KSB RDLO axially split case water pumps

When KSB designed its RDLO range of axially split case water pumps, many years of experience were taken into consideration across different aspects of user needs including high efficiency, the performance range, low NPSH requirements and the benefits of easier maintenance. Many of the features are an extension from the smaller Omega series.

The RDLO series of pump is one of the latest designs available on the market with hydraulic efficiencies up to 91% at BEP, using double volute casings and three different impeller profiles in most sizes for optimum selection and hydraulic stability.

Easier maintenance was a major design factor with features including various material options on all components, casing and impeller wear rings, a dry sealed shaft arrangement with a short bearing span all secured with one simple outboard locknut (enabling right- and left-hand drive with common components), and O ring sealed shaft sleeves. A major benefit of the shafting design is there are no wetted threaded shaft components to seize up and all wetted shaft components are stainless steel for a long service life.

Additional features to this style of pump are the field-replaceable seal chambers and bearing housings bolted to the top and bottom casing, which will be a big benefit 25-30 years down the track for the maintenance team.

Being able to design a single-stage axially split case pump with pressures up to 240 m in the standard range took on new ideas in regards to sealing the casing split faces. These design changes include much thicker casing half joints, with minimum 80 mm thick, the use of a sealing compound in lieu of the traditional case gasket and the use of much larger diameter high-tensile bolts in lieu of the old, frustrating and cumbersome stud and nut design that can take hours to clean around. Self-aligning casing halves and pre-set DIN standard mechanical seal are also part of its design.