To keep the water supply flowing at Britain’s largest grower of root vegetables, ITT Flygt, the pump and fluid-handling specialist, has supplied a three-pump system at Albert Bartlett & Sons in Cambridgeshire, a company that produce potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions. The Flygt submersibles are part of a water supply, distribution and pumping system installed by Panks Engineers, which had to meet strict environmental guidelines.

ITT Flygt pumps are being used to keep the water supply flowing at Britain’s largest grower of root vegetables. The pump and fluid-handling specialist has supplied a three-pump system at Albert Bartlett & Sons in Cambridgeshire, a company that produce potatoes, carrots, parsnips and onions.

The Flygt submersible pumps are part of a water supply, distribution and pumping system installed by Panks Engineers, which had to meet strict environmental guidelines. The latest generation N Pump NP3202MT’s fitted with 22kW motors operate on a pulsar level control to maintain constant 1-bar pressure, and is capable of handling the solids associated with vegetable processing and washing. Energy efficiency has been achieved by running the process via variable speed drives depending on loads, which can handle 1,212 tons of produce per day.

The pumps are part of a system that uses screened and recycled water for the washing and moving of vegetables after they arrive by truck for processing. Jason Robinson, ITT Flygt market manager–Industry, explains: "The challenge here was to combine reliability to ensure processing wasn’t interrupted, while at the same time installing a system that met strict environmental guidelines." Panks Engineering development manager Gennaro Poli reveals: "The contract award was a great achievement for us, and a result of the assurance we could give Albert Bartlett & Sons of our knowledge and experience in this sector. The project allowed us to utilize the full range of skills available from of our engineers, ensuring that we maintained complete management and control of the installation from start to finish.”

Panks Engineers has 160 years’ experience designing and installing pumping fluid-handling systems and the supply, repair and maintenance of pumps, pumping equipment and spares. It has in-depth knowledge and experience of the food processing and chemical industries and the agriculture, sewage, leisure and water treatment marketplaces.