Valveless Ceramic Pumps Provide Essential Nutrients for Hydroponic Farming

Most people know that plants are grown in soil to take full advantage of the nutrients available.  In some climates this is not possible, so alternative farming methods had to be created. Hydroponics is a method of growing plants in a water based, nutrient rich solution that does not use soil.  Instead the root system is supported using an inert medium such as perlite, rockwool, clay pellets, peat moss or vermiculite. A constant flow of water must be delivered to the roots in this system and pumps are needed to accomplish this.

Crystallization Issues

The proprietary nutrient formulations used by hydroponic farmers contain a variety of minerals that tend to crystallize.  This can create problems in metering pump technologies that rely on check valves or flexible peristaltic tubing. Crystallization would eventually cause the check valves to fail and the hardened crystals would cause the elastomer tubing to break down. This would prevent vital nutrients reaching the plants which many times are unattended for several weeks at a time.

Valveless Pump Solution

The CeramPump Valveless Piston Pump from Fluid Metering, Inc. meets all the needs of the hydroponic farming industry.  It utilizes only one moving part in the fluid path which accomplishes both the pumping and valving functions, which eliminates check valves and the associated reliability and maintenance concerns.  The CeramPump also has internal components made of sapphire-hard ceramics which are chemical inert, dimensionally-stable and abrasion-resistant which limits the chance of pump failure.  To make sure that fluid crystallization is not an issue; the CeramPump is also available with a special wash gland feature which essentially isolates crystal forming fluids from the atmosphere.

FMI’s CeramPump has been successfully used in hydroponic farming for the growing of endives, which are grown unattended for 21 days in the dark.  Also flowering plants grown from bulbs are an additional area where FMI’s Valveless Piston pump can deliver nutrient and mineral enriched formulations accurately and maintenance free, even when left unattended for extended periods of time.

For more information on how FMI’s valveless metering pump technology can meet your hydroponic needs, please reach out to product specialist’s here.

The Importance of Denitrification of Effluent Wastewater

Water is the one of the most important resources on planet Earth.  It is vital that we protect the quality of our water, and make sure it is safe for everyone who needs it throughout the world.  At Fluid Metering Inc. we understand the seriousness of making sure water is treated properly, and offer valveless piston pumps for the complete denitrification of effluent wastewater.  The amount of fresh water that is available on our planet is limited, so it is important to treat it properly.

Hazards of Nitrogen in Untreated Wastewater Effluent

In untreated wastewater effluent, nitrogen is present that in high concentrations can pose major environmental concerns when released into bays and watersheds.  As nitrogen is an end-product of the bacterial metabolism of ammonia, it can deplete dissolved oxygen in receiving water.  It also stimulates the growth of aquatic plant and algae growth which causes hypoxia and also blocks sunlight from reaching submerged marine life which creates a condition known as eutrophication.  Nitrate compounds in drinking water can also cause the human health condition known as methemoglobinemia which alters the oxygen-carrying capacity of hemoglobin.  Due to these hazards, it is important that the levels of nitrogen created during the wastewater treatment process be reduced before the effluent is discharged into the environment.

Denitrification Using Methanol

Using a process known as denitrification, water facilities convert the excess nitrates into nitrogen gas, which is then vented into the atmosphere instead of being released into waterways.  One of the most cost-effective denitrification options is with the use of methanol.  Methanol is used in wastewater applications as the carbon source that breaks down the nitrates.  Because methanol is volatile, wastewater treatment facilities need specific metering pumps that are specially designed to dispense the chemical.  Our CeramPump® line of valveless metering pumps is ideally suited for this.  Constructed from inert and corrosion resistant ceramic parts, with only one moving part in the fluid path, it is highly reliable and extremely precise with an output variation of only ±1% of set value.  The use of sapphire-hard, dimensionally stable, ceramic internal components allows precision manufacturing with tight clearances and the elimination of multiple check valves provides a metering pump that can self-prime down to the micro-liter range and never lose prime.

