Lowest Cost of Ownership for Slurry Pumps

The Importance of Low Cost of Ownership

Most industrial pump manufacturers make claims about their products being able to accomplish some sort of incredible and amazing achievement.  Bragging rights to having a pump that generates the greatest flow rate, or does some other spectacular feat are always worth mentioning; but when determining the best pump for a customer, the pump that is best is the one that provides the performance you need and does so consistently throughout the lifespan of the product, while at the same time causing you the least amount of technical issues and downtime to your operation.  

Purchasing a pump for your business is different than buying a consumer product.  The pump you purchase is expected to drive your operation without interruption or breaking the bank.  If it performs in this manner, your return on the investment of your pump continues to increase; and as the weeks, months and years go by that investment compounds, amounting to a far greater value than you ever thought possible.  The best industrial pump provides the performance you need and continues to operate consistently, all day, every day.

A low cost of ownership is a term that is used to measure the consistent performance, cost per yield, dependability, durability, and the long-lasting trouble-free nature of an industrial pump.  An interesting fact that is true when determining the cost of ownership, is the pump with the lowest list price or energy consumption does not necessarily mean that the overall cost of ownership will be the lowest compared to other pumps with a more premium price, and that draws a slightly higher amount of energy.  That saying by economist Milton Friedman is true, “You get what you pay for!”  The opposite is also true, not all premium-priced pumps offer the lowest cost of ownership either.  

So, when you’re trying to make your way through the endless amount of marketing white noise and over-exaggerated performance claims, remember this important question when speaking to the salesperson; “What is the cost of ownership associated with your pump, and what factors did you use when coming to that answer?” 

The EDDY Heavy-Duty Slurry Pump – Lowest Cost of Ownership

The EDDY Heavy-Duty (HD) Slurry Pump is a result of the EDDY Pump Corporation’s team of engineer’s deep understanding of what is of the most value to the pump user – a product that performs like the customer needs it to, and operates consistently without breaking down and causing delays in the pumping process.  

When it comes to a pump that provides consistent performance, cost per yield, dependability, durability, and offering long-lasting trouble-free operation the customer can count on, the EDDY HD Slurry Pump is one of the best, if not the best in the world.  This incredibly durable and dependable pump has been put to the test in countless applications and has proven it’s worth time and time again.  

When the stakes are high the EDDY HD Slurry Pump has surpassed other competitors’ pumps in some of the most demanding applications that exist in the world.  An example of an extremely demanding application recently occurred with one of the most meticulous customers; a customer who has the incredible responsibility of protecting the security and safety of the nation – the United States Navy.  Given the great responsibility of protecting this nation, comes the challenge of securing the most reliable and effective equipment that is designed to get the job done 100% of the time. 

Design Simplicity and Durability

The EDDY HD Slurry Pump has evolved over the years due to constant continuous improvement efforts by the Engineering Team at the EDDY Pump Corporation.  The care and thought that has gone into this pump design have resulted in a pump that is virtually indestructible when exposed to a typical industrial pump application.  The pump is a very simple design that drastically reduces the potential of component failure.  The simplicity of design increases the pump’s longevity and reliability and enables the pump to operate for years with little to no maintenance.  The EDDY HD Slurry pump is made in the U.S.A. and can withstand extremely challenging conditions, and is ideally suited for pumping high viscosity, high specific gravity, and high abrasive fluids.  

Product Features & Benefits:

• Non-clogging with the large flow path
• Extremely large internal clearances
• 40-70% solids pumping by weight
• Solids passage almost as large as the pump inlet
• Longest-lasting mechanical seal system in the world
• Mechanical seal system does not require external flushing
• Heavy-duty rotor design
• Consistent performance throughout the life of the pump
• No wear rings to adjust
• Self Priming
• Run-dry capable
• 100% American Made

Extremely Low Cost Per Yield

The unique way that the rotor of the EDDY Pump displaces fluid, combined with the extremely large internal flow path allows the pump to transfer large amounts of solids and particle-laden materials with a low volume of water, or accompaniment fluids.  Comparatively, the EDDY HD Slurry Pump can transfer up to 2-3 times the solids concentration versus competitor pumps.  The reduction in water is another benefit that reduces the cost per yield pumped.  Added to this, reducing the water that requires treating, further reduces the cost per yield; this can be quite substantial when quantifying the savings over a greater amount of material pumped.  

