Industrial submersible dewatering pumps manufacturer Grindex in September launched its Milli low-suction drainage pump, which is based on the company’s well-established and proven Micro drainage pump.

The Micro and Milli share all the main components and functions for the wear parts. Adding a nonreturn valve to the hydraulic parts to prevent a backflow, the Milli can pump down to a level as low as a few millimetres. With these improvements, Grindex is establishing its leading market position in the submersible drainage pumps and pumping accessories sector.

“The Grindex Milli will solve a major issue with water in application areas, where you need to empty the basement completely. “This pump will be a success for the construction business, for fire brigades and for other incidental users where you need a pump to empty basements,” says Grindex Europe, Middle East and Africa sales manager Peter Uvemo. He explains that Milli fills a gap in Grindex’s product portfolio, following requests from customers.

“Like the other drainage pumps in the Grindex product portfolio, Milli features Grindex’s patented air valve, which means the pump has dry-running capabilities that are unique on the market,” adds Uvemo.

The nonreturn valve disc moves in a confined space. When the pump starts, the valve opens and allows the water to pass through until the water is gone, or until the pump is turned off. The pump is capable of running dry because of the air valve, which enables the motor to be cooled by air.

In combination with the motor protection, the pump will restart without any manual supervision. This will protect the pump and ensure effective operation, as well as lower the maintenance costs. When the valve closes, the seal against the lip-ring on the low-suction bottom prevents the water from flushing out and emptying the hose.

“Grindex’s product improve-ment with a high-quality prod-uct such as Milli will make a big difference to applications that need a reliable drainage pump with the ability to run unsuper-vised, over and over again. “Further, by adding the non-return valve feature, we make our pumps even more efficient and save a lot of additional work and money for our customers,” says Uvemo.

Meanwhile, to meet the increasing market demand for small, affordable pumps, Grindex announced last month that it was introducing its Primo line of single-phase pumps.

The robust, handy and affordable Primo pumps range comprises two drainage and two sludge versions. These pumps are ideal for construction, industrial and municipal applications, and the highly compact design enables the pumps to operate in dewatering applications where others would not fit.

Until now, Grindex has focused on premium pumps, but has decided to offer its customers a broader range of pumps to meet the demanding market requirements. Primo pumps are designed and manufactured in Japan and have been on the market for several years with a good track record.

The pumps are often installed in applications containing chemicals or in otherwise contaminated environments. Owing to the affordable price of the pumps, it can be advantageous to fit a new one and take care of the decom- missioned one in an environ-mentally responsible way, instead of decontaminating, sanitising and repairing the pump.

“With the introduction of the new line of Primo pumps, Grindex opportunities are globally strengthening, as the company’s product portfolio is expanded and adjusted to changing customer demands,” concludes Uvemo.