WEFTEC 2016

This year we will be at WEFTEC 2016 in New Orleans, LA from September 26-28.  This is the premier water quality conference for professionals looking for water quality solutions and the latest industry innovations focusing on protecting our water and environmental resources.  At booth #7416 our product experts will be on hand displaying our unique valveless pump technology and answering questions.  For more information visit our tradeshow section or contact us.

Where to Find FMI in 2016

2016 has been a busy year for Fluid Metering, Inc. as we have been attending great tradeshows all around the world, with still more to go!  We will be continuing to exhibit our valveless metering pumps, dispensers and our many other products at shows during the rest of 2016.  Locations where we will be attending shows include Shenzhen, China; Goyand, Korea; New Orleans, LA; Shanghai, China; Chicago, IL; and Dusseldorf, Germany.

The remaining shows we will be attending this year are centered towards a wide range of industries including shows for medical device manufacturers, automation systems, water quality solutions, laboratory technology and processing and packaging.  At these shows we will be exhibiting the many uses of our products.

On hand at each show will be experienced application specialists available to answer questions and provide product demonstrations.  Our Fluid Metering product specialists will also be available to review your specific requirements and recommend a solution that will meet your needs.

We will be at the International Component Manufacturing & Design Show at booth #H3-E19 in Shenzhen, China from August 30-September 1.  This show is for medical device manufacturers and upstream product suppliers.

From September 6-9 Fluid Metering will be in Goyang, Korea for the KOFAS 2016 (KINTEX) – International Factory Automation System Show.  This show is an exhibition specializing in automation systems and includes machinery companies and factory automation system manufacturers.

At the end of September we will be at WEFTEC 2016 in New Orleans, LA.  This is a water quality conference for professionals who are looking for water quality solutions.   Our application specialists will be on hand at booth # 7416 to demonstrate our water treatment products.

In October we will be at Analytica China in Shanghai in Hall N2, booth #2276.  This is an international trade fair for laboratory technology and biotechnology.

We will finish our 2016 tradeshow schedule in November with two shows.  First we will be at the PACK EXPO which is a joint venture with the Pharma EXPO from November 6-9.  This tradeshow is taking place in Chicago, IL and we will be at booth W-581.  After that we will be attending Medica/COMPAMED 2016 in Dusseldorf, Germany from November 14-17.  This is the world’s largest medical marketplace and a leading trade fair for the medical supplier industry.

For more information about the remaining shows we will be attending and exhibiting at, as well as any changes or updates, visit our tradeshow page.

Using FMI Metering / Dosing Pumps and Dispensers to Combat the Spread of Zika Virus

Few things strike fear in the hearts of people like the prospect of a contracting a deadly virus.  Many virus epidemics are due to mosquitos carrying the virus and transmitting it to humans.  One virus currently being spread by mosquitos is the Zika virus, whose spread has pushed the World Health Organization to issue a Public Health Emergency of International Concern warning.

Zika not only proves to be life threatening to the first point of contact (the original patient), it also causes brain abnormalities in the fetus if it happens to afflict pregnant women.  Widespread in South America, concern has risen with the upcoming summer Olympic Games that will be taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Steps can be taken to stop the spread of mosquitos carrying the virus, such as using Fluid Metering’s pumps to administer insectide.

Two ways to prevent Zika infected mosquito bites are: 

• Use of the right kind of mosquito repellent in areas of lush vegetation. Yards turn into great breeding grounds because the soil is moist and they have more greenery than concrete roads. Fluid Metering Inc.’s ULV Spray Equipment can dispense insecticides that attack both adult mosquitoes, as well as mosquito larvae.

• The rigorous practice of draining standing water. A teaspoonful of standing water can breed up to 300 mosquitoes. Imagine how many of these insects can call stagnant water in your gardens, around your house or in your back yard their home? Fluid Metering Inc.’s powerful drainage and utility pumps solve this problem, sucking the liquid from your property and disposing it in ditches and trenches that can later be filled up with sand.

