City of Eugene, Oregon –
Wastewater Division
MagnaDrive Magnetic Coupling on Archimedean Screw Pump
Problem: The City of Eugene, Oregon U.S.A.
was experiencing premature wear in the bearings from the gearbox
connecting their motor to their double flight, Archimedean
screw pump. Because they were using a belt drive to transfer
torque between a 200HP motor and the gearbox turning their
90 inch (2.29 m) diameter, 63’ (19.2 m) long screw,
they were experiencing premature wear in the system’s
bearings. The lateral forces of the belt drive on the gearbox
shaft created an unbalanced load leading to the need for increased
maintenance activities.
Solution: MagnaDrive approached Gregory Watkins,
Project Manager for the City of Eugene Wastewater Division,
with a proposal to replace the belt driven system with a MagnaDrive
Magnetic Coupling. Watkins purchased four Magnetic Couplings
for his pumps.
Result: The City of Eugene successfully
installed their first MagnaDrive Magnetic Coupling and reports
the following results:
No wear on bearings resulted from lateral tension
of belts.
Virtually no maintenance after installation.
Longer bearing life.
No vibration transmitted between the system components.
High tolerance for system component misalignment.
Complete system protection from screw jams due to
the Magnetic Coupling's disconnected technology.
A 35% reduction in motor power required to operate
the pump.
Timely response and support from MagnaDrive.
When asked to summarize his experience
with MagnaDrive, Watkins said “The initial price
of the Magnetic Coupling was a little higher than
other coupling technologies, but when we looked at
the total cost of ownership over the life of our system
it was definitely the right decision.”
