The SHONE® Pneumatic Ejector was invented by Sir Isaac Shone and first installed in the British Houses of Parliament in 1870. Due to the near perfection of the original design, no radical improvements or changes have been required to the present day. The first SHONE system in the United States was installed in 1889 at the Auditorium Theater Building (now part of Roosevelt University) in Chicago, Illinois. This duplex system is still in operation today, more than 100 years later, and has required only minimal maintenance. Since that time, literally thousands of SHONE systems have been installed throughout the US and overseas for industrial, commercial, municipal and governmental clients.

The simple design of the SHONE pneumatically operated system eliminates the electric motors, controls, accessories and periodic maintenance commonly associated with conventional pumping systems. They are particularly well-suited for sites with plant-air available, thereby eliminating the need for a dedicated compressor system. The SHONE can't be beat for the handling of large solids and air-entrained liquids such as sewage and scum. The unparalleled performance and reliability of the SHONE system allows Yeomans Pump to provide an exclusive 25 year warrranty!

Key features and benefits include:

• Simple batch cycling; typically sized for 30 second filling / 30 second discharge
• Variable volume pumping while preserving consistent discharge scouring velocities
• No springs, diaphragms, seals or bearings to wear out
• Duplex units can be mechanically interlocked and/or alternated
• No electrical devices at or near the pumped media
• Air operation is standard; optional operation by plant steam system if desired
• Hermetically sealed cast iron receiver pot eliminates mess and odors
• Eliminates the need for open wet-wells or sumps
• Superior non-clog performance; ideal for handling large solids
• Easily handles liquids with entrained air or methane gas; ideal for scum handling service
• 25-Year Warranty
• Complete package systems including air compressors and storage tanks are available
• Virtually no maintenance is required

This brief user's list provides a good overview of the types of customers and industries that have solved their sewage handling problems with SHONE pneumatic ejectors:

American Stock Exchange
Arkansas Electric Power
Baltimore Metro Rail
Bethlehem Steel
Boeing
BP Amoco
Campbell Soup Co.
Caterpillar
City of Fort Lauderdale
City of Los Angeles
City of Phoenix
Commonwealth Edison
Duke Power
E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Co., Inc.
Fermi National Laboratory
New York City Transit Authority
Harvard University
John Deere Co.
Baltimore Metro. Transit Authority
Kansas Power & Light
Kimberly Clark
L. A. Metro. Rail
METRA / CTA
Midwest Steel Corp.
N.A.S.A.
Nabisco Brands, Inc.
Roosevelt University
Smithsonian Institute - National Air & Space Museum
Navistar Corp.
Niagara Mohawk Power Company
Occidental Chemical Corp.
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Department of Energy / Martin Marietta Corp.
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Navy
Union Camp Corporation
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Western Washington University

Manifold-mounted compact venturi-type vacuum generators. SMC series ZYY and ZYX.

Can be mounted alone or side-by-side with positive air pressure solenoid valves (SMC series SX3000 and SY3000) on rugged yet low-cost DIN rail manifolds up to ten stations long.

The compact, high-performance ZY_ series vacuum generators feature built-in air supply and vacuum break solenoid valves that operate on various AC and DC voltages. Other features include: solenoid valve indicator lamp & surge voltage suppressor; exhaust silencer standard; built-in 30-micron suction filter; optional digital vacuum switch with NPN, PNP, and analog outputs.

Two venturi nozzle diameters are available--0.7mm and 1.0mm--to suit the application, and pull up to 25"Hg.

Request catalog #E831 for more information.

The ideal scrubber selection for low gas flow conditions when gas absorption or particulate removal is required. The series 6500 Jet Venturi creates its own draft and in most cases eliminates the need for a fan.

A high pressure nozzle with a large scrubbing liquid volume aspirates the gas through the unit. At the throat, breakup of the liquid into droplets creates a large surface area for gas absorption and impaction collection of solids to occur. These scrubbers can be arranged in series to increase removal efficiencies.

Capacity Range: 5 thru 46,000 cfm

Typical Applications Include:

• Elimination of emissions from process vessels, reactors, and storage tank vents
• Emergency vent scrubbing
• Low gas flow solid particulate collection and gas adsorption without the need for a fan
• Concentrated contaminant streams with high exothermic heat release

For the generation of vacuum different kind of generators can be used. They all have specific advantages and the correct selection is very important for the entire vacuum system!

The necessary vacuum can be generated with vacuum generators of various types.

The following three basic types are available:

Each type has its own specific advantages, but they have one thing in common: a high suction capacity at a high vacuum always means high power consumption and high operating costs.

