shaft into the com.

Will have to take a gamble on a dosing pump. If i screw it the remainder will have to be spares.

Will give it a bash this WE

[nemo's janitor]

Just stripped a motor. the current shaft length is 67mm. To add 2 more pump modules you will have to extend shaft by 40mm.

Off to material merchant to get a length of 2.5ss

BTW i now have a stripped dosing pump, a couple of density interfaces, some screaming tunze pumps, and a few left over Xmas Dec's invading my home deck not to mention the paperwork.

[ReefingBuddha]

dp

[ReefingBuddha]

so... how did that work out?

[Paradiddle7]

Can someone post a picture of what the shaft looks like that needs to be extended?

[nemo's janitor]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/18815910012009_001_a.jpg

[Paradiddle7]

That's really hard to see, but I'm sure it can be extended with a bit of creativity.

Possibly a collar (a hollow tube) that both shafts could fit in, held together with set screws or jb-weld, or even have 2 shafts welded together and then grind and sand them. If the pumps hold the shaft like a bearing, you could probably even use a rubber sleeve or shrink wrap tubing to hold the shafts together. I can't imagine that the shaft has to bear much pressure to turn the pumps.

[nemo's janitor]

I think I've got it. He He

Between the black base plate that holds the white pump head and the aluminium face plate fit a spacer 30 x 30 x 8mm. This will move the whole pump head assembly out by 8 mm. One can now insert an extension shaft into the pump and add pump heads.

Oh you have to replace the screws that hold the motor. I used 4mm x 16mm. Had to grind a little shorter (about a mm or 2) else they catch on the motor windings.

For two pump heads you require a 2.5mm x 30mm ss shaft. for three pump heads you need 2.5mm x 50mm ss shaft.

I got my ss shaft from an Aircraft hobby shop. :D

Will test for a week or so and let you guy's know if there is any slip on the shafts.

[ReefingBuddha]

any pictures... where's that update you promised us after a week? :D

[nemo's janitor]

Ok i am a little slack. I will do so early next week.

[ReefingBuddha]

Thanks

[nemo's janitor]

OK i need more time. There are a number of issues that need to be solved. The system works for a while but the shaft slowly works it's way out. The other issue is that if the white pump head is new it works OK, however if the pump head is well used there is a big variance in pumped volumes.
This brings me to another issue learned from this exercise. The pump head needs to be serviced regulaly. The pump wheels need to be cleaned and the motor's shaft needs to be cleaned. If not, a build up of muck seriously affects the pump calibration. I therefore recommend a regular clean and recalibrate.

I will continue to pursue the head stack option. Just need time to perfect.:)

[nemo's janitor]

Can someone please point me to the instructions on RC how to post picks. They don't seem to exist.

[ReefingBuddha]

put "" before and "" after the URL to post it as a picture in the post.

Looking forward to seeing what you've come up with. How do you thing the extra torque effects the motor?

[nemo's janitor]

Thanks, I also got a heads up from Beerguy. I will give it a go.:D

[nemo's janitor]

No No No.......No....No. Uploading picks to photobucket is a PITA. No time for this frustration. You guys will just have to go without for now until i get the inclination to try again.
Images on my iPhone wont down load. picks are too big and...and...
Bad day I'm having.

[nemo's janitor]

Bigfishy just walked in and told me how stupid i was. To post pic's that is.

The idea was to move the pump head away from the motor so that only half of the motor shaft would drive the pump head. The extension shaft would then be driven by the first pump head. Some slip was expected. However after time the shaft slowly works out and disengages.

]http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu68/nemosJanitor/Mike2008378.jpg

http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu68/nemosJanitor/Mike2008361.jpg

The next option will be to keep the spacer to move the pump head away but to cut the motor shaft short, and in the space that the spacer provides clamp the extension shaft. This now requires specialized machining. Not what i was aiming for.

This is the worn shafts i was referring to with the damaged rollers

http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu68/nemosJanitor/Mike2008398.jpg

http://i634.photobucket.com/albums/uu68/nemosJanitor/Mike2008362.jpg

I think Ive got the pic post thing. My that was easy. Now to improve the quality of the pic's

[ReefingBuddha]

well done. Thanks for the pics. You could use a dremel to shave that down but I wouldn't do it to my pump first either :D

How did the triple stack work?

[nemo's janitor]

As i said the shaft slips and disengages after a while. The motor seems to be able to handle the load. But long term testing will tell.
I wanted to make the mod easy for all to do. So i looked at drill bits as a shaft option. I was able to find 2.2mm drill bits with a long shank that would do 3 pump heads with the drill fluting cut off. The actual size of the shaft is 2.3mm.

[dangerrrr]

Hey Nemo,

Did you have any more luck with this mod?

:fun2:

[RobbyG]

FYI re dosing pumps in General

Now this is just based on my observation but what I have noticed is that Dosing pumps for Aquarium use are not nearly as accurate as most people think they are, unless you clean and change the Tubing often and recalibrate regularly. My feeling is that someone orginaly looked at them in the medical world and thought they would be great for Aquariums but I would bet that in the medical world the Pumps probably get new tubing on each use and they don't work nearly as hard or as long as most aquarium dosing pumps.

The problems that I have found is that the Tubing shrinks rapidly over a period of weeks to months depending on what is pumping through the hose and how much pressure is involved etc. The shrinkage throws off the amount by a little bit as each day passes. Now is it critical if your Dosing Kalc; probably Not and if your using it to feed a Calc reactor it's not even an issue, but if you wanted to say dose Iodine I would be very very careful and do regular calibration checks.

[coffeenut]

I have 2 AQ DP's i just realized that the Proflux uses the same heads but cheaper..lol