Fluid Metering Inc. has always pioneered innovations in the field of pumps and dispensers. Its top quality products serve myriad industries including medicine, diary and food processing, manufacturing and pollution control. Using its twin strengths of precision and power, the fight against mosquitos and the Zika virus can also be taken forward. Please contact us at pumps@fmipump.com to learn more.

Valveless Piston Pumps are Ideal for Hydrogen Peroxide Metering

At Fluid Metering, Inc. our valveless, ceramic metering pumps have proven to be reliable, useful pieces of machinery that are effective across a wide range of industries.  For applications that need a precise dose, over millions of repeating cycles, without regular need for repair or recalibration, the best choice available are our valveless ceramic metering pumps.

Working with Hydrogen Peroxide

One area where our pumps excel is in metering concentrated hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is used across a variety of applications, including:

• Use during the aseptic packaging process for a variety of foods and products
• Low-temperature sterilization for clean rooms and hospital operating rooms
• Component and instrument sterilization
• Sporicidal activity
• Cosmetic applications including hair and teeth bleaching
• Production of sodium percarbonate and sodium perborate

Unreliable or imprecise metering of hydrogen peroxide can lead to issues.  These include failure to properly sterilize, or an overdose of hydrogen peroxide that could cause contamination.

Our pumps utilize a ceramic piston as the only moving part, meaning that it is the only moving part that is in contact with the fluid. We use ceramic because it is chemically inert and dimensionally stable, which ensures that over time it can withstand chemicals, as well as any wear and tear. The pumps use our CeramPump® pumping principle that uses the ceramic piston for both pumping and valving functions, allowing for a compact design that does not require check valves. This in turn reduces the need for maintenance, while allowing for the precision you require without a need for regular recalibration.

Of course, working with hydrogen peroxide is not the only way that our metering pumps can be used. At Fluid Metering, Inc., we provide a variety of pumps, available in a wide range of laboratory, production, process, and OEM instrumentation applications and can help you figure out the right pump for your need. Simple, complex, fixed, or variable, we can help you choose the correct equipment, including hazardous duty pumps.

Intelligent Programmable Metering Pump

Modern metering pumps and dispensers are highly advanced, and have come a long way since the basic reciprocating piston metering pumps. The latest generation of pumps are built to be intelligent and programmable, to provide increased control as well as increased feedback on performance and processes.

The Advantages of an Intelligent Programmable Metering Pump

While standard metering pumps are still technologically advanced, the Intelligent Programmable Metering Pump from Fluid Metering Inc. provides some distinct advantages. In addition to the wide speed range of 10 to 1200 RPM, along with a flow rate of 25 microliters per minute up to 240 milliliters per minute these advantages include:

• 5 programmable inputs and 2 programmable outputs
• Application configurable so you can mix and match inputs and outputs
• Multiple programming platforms supported, including Visual Basic and C++
• Display comprehensive data for monitoring, recording, and tracking
• CANopen protocol supported
• EtherCAT communication possible with optional extension module
• Increased flexibility within a system

On top of these advantages, our pumps at FMI are known for quiet operation, known to be free of vibration that can affect your system, are energy efficient, and run cool to reduce heat buildup.

Applications for Intelligent Programmable Metering Pumps

Programmable metering pumps can be used anywhere where you may use a standard metering pump, but they do allow for increased control. These pumps are perfect for use in:

• Medical – Dispensing solvents, lubricants and adhesives for disposable medical component assembly, as well as, dispensing reagents for diagnostic test kit packaging.
• Laboratory – Automated laboratory fluid & sample handling for analytical instrumentation
• Pharmaceutical – Low & micro-volume production dispensing into vials, ampules, & syringes; sterilization chemical metering; dissolution system chemical addition
• Industrial & Process – Nutrient, flavor, and preservative addition, as well as dispensing aseptic packaging agents for food processing; performance additives for petroleum production; chemical metering for pilot plants

Here at Fluid Metering, we produce not only some of the most reliable and efficient Programmable Metering Pumps on the market, but we have 55 years of experience in the field. This means we can quickly, efficiently, and accurately develop a plan for your pump needs, and help to put it into action. We will utilize our comprehensive, searchable database to match your application to our pumps and systems, matching up your details to a tee. So get in touch with us today to find out about seeing the Intelligent Programmable Metering Pump in action in your system!