Vacuum ejectors


Functional principle:

Ejectors are purely pneumatic vacuum generators which operate on the Venturi principle. Compressed-air enters the ejector at A and flows through the nozzle B. This results in a low pressure (vacuum) immediately behind the nozzle outlet, and air is drawn in through the vacuum inlet D. This air, and the driving air, leaves the ejector via the silencer C.

Advantages of ejectors:

• No moving parts, therefore little maintenance and wear
• Compact construction
• No heat
• Very low weight
• Fast generation of vacuum
• Suitable for installation in any orientation

Typical application areas:

Industrial-robot applications in all sectors of industry as well as feeder for presses in the automotive industry.

A distinction is made between three basic types of ejectors:

Basic ejectors:

Vacuum generator without control valves or system monitorin, with a high maximum vacuum value (85%). Used primarily for the handling of air-tight workpieces.

Multi-stage ejectors:

Vacuum generator with several nozzle chambers in series and with a very high suction capacity. Used primarily for handling porous workpieces such as cardboard boxes and sheets of OSB or MDF.

Compact ejectors:

Vacuum generator with integrated control valves and system monitoring functions. Gripping and blowing-off can be controlled without the need for external valves. Used in fully automated handling systems (such as machining of sheet metal, automobile construction, robot applications).

Vacuum pumps

Vacuum pumps are electrical vacuum generators which can generate high vacuum values at volume flow rates of 4 to 250 m3/h.

Advantages of vacuum pumps

• High vacuum values can be achieved in large-volume systems
• Suitable for use as a central vacuum generator
• Little maintenance required

Typical applications areas

• As a central vacuum generator in portal transfer systems
• In manual vacuum handling devices
• In packing machines

A distinction is made between three types of vacuum pumps:

Dry-running pump:

Universal vacuum pump requiring little maintenance. Used primarily as a central vacuum generator in large gripper systems for the handling of air-tight workpieces.

Oil-lubricated pump:

Special vacuum pump for very high vacuum values (up to - 0.98 bar) for handling of air-tight workpieces. Used in handling systems where quiet operation, minimum maintenance and high vacuum values are required.

Water-ring pump:

Vacuum pump requiring little maintenance and with internal water-cooling for the handling of air-tight workpieces. Used, in particular, in applications where the quality of the ambient air is important (such as packing applications in the food-stuffs sector).

Vacuum blowers

Vacuum blowers generate a very high suction capacity at low vacuum values. They are used wherever porous workpieces have to bepicked up and handled.

Advantages of vacuum blowers

• Enormous suction capacity
• Very good compensation for leaks
• Permit handling of porous workpieces

Typical application areas

• Evacuating large volumes in a very short time
• Handling of porous workpieces such as cardboard boxes, thermal insulation material, chipboards or sacks

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Summary A recent comparative vacuum technology study performed by Dr. Kingman Yee, as part of a DaimlerChrysler Summer Intern Professors Program, found that air consumption could be reduced by 98% when equipping a robot's end-of-arm tooling with COAX® technology and a Vacustat™ check valve. The study also estimated that if DaimlerChrysler were to replace its older, outdated vacuum systems, the company could experience an annual savings in air consumption costs of $418,300 per stamping plant (based on the use of 2,000 suction cups; does not include replacement costs.) Background As with most of today's global companies, DaimlerChrysler is constantly challenged to increase output while decreasing manufacturing costs. Additionally, the company prides itself on its commitment to sustainability and is always looking for new ways to use natural resources in a way that people's current needs are fulfilled without imposing limitations on the life-style of future generations. DaimlerChrysler has been able to significantly improve cost-efficiency through the increased use of robotic technology, particularly for automating material handling of sheet metal during automotive stamping applications, which involve moving sheet metal through a press or series of presses and forming it into a panel or other automotive part. As with all robotic applications, tooling is critical to the productivity. When handling metal pieces in automotive stamping applications it is particularly vital to have flexible tooling because changes in size occur each time the vehicle model or car part changes. One of the key components to the robotic tooling is the end effector, which accounts for "the hand" of the robot. In the case of sheet metal stamping applications, vacuum is used to pick up the metal sheet and transport it to the next destination. Robots, with their ability to use a variety of end-of-arm tools [EOAT], provide the high-speed "pick and place" ability needed to meet ever-increasing demands on manufacturers for flexibility and productivity, replacing other slower and potentially error-ridden methods. Challenge: Improve Robotic Efficiency In order to further improve robotic system performance and thus, productivity, Dr. Kingman Yee, as part of a DaimlerChrysler Summer Intern Professors Program, researched manufacturing processes that would lower the costs of the company's material handling applications at its automotive plants in Michigan. The challenge was to lower the costs of material handling applications by decreasing air consumption, reducing downtime and improving the performance and cycle time of robots and other equipment using suction cups to lift and transport parts.

