Priming Your Dispense System

Today, we’ll walk through setting up a bladder bag pump on a UV cure system. We begin with a pail that has a bladder bag inside. The bladder bags come with a cap, which includes an internal cap and an external retainer. Leave these in place for now.

To load the pail, start by raising the ram to move the inductor plate out of the way. Once the ram is raised, you can detach the inductor plate, set it aside, and place the pail in position. The inductor plate has a retaining clip designed to hold the neck of the bladder bag. Insert the neck of the bag into the hole on the plate and secure it with the retaining clip.

Bladder bags have a blue cap inside the neck that can be difficult to remove. Once the cap is loose, save it for long-term storage, as it can be used to reseal the container. After removing the cap, secure the retaining clip around the bag neck to hold it in place.

Once the neck of the bag is inserted into the plate, ensure the retaining clip is fully seated in the pocket on the pump’s meeting hub. Avoid pressing down on the inductor at this stage, as the air in the bag could create a mess. Slowly lower the pump, ram, and hub assembly until it aligns with the inductor plate. Tighten the screws evenly to secure the assembly, ensuring the clip remains in place and the rubber seal inside the hub forms a proper seal with the bladder bag.

To help the seal slide smoothly, apply a small amount of lubricant, such as WD-40, inside the pail. Keep the ram pressure low (approximately 20 psi) to avoid rupturing the bag. Once the pail is loaded, turn the pump on to begin the priming process.

Start by bleeding air from the pump’s bleed valve. If your pump has a solenoid, enable it and use the pump switch to control air to the motor. Run the pump at a low pressure, opening the bleed valve until a steady flow of material emerges. Close the valve once the material is flowing consistently.

Move to the material filter on top of the pump. Open the relief valve on the filter to bleed air from the system. If there is a supply hose connected to an automation cell, allow the pump to push material into the line. Monitor the flow for any air bubbles, ensuring the hose is fully primed.

To bleed the supply hose leading to the manifold, unplug the manifold and run the pump at low pressure. Turn off the pump once the material flows freely, with no air bubbles. Cap the manifold to maintain pressure in the system. Repeat this process for the final section of hose leading to the roto meter. Remove the plug, turn the pump on briefly to purge air, and cap the hose to keep it primed and ready for connection.

When connecting the supply hose to the roto meter, ensure the inlet fitting is secure, and the outlet nozzle is not blocked. A blocked outlet can cause excess pressure and damage the seals in the progressive cavity pump. Once everything is connected, turn the supply pump back on and run the motor to dispense material.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us.