Product Comparison – The EDDY HD Slurry Pump vs. Centrifugal Pumps

With centrifugal pumps being so common it is easy to see how the mistake often made of applying them to the wrong type of pump application.  The following information compares the EDDY HD Slurry pump to the common centrifugal pump and provides clarity to some of the important operational considerations you should be aware of when purchasing a pump for your application. 

The following study included both the centrifugal pump and the EDDY Pump and involved moving 400,000 cubic yards of a solid-laden slurry material by each pump.  As you can see by the following data, it took the centrifugal pump up to 35 weeks longer to move the entire 400,000 cubic yards of material.  There were two factors that caused the difference in the overall time it took for both pumps to move the material; Those two factors are “downtime” and “solids by weight.”  These two factors make a world of difference regarding the cost of ownership between these two pumps.  

The example includes downtime:

Difference of 35 Weeks to Complete the Project!  

The difference in weeks to complete the project is due to two factors.

• There was a drastic difference in the amount of downtime between the two pumps; the difference of 9-weeks for the centrifugal, and 1-week for the EDDY Pump.
• The EDDY Pump outperforms the centrifugal pump in the solids by weight category 42% versus 18%.  

The example includes downtime:

Difference of 27 weeks to Complete the Project! 

The difference in weeks to complete the project is due to the difference in each pump’s ability to pump solids by weight.

• The EDDY Pump outperforms the centrifugal pump in the solids by weight category 42% versus 18%.  This amounts to a lot more material pumped over a given period of time.  The EDDY Pump completed the project in 26 weeks versus the centrifugal pump completed the project in 53 weeks.  That is a difference of 27-weeks.  

The EDDY Pump provides a greater amount of value in a shorter period of time!  The common centrifugal pump moves roughly 7,547.2 cubic yards per week, and the EDDY Pump can move roughly 15,384.6 cubic yards per week.  This means that an EDDY Pump can move over 2X the amount of material as a common centrifugal pump in the same amount of time.  

The EDDY Pump’s ability to move a greater percentage weight of solids drastically decreases the cost per yield compared to the common centrifugal pump.  The centrifugal pump can fill 5.9 Hopper Barges per week.  The EDDY Pump can fill 12.2 Hopper Barges per week.  The EDDY Pump can fill over 2X the amount of Hopper Barges per week.  Which is a 104% increase in production using the EDDY Pump.  

Produces Twice as Much in the Same Period of Time! 

The goal was to pump 400,000 cubic yards of solid-laden material from a common-sized barge.  The hopper barge used for this study was 200’ X 35’ X 13’ (box type) and could hold up to 1,646 S/T (short ton = 2,000 lbs.).  

Centrifugal pump = 7,547.2 cubic yards per week

EDDY Pump = 15,384.6 cubic yards per week

Hopper Barge Size = 200’X35’X13’

Hopper Barge Volume = 1646 S/T (short ton = 2,000lbs) = (1258.5 cubic yards [short])

400,000 cubic yards = 317.8 Hopper Barge loads

Centrifugal pump can fill 5.9 Hopper Barges per week

EDDY Pump can fill 12.2 Hopper Barges per week

The EDDY Pump can fill over 2X the amount of Hopper Barges per week.  Which equates to a 106% increase in production using the EDDY Pump.  

Works twice as hard in the same period of time.  

Environmentally Friendly

The EDDY HD Slurry Pump was designed with the environment in mind.  The pump’s ability to transfer solid-laden slurries with less water or accompaniment fluids drastically reduces the water usage per job.  With the ongoing droughts across the world causing so many concerns and challenges for society, industrial water usage has been put under the microscope to force reductions in water use.  The EDDY HD Slurry Pump was designed to help manage water use efficiently; the larger the job, the greater the amount of water saved.  