Solution: PIAB COAX Technology Reduces Energy Consumption and Increases Performance One of the vacuum systems tested in the study was COAX®, a new multistage ejector technology from PIAB, based on a multi-stage concept for creating vacuum with compressed air. By integrating the internal components of a multi-stage vacuum pump into a vacuum cartridge, COAX allows for a smaller, more efficient, more reliable and highly flexible technology. In side-by-side comparisons with competitive vacuum ejectors and suction cups, Professor Yee found that the patented multi-stage design of the COAX vacuum generators uses only 1.1 SCFM of compressed air per cycle, up to 78% lower than the less efficient single-stage vacuum generators from other vendors. More significantly, PIAB's COAX technology can be equipped with a Vacustat™ check valve, which shuts off the supply of compressed air when proper suction is reached. If the vacuum level drops due to leakage, the pump will turn on briefly to return the vacuum to the desired level. Dr. Yee reports that simply by installing this Vacustat device, compressed air consumption can be reduced by an additional 98%. As a result, the cost to DaimlerChrysler for the electricity to produce the compressed air for a single suction cup is $0.56 per year, compared to at least $61.66 per year per suction cup for the latest systems available from the other vendors (based on an electricity cost of $0.07 kW-hr). For a typical automotive stamping plant employing 2,000 suction cups, the savings is $122,200 per year. If DaimlerChrysler were to replace older, outdated models still in wide use, Professor Yee estimates that the annual savings will be $418,300 for that typical stamping plant. (This figure is based on the use of 2000 suction cups does not include replacement costs). The modular construction of the COAX system facilitates quick and easy maintenance, repair and replacement of the vacuum components and suction cups. For the comparative systems, the entire vacuum assembly and its suction cups must be removed or replaced if it malfunctions. This process causes significant downtime, which can be detrimental to the productivity of the entire plant. "The multi-stage design of the COAX ejectors enhances material handling performance by producing superior vacuum flow and responding almost immediately when compressed air is applied," said Yee. The COAX ejectors achieve an evacuation flow rate of 85 SCFH and produce a holding force of 100 lbs, which is 25% higher than the competitors' solutions, according to Yee. The quicker response and better vacuum flow means the suction cups grab quicker and hold stronger, resulting in a faster process cycle time, and higher productivity. Dr. Yee's study also reports that the PIAB vacuum solution improves the work environment by decreasing noise. The COAX ejector is appreciably quieter both during load and no-load conditions. Moreover, the Vacustat check valve significantly lowers noise and practically eliminates the "hiss" associated with typical suction cup systems. "Because of the numerous advantages and significant cost savings in air consumption offered by the PIAB vacuum system," Dr. Yee's report concludes that "it is recommended that the PIAB system be increasingly incorporated into DaimlerChrysler's plants." ### About Kingman Yee, Ph.D. Dr. Yee is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in Southfield, Michigan. Dr. Yee holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, with a specialization in the study of electrodeposition processes in flow batteries used in electrical vehicles and load leveling. Prior to joining LTU, Dr. Yee worked at BASF Inmont Automotive Coatings and General Motors Research Laboratories and has performed research in manufacturing laboratories in Singapore. He has also consults at DaimlerChrysler Corporation, researching and implementing cost-saving innovations in manufacturing.

PIAB Vacuum Products, a leading manufacturer of industrial vacuum products and components, introduces the P2010, a multi-stage ejector vacuum pump ideal for applications requiring light and reliable pick-ups such as electronics production, pharmaceutical processing and auto manufacturing.

Believed to be the smallest multi-staged ejector vacuum pump in the world, the P2010 stands only 1.08 inches high and weighs just 0.54 ounces. While most pumps require at least 59-87 psi, the P2010 can generate a vacuum of 24.9 –inHg at a feed pressure of only 26 psi, reducing compressed air costs by up to 50 percent. Concurrently, the P2010 produces 100 percent higher vacuum flow compared with other traditional single-stage ejectors on the market.

Unlike electric vacuum pumps, ejector pumps do not give off heat, so no cooling is needed. Additionally, the P2010's small size prevents it from needing rigid mounting, making it easy to install. The P2010 also works with a feed pressure of 87-101.5 psi, but this is excess capacity, not normally needed.