Westland ensures quality with peristaltic pumps

Westland Transmissions Ltd, part of GKN Westland Helicopters, has turned to Watson-Marlow Bredel to improve its plating operation during the manufacture of its world-famous helicopters.

Westland Transmissions Ltd, part of GKN Westland Helicopters, has turned to Watson-Marlow Bredel to improve its plating operation during the manufacture of its world-famous helicopters.

Westland is using Watson-Marlow Bredel's peristaltic technology to ensure that the helical gear - a component part of the main helicopter's main gearbox - is completely submerged in copper plating solution and prevents air pockets forming.

Previously, Westland had bubbled air around the components but this resulted in unsatisfactory deposits and Westland's prestigious quality standards meant that these components were constantly returned for reworking.

The solution was achieved using a Watson-Marlow Bredel 313 pump and twin pumpheads fitted with Marprene tubing.

One pumphead is supplying plating solution around the area where air entrapment can occur, the second is evacuating solution from the recess when the helical gear is extracted from the plating bath.

The plating solution is safely contained within the pump tube at all times.

Paul French, plating shop manager at Westland describes the Watson-Marlow Bredel solution as "unbelievably simple.

"By gently recirculating the solution through a peristaltic pump we can ensure that no air enters the solution.

Our previous method of trying to ensure complete plating often ended up introducing more air into the system.

That was completely unacceptable given our stringent quality standards" Using peristaltic technology also means that Westland has opted for a solution that has a minimum maintenance requirement - peristaltic pumps have no expensive seals, check valves, diaphragms or glands to leak, clog, corrode or replace, hence downtime is reduced significantly.

The only maintenance generally required on a peristaltic pump is to change the tube.

When asked how often the tubes needed to be changed at Westland Paul French replied: "Not very often, I can't even remember the last time.

This, in an environment that is using corrosive chemicals.

However, when the operation needs to be carried out it only takes minutes and is usually done by the operator.

Westland's use of the Watson-Marlow Bredel pump serves to demonstrate the huge breadth and flexibility of peristaltic technology.

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