It is important for all of us to do our part to help achieve and maintain the environmental sustainability.  Choosing to use environmentally friendly products such as the EDDY HD Slurry Pump is taking a step in the right direction.  Water scarcity is a reality; unfortunately, the supply of water on this planet is limited.  Being committed to environmental sustainability is a choice, a responsible choice we all must make so that future generations have the water they require to live the full and rich life they deserve!  

Total Ownership Cost Analysis by U.S. Navy

The EDDY Pump Corporation has had the pleasure of being the U.S. Navy’s provider of pumps for many decades and has a solid track record of providing products that the U.S. Navy can count on for their most demanding slurry applications needs.  Considering what is at stake and the high degree of performance that the Navy requires from its industrial equipment partners, the EDDY HD Slurry Pump was put to the test by conducting a Total Ownership Cost (TOC) Analysis against another top pump competitor to ensure that the Navy was commissioning the best pump in the world for their needs.  

The length of this TOC analysis was over a 4-year time span, and consisted of a number of critical considerations; the list price to acquire the pumps and the cost of maintenance and repairs over the 4-years.  

TOC Analysis Results Provided by U.S. Navy

Reduction of Total Cost of Ownership:     $17,717,000

The difference between the two competitors fell in the favor of the EDDY Pump with a cost savings difference of over $17 million to the U.S. Navy over the course of 4-years.  

This TOC Analysis shows the incredible benefits of choosing the EDDY HD Slurry Pumps over other major pump competitors.  If we extrapolate this savings vs the Herborner Centrifugal 5.5 QSH pump to a 10-year period that would equate to a reduction of the Total Cost of Ownership of over $44 million.  

NOTE:  The U.S. Navy stated that EDDY Pumps have been applied to numerous applications on Navy ships and each pump has operated well over 10-years without requiring an overhaul.  

Common Industries for EDDY Heavy-Duty Slurry Pumps

The EDDY HD Slurry Pump is beneficial to most industries and is ideally suited for applications that involve solid-laden slurries, and materials with very large volumes of particulates.  The following is an introduction to some of the industries that this pump is well suited to.  Ideally, the EDDY HD Slurry Pump can be applied to many industries and applications that are not listed below.

• Agriculture
• Dredging & Marine
• Oil & Gas
• Chemical
• Mining
• Sewage & Wastewater
• Sand & Gravel Pumping
• Pulp & Paper
• Frac Sand Pumping
• Lime Slurry

The EDDY Pump Corporation

The EDDY Pump Corporation is a leading provider of unique slurry and dredge pumps, and manufactures products that provide superior value versus other pump types.  The pump is not a centrifugal, vortex, or positive displacement pump, but rather a pump harnessing the fluid dynamics of an eddy current. This enables the EDDY pump to outperform conventional pumps in applications that involve high viscosity, large weight of solids and particulates, high specific gravity, corrosive and abrasive material, work well in applications that are susceptible to clogging, and do it in an environmentally friendly manner.  

EDDY Pump Product Categories

• Industrial Heavy-Duty Process Pumps
• Self Priming Pumps (Electric & Diesel)
• Dredging Equipment
  • Excavator Pump Attachment
  • Dredge Sled
  • Autonomous Dredge
  • Cable Deployed Dredge
  • Hydraulic Power Units (HPU)

If you are pumping slurry, brines, high solids, extremely viscous material, paste, high abrasives (sand & gravel), and material filled with solids, then you found the best-suited pump for the job.  Go to:  https://eddypump.com/  or Call Us!

Mining, Fly Ash, Coal Ash, Oil, Fracking, Gas, Wastewater, Pulp and Paper, Chemical, Energy, Water Municipalities, Irrigation, and Dredging Companies.  For Access to Complete Product Line Go to: https://eddypump.com/products/ 

EDDY Pump vs. Centrifugal Pumps

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