Pump Comparisons

Many of the liquid products or liquid product combinations that are being used today start to fall out or crystalize in lines when application is temporarily stopped. This has the potential to create blockages. Systems should always have a clean water purging function that can be run statically whenever planting operation is halted to avoid these issues.
All systems from Liquid Systems (SA) include plumbing and valves for selecting clean water tank and purging functions.

While they always try to avoid it, machinery operators can make simple mistakes that result in emptying their tank and running a pump dry.
Nearly all pumps except piston diaphragm pumps (used by Liquid Systems SA) are prone to damage if they are allowed to run dry for even brief periods of time.

For a system to be able to provide accuracy of delivery and to be able to provide valuable field data and be able to handle section control, mapping / VRT it must incorporate a flow meter. Liquid Systems (SA) always incorporates flow meters into rate control modules to enable these functions.

Tank agitation should be a primary consideration when selecting a system. Although clear liquids such as UAN and some “starters” do not require agitation, farmers are now introducing extra micro nutrients, fungicides, inoculants etc. into the “mix” requiring tank agitation to prevent precipitation and settling out of liquid products.
Liquid systems (SA) rate control modules provide by-pass to the tank that enables this function to be carried out effectively even when application is halted.
Many other pump configurations are not suited to delivering agitation as well as a rate-controlled output.

The piston diaphragm pumps (with air accumulators as required) used by Liquid Systems (SA) provide linear pulse free liquid delivery. Pulse free flow is essential for maintaining accurate rate control on a second by second basis.
Pulse free flow is not achievable on some systems that vary the speed of the pump to control output rate.

Liquid Systems (SA) pump and control configurations are ideally suited to variable rate application.
We have a range of adaptor harnesses for easy & instant integration with all the leading brands of Precision Ag displays.

From day one Liquid Systems (SA) has built systems compatible with section control. Not all pump configurations are section control compatible or allow it to be done well.

Liquid Systems (SA) uses piston diaphragm pumps which are not prone to cavitation!
Cavitation is a phenomenon that can occur in centrifugal pumps. It is to be avoided at all costs as it can destroy chemical and physical properties of a liquid. If the liquid contains live inoculum they will die, either by pressure or heat!

In combination with our STACKER Distribution systems, Liquid Systems (SA) rate control modules provide the most responsive and controllable liquid application system in the industry.
The systems create a fluid link (like a hydraulic brake line) with near instant response from the pump to the inline check valves (located as close as possible to the terminal outlet) – almost to ground level.
Start-up and shut-off with this configuration is almost instantaneous as the delivery lines to the openers are always fully charged with product – providing immediate response to changes in speed or prescribed rate with minimal system hysteresis.

Liquid Systems (SA) uses electric ball valves (not solenoids) for regulation, master on/off and section valves that keep current draw to a minimum. Ball valves have negligible current draw when they aren’t moving.
Solenoids and electric pumps require constant current draw that adds to the overall electric load on the tractor.