Fluid Metering is REACH, WEEE and RoHS Compliant

We only have one planet earth. And it is the social responsibility of each and every individual and business entity to ensure that the environment and biodiversity of our planet is not harmed by pollution. Fluid Metering has been a stalwart in the domain of precision metering pumps and dispensers for a very long time, and as a provider in a field that helps combat environmental pollution, it is extremely conscious of its duties and looks to set examples that other enterprises can emulate.

Precision Metering & Environment Conservation Have a History Together:  

Fluid Metering Inc. works with a number of industries including the automotive, industrial, food and dairy and beauty and hygiene. In each instance its metering pumps and dispensers ensure that waste generation is cut down drastically, and fluids that may not impact the environment favorably are used in just the right volume, eliminating the risk of pollution.

Most importantly Fluid Metering products have been used to sample and test ground and river water, inject sodium hypochlorite and monomers for municipal water treatment, as well as enzymes and methanol addition used to process and remove nitrates from wastewater.

Precision metering by its very nature is an important tool in the arsenal of environment protection. And Fluid Metering is proud to do its part with the best quality pumps and dispensers.

WEEE, RoHS & REACH Compliance:

Apart from its involvement in the fight against environmental deterioration through its roster of products and capabilities, Fluid Metering is also WEEE, RoHS and REACH compliant.

Our pumps and dispensers do not contain any known or intentionally added substances that have been marked hazardous by the European Union and the RoHS directive.

We also actively participate in the return and recycling of waste electrical and electronic equipment from our factories and manufacturing units to adhere to the stipulations of WEEE.

Last but not the least, Fluid Metering’s REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) statement declares that after considerable investigation and extensive tests, all FMI products are found to be free of SVHC (Substances of Very High Concern) in quantities more than 0.1% by weight.

If you would like to work with a company that values the environment and puts it first, please get in touch with us.

Metering Pumps in the Automotive Industry

Metering pumps have a wide array of uses, and plenty of industries rely on them. From medical to industrial, the constant, precise flow provided by metering pumps allows for exact, efficient operations and the ability to ensure consistency over a wide range of products or in a single product over a long period of time. One industry that uses metering pumps extensively is the automotive industry, where the need to use precisely measured and constantly flowing liquids is vital.

The uses of metering pumps in the automotive industry include the following:

• Hydrogen fuel cell research and development for both the humidification and fuel injector systems.
• Encapsulating coating materials in the manufacture of stator, armatures, and distributors – this can include anti-corrosives, lubricants, and more.
• Verifying gasoline octane ratings and adding octane to fuels used in vehicles, as well as adding anti-corrosives, colorants, and other additives to the fuels that automobiles use every day.
• Automotive paint spraying, providing even flow and measured amounts for consistent application. These pumps provide a flow that prevents any dead spots in the paint job or any heavy spots. By having the smallest of tolerances, this makes for reproducible quality across every vehicle, so the automotive line shows consistency and quality.
• Usage in the machining area, as parts of machine tools, in chiller applications, filtration of water, and the washing of parts. The precision of a metering pump ensures efficient fluid output in all of these areas, optimizing fluid usage.
• Surface cleaning, where the ability to run a range of temperatures through the pumps and the durability of the parts can allow the precise use of hot or cold cleaning solutions, as well as a range of chemicals.
• Dispensing insulating materials evenly throughout an automobile, including sound-insulation, noise-dampening, and temperature insulation. This can help to insure that sound reduction is at a maximum, or that the proper components are protected by the proper amount of insulation.

