fter four years of using a rotary separated from the pumping saving time. They no longer have to

A vane vacuum pump, President

Terry Mote, of The Allen
Company, wanted to purchase a
chamber which leads to a longer
pump life with low maintenance.
seal off leaks on the gasket.
“For us, the number one advantage
is not to have to gasket tables to
more efficient vacuum pump for use satisfy the vane pump,” said Mote.
on a Motion Master CNC router. The
Allen Company, located in Edina With the higher CFM of the Busch
MN, specializes in the machining of inlet Mink, it can also be tied into other
plastics, making a variety of parts for pieces of equipment that need
OEM’s and end users. The plastic vacuum. At The Allen Company, it is
panels and custom pieces are used hooked into one router and six
for a variety of industries, including machining centers, where additional
semiconductor, telecommunications parts are held down by vacuum.
and process equipment. Consistent vacuum levels have
resulted in better holding power on
Mote wanted a pump that did not the piece to be machined.
need continuous maintenance, unlike
his current vane pump that required exhaust “With the wide operating range of the
frequent repairs. Their maintenance dry pump, it can be run anywhere, at
routine consisted of complete any vacuum level, without any
overhauls every year, vane problems,” said Mote.
replacements and changing the oil
every 2,000 hours of operation. Other advantages they have gained
Rotary Claw Cutaway with the Busch Mink include,
One of the biggest drawbacks of the elimination of oil leaks, oil blowby
7.5 HP vane pump was that it could One of the most significant benefits and oil smoke from the vacuum
not maintain a vacuum of 17” Hg. It with the Busch Mink is the amount of pump. Since the dry pump does not
was constantly falling below 17” Hg, CFM the pump provides at operating smoke or put off an offensive odor, it
leading to frequent pump burnouts. pressure. Also, the Busch Mink can does not have to be vented. In the
Another shortcoming was that the run at any point in its vacuum range, summertime, it is piped outside to
vane pump was undersized for the without operational problems. Oil get rid of the heat. In the fall and
application, which required a large lubricated and oil sealed pumps, winter it goes unvented to keep the
capacity of CFM in order to properly when run at vacuum levels at or heat in the building. The Busch Mink
hold the piece to be machined on the below 20” Hg, tend to run hot, blow can discharge into the environment
spoil board table. oil and smoke, due to the high mass since it is pollutant free.
flow at these pressure levels.
Along with finding a pump that would The Busch Mink eliminated
have consistent holddown vacuum these problems for The Allen
levels, an additional requirement was Company.
that the pump would not have smoke
or odor as a byproduct. With the The Busch Mink runs more
vane pump, piping had to be than eight hours a day, five
installed to carry the smoke and odor days a week. It has eradicated
away from the plant. their routine maintenance,
allowing them to completely
In February of 2000, the Allen forget about the vacuum pump
Company decided to go to dry and let them focus on their Busch Mink Vacuum Pump
technology with a Busch Mink Model product.
1352BV vacuum pump.
“Since installation, the gear box oil
The Busch Mink is a rotary claw- (.75 qts) has been changed once. “In the future, we will be replacing
type, positive displacement, dry The vane pump required regular our vane pumps with the Busch
pump designed for either pressure or maintenance,” said Mote. “With the Mink. I don’t understand why
vacuum applications. Vacuum or Busch Mink, it’s never a problem. anyone with a CNC router is not
pressure is produced by two non- We put it back in the corner and using this pump,” said Mote.
contacting rotors in an oil-free ignore it. We don’t have to baby-sit
pumping chamber. Two non- the pump.”
contacting claws trap a volume of air Busch, Inc.
at the inlet and convey it to the 516 Viking Drive
Another plus of low maintenance
exhaust where it is compressed and Virginia Beach, VA 23452
over the vane pump is that the Busch
discharged. Wearing parts are 1-800-USA-PUMP
Mink has improved product quality by
www.buschpump.com