he new PG331 series cast iron gear pumps with extended longevity and numerous advantages have been added to the existing range of Italian-made Salami gear pumps and other hydraulic components distributed across sub-Saharan Africa by hydraulic equipment supplier Hydraulic & Automation Warehouse (HAW).

HAW is part of the Hytec Group, one of the largest distributors of hydraulic components in Southern Africa and a specialist supplier of mobile machinery products, and joins an established international distributorship, which includes France, Spain, North America and China, among others, in disbursing the Salami PG331.

The newly developed PG331 series is a spheroidal-designed cast iron gear pump, with more than 19 000 configurations and four porting arrangements. It can be supplied in variations of 12 displacements and has up to five flange mounting styles and seven shaft types.

The pump design also allows for standard Society of Automotive Engineers flanges. The gear pumps are compact with smaller dimensions achieved by installing the gear set, gear support bushings and suction and delivery ports within the main body, housed by a front-mounting flange and rear cover.

“Competitor models, generally, have larger and longer front and rear housings to accommodate shaft supports which may separate port housings and are, therefore, less compact,” comments HAW key accounts manager Dries van Wyk.

He explains that this range of pumps can accommodate any engineering design and satisfies a variety of original-equipment manufacturer designs, adding that strength, high efficiency and long service in severe operating environments are achieved through the pump’s one-piece drive shaft construction, with a large area and low friction bushings.

Further, Van Wyk states that an advanced thrust plate design and high-quality machining tolerances optimise performance and high volumetric efficiency throughout the full pressure range, which also allows for excellent axial compensation.

Moreover, the PG331 gear pumps feature double shaft seals on pumps with reinforced inner shaft seals for motors and, as a result, performance is optimised, even under high-temperatures and low-viscosity conditions, he notes.

Another advantage of this pumps range is its high carbon content and low static discharge capabilities, owing to its cast iron make-up. This combination renders the range explosionproof, making it the ideal choice for use on underground vehicles and equipment – even those used in “fiery” mines.

Van Wyk says the new PG331 not only matches but also surpasses, other cast iron gear pumps, adding that the easy reconfiguration into numerous variations allows HAW to match most other makes of gear pumps, in both metric and imperial configurations, with drive shafts and porting arrangements in this range.

“We can also add on-board auxiliary valves for priority flow, pressure relief and load-sensing applications. Components used within the gear pump are the same as those used in standard aluminium gear pumps, ensuring permanent availability,” he explains.

HAW retains a comprehensive stockholding at its Spartan offices, in Johannesburg, Gauteng, and conducts assessments and repairs through Hytec. All wear parts, including seals and drive shafts, are held in stock.

“The company’s large stockholding ensures a fast turnaround time from order to delivery.
Single pumps and motors are ready for delivery on the day they are ordered and two-, three- and four-stage pumps, which require assembly and testing prior to distribution, are ready for delivery the following day,” concludes Van Wyk.

HAW is the official authorised sub-Saharan Africa distributor for Salami-manufactured gear pumps, motors and mobile control valves.