Here at Fluid Metering, our metered pumps are designed with precision in mind, and are perfect for automotive applications and other industries such as food and dairy, cosmetic and hygiene, medical, industrial and so many more.  Reliable, durable, and manufactured with attention to detail, we can customize them to meet the needs of your processes. Contact us today for more information!

ISO 9001 Certification Proves Fluid Metering’s Commitment to Quality

To some people, when they see “ISO 9001” written somewhere, they’re seeing just a bunch of letters and numbers that don’t have any meaning to them. But, to those of us in business and manufacturing industries, and specifically in industries where valveless metering pumps and dispensers are used, that group of letters and numbers means so much more. “ISO 9001” is a quality management standard set by the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). The ISO is “the world’s largest developer of voluntary International Standards,” according to the organization’s website.

As previously mentioned, ISO 9001 is a quality management standard and it’s part of the ISO 9000 “family.” But what exactly does this all mean? According to the ISO, it published its first quality management standard in 1987 and, almost three decades later, “standards in the ISO 9000 family have gone on to become some of the most well known and best selling standards.” Specifically, ISO 9001 sets out the criteria for a quality management system and, according to the ISO website, it “is the only standard in the family that can be certified to… It can be used by any organization, large or small, regardless of its field of activity.”

Fluid Metering, Inc. is certified to ISO 9001:2008. Having this certification means a lot to us. We believe it also means a lot to our customers and prospective customers. We don’t just promote ourselves as a company that has quality management practices and standards in place – Fluid Metering quality standards are certified! ISO 9001 certification proves our commitment to providing our customers with the highest quality valveless metering pumps. We also provide exceptional customer service and technical support, the kind of service our customers know they can count on when they buy valveless metering pumps and dispensers from us.

As a supplier of metering pumps, OEM pumps for medical and analytical instrumentation, water treatment pumps, metering systems and other products, Fluid Metering’s conformity to ISO 9001 means that we’ve established a systematic approach to quality management to ensure that our customers’ needs are “clearly understood, agreed and fulfilled.” In fact, the purchasing report, ISO 9001 – What does it mean in the supply chain? says, “The objective of ISO 9001 is to provide a set of requirements that, if effectively implemented, will give you confidence that your supplier can consistently provide products and services that meet your needs and expectations and comply with applicable regulations.”

Learn more about Fluid Metering, Inc., the products we offer, our ISO 9001:2008 certification, and our commitment to quality by visiting our website, or by calling us at 1-800-223-3388.

“One Pump Does it All”

At Fluid Metering Inc., we strive to create quality products that will fulfill the needs of our customers.  Our pumps and dispensers are used for many applications including industrial automation, medical instrumentation, laboratory R&D, and water treatment.  One of the main reasons our products are used for these applications is their versatility.  Our FMI CeramPump® technology provides this versatility, and is the solution to a wide range of fluid control challenges. We have a “One Pump Does it All ” philosophy at Fluid Metering and can provide the results you need for your fluid control.

One dispenser and pump for all OEM applications is a reality with our CeramPump® technology.  With just one pump you can fulfill fluid control requirements such as aspirating, dispensing, continuous metering or a combination of all three, without having to switch or change your equipment.  The valveless syringing will both aspirate and dispense a sterile fluid without any contamination.  It can also flush and wash fluid at a rate of 0-2,000 ml / min.  The pump is capable of continuous dispensing and metering and can be programmed to the dispensing rate you would like.  With this technology productivity will be increased, as this pump will handle multiple tasks that in the past required numerous pieces of equipment.

Fluid Metering works to provide solutions for all fluid control needs.  Our highly trained sales and technical support staff is available to help choose the solution that is best for you.  We are certified under ISO 9001:2008 certification criteria, and work to provide the highest quality valveless metering pumps.  To learn more about our “One Pump Does it All” philosophy, visit our website.  Also follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest product and company news.