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Vanes are used for dry-running vacuum pumps and compressors. They are a small, but essential component of your vacuum pump and its crucial that they are checked every 3000 pump hours (4 months) and replaced every 8000 pump hours (10 months).
Becker Original Set of Vanes
This set includes 3 vanes, which are made of plastic.
Designated use: Plastic vanes are used for oil-lubricated vacuum pumps and compressors. They are low on wear and have to be replaced in case of a repair or de-lamination.
VANE MAINTENANCE
CHECK EVERY 3000 HOURS
*Check Vanes for minimum width.
*Inspect vanes for improper wear (cupping or uneven wear).
*Some cupping of the flat surface of the vane is normal. If cupping exceeds 25% of the original thickness, replace the vanes. Make sure to replace the vanes so the beveled edge rides smoothly against the cylinder wall. If the vanes are installed backwards the vane only contacts the cylinder wall at one point.
*Check and clean the end shield for heat damage or scoring. If any exists, contact your factory representative. Wipe grease off rotor shaft before reinstalling the end shield. Inspect Teflon tube seals in end shield. If the hollow center shows through, replace them.
TIPS FOR INCREASING VANE LIFE
Vane life depends mostly on two factors: temperature and vacuum level. Run the pump as cool as possible by installing the pumps in an ambient environment that has adequate air flow and a max temperature of 100°F. Also, keep dirt and debris off the pump and motor using compressed air every 2000 hours when performing other maintenance procedures. Starting and stopping should be done as few times per day as possible (no more than twice per day). Run the pump at the lowest acceptable vacuum level.
The most important wearing part of your Becker Pump is the vane. There are many other manufacturers and suppliers creating their own rotary vane pump replacement vanes. These counterfeit vanes are then marketed as direct replacements for Becker Genuine parts. Some even go as far as to pass their counterfeit vanes as Becker Genuine Parts.
These counterfeit vanes routinely seize and fail, causing damage to the pumps. After several occurrences of this issue, Becker decided to look into the issue further. After studies pitting Becker Genuine Parts vanes against the counterfeit vanes, Technical Service Coordinators found that after only a few months, the knock-off vanes were cupping and chipping resulting in a significant drop in vacuum and pump performance. Becker pumps, however, ran the same amount of time and longer, with no drop in operating pressure. Genuine vanes are designed to operate at full factory specification and they will show loss only when approaching the stated minimum vane width requirement. This loss in vacuum is the indication that it is time to replace the vane.
You may think you are saving money when you buy cheap vanes, but all vanes are not the same, even if they look alike.
Vanes are the lifeblood of your Becker pump, so why use counterfeits? Where they differ:
Grade of Graphite
Carbon/graphite vanes may look alike, but there are widely varying materials used in their manufacture. Each has a particular function to meet the need that we specified; it may be wear rate, hardness, temperature range, chemical resistance, or lubrication ability. Only Becker knows that combination. Any company can go to a carbon supplier and purchase inexpensive look-alike vanes, but you’ll end up paying the price for low quality in the long run.
Hardness
A vane that is too soft will wear out prematurely; a vane that is too hard will damage the pump cylinder wall and may cause wash boarding. Many decades of extensive research by Becker is behind the choice of vane hardness that is ideal for our pumps. In fact, no company in the world has more experience with dry vane pumps—we invented them.
Binder
The material that is used to hold the carbon particles together, called the binder, is critical to the wear rate, chemical resistance, noise level, and thermal degradation of the vane. Becker uses different binders for different models, depending on their specific needs.
Cylinder Surface Finish
Our decades of experience make us experts at knowing the exact surface finish that works best with the specific vane material. If the combination is not just right, then rapid wearing of the vane or high noise levels will result.
Tolerances
If the vane tolerances are not perfect, the vane will either stick in the slot or will cup on one side, which can lead to breakage. Our vanes are precisely machined to the tolerances and matched to the vane slots.
Profile
All Becker vanes are manufactured with a leading-edge profile that permits rapid seating of the vane to ensure maximum vacuum and flow. To save cost, counterfeit vanes may be square cut or slightly rounded, but both designs require longer wear-in times.
Identification
Only Becker vanes have the Becker manufacturing identification numbers etched into the bottom of the vane, which is a non-wearing location, so you know if you are getting genuine Becker vanes. Counterfeit vanes have no marking on them.
COUNTERFEIT VANES
