On October 10, 2019 Mitchell Lewis & Staver held its first live webinar on the Danfoss VLT Aqua Drive. Missed the presentation or interested in learning
more about Variable Frequency Drives (VFDs)? Now you can watch this FREE video anytime!
Join Product Manager, Darin Malcolm, and learn the capabilities and advantages of using the Danfoss Aqua Drive in a variety of applications.
Your customers will appreciate the energy and resource savings along with the added value of prolonging the life and performance of their pumps and motors.
Get up to speed quick! With Mitchell's guide to Motor Control Basics, learn the advantages and considerations for Across The Line, Soft Start, Variable
Frequency Drives (VFD) and which one is right for your next project!
Mitchell Lewis & Staver is thrilled to announce the launch of our new video series, Mitchell's Minute!
These quick, 60-seconds, educational videos will feature a key technology, product, or service that Mitchell Lewis & Staver's Product Specialists can
help with. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel and be the first to view
our future videos!
Join Mitchell Lewis & Staver Product Manager, Darin Malcolm, and learn the capabilities and advantages of the Danfoss Aqua Drive.
This Free Webinar will highlight the capabilities and advantages of using this advanced technology in a variety of applications.
Your customers will appreciate the energy and resource savings along with the added value of prolonging the life and performance of their pumps and motors.
Duration: 45 minutes
LIVE Webinar: stream live from any device and ask questions in our real-time Q&A chat feature!
Mitchell's is committed to our customer's success. Since 1882, our company has continued to evolve, but supporting our customers has and always will be
our focus.
Mitchell Lewis & Staver Announces New Location in the Mount Pleasant Community of Michigan.
Mitchell Lewis & Staver announces the opening of their new location in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and celebrates the company’s expansion to 13 states
and 17 locations across the nation. Mitchell’s team of product specialists for pumps, motors and controls in residential water, wastewater, ag, irrigation,
commercial and industrial applications has made them the market leader in value-added distribution.
“We are thrilled to announce our new location in Mt. Pleasant”, says David Brown, President and CEO of Mitchell Lewis & Staver. “We saw a unique opportunity
in Michigan that greatly aligns with our core capabilities of providing technical expertise, superior customer service and the highest quality products.”
The Mt. Pleasant location will generate several new living wage jobs in the area, and is central to the state’s finest residential, agricultural, and
commercial activity.
“Through the hard work of all our Mitchell Lewis & Staver employees, we have built a reputation of having best-in-industry product and application
knowledge.” says COO/CFO Ean Reves, “For over 100 years, Mitchell’s has been committed to developing innovative solutions for the markets we serve,
solutions that save energy and natural resources. We take enormous pride in exceeding our customer’s expectations and we are excited to partner with
our suppliers to serve Michigan for years to come.”
The team in Mt. Pleasant is led by Jim Schlabach, who has returned to his home state of Michigan with 23 years of industry experience. Contact Mitchell
Lewis & Staver for further information on all their services: 989-817-4991 or toll free 1-888-740-5949. Visit michigan.mitchellewis.com for more information on Mitchell’s people, partners and solutions.
Cheers to David Brown, Owner & CEO of Mitchell Lewis & Staver!
His entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to delivering on a vision is truly an inspiration to our organization. Below is a recent article by Pete Danko
of the Portland Business Journal.
Oregon vineyard developer, David Brown, tests unexplored terrain, new varieties - Portland Business Journal READ MORE
Worldwide, there are over 2.38 billion monthly active Facebook users as of March 31, 2019 and in the United States, 68% of Americans use Facebook. On average,
Americans spend 58 minutes per day on this platform (source: Facebook and Pew Center). Odds are great that your customers are among them, making Facebook
Business Page a great opportunity to engage with them. Here are 5 essential steps to creating an optimized business page on Facebook:
STEP 1: Sign up
Go to facebook.com/pages/creation.
Here you’ll see two categories, select Business or Brand. To begin, click Get Stated and follow the onscreen instructions,
be prepared to fill in the required business information.
STEP 2: Add content
A. Start by adding a profile image. Companies will typically use their logo but keep in mind this image is cropped to a circle so be sure
important information is kept away from the corners. Simply click the plus + symbol to add a profile image.
B. The most notable image on your page is your cover image, choose this carefully, this image should mirror your brand identity or brand
personality. This image must be at least 400 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall. To add an image, hover over the area to see an edit button appear.
C. Create a username, this is how you’ll tell people where to find you on Facebook. Keep it easy to type and easy to remember, for example
your business name or an obvious variation of it. This is also how customers will “tag” you in a post. Example, “Thanks @username for providing me
with great customer service yesterday!”
D. Add important company information in your About section, including your contact information, products, hours,
location, and company website address.
STEP 3: Create your first post
E. Before sharing your newly created page, make sure you add at least one post. This post can be a current promotion,
event, product offer, or information that your customers would find relevant from you or other thought leaders in your industry. Keep your posts
content valuable and relevant to your customers; be active and responsive to their comments and questions for increased engagement.
Tip: use images or video in your posts that make sense to the topic you’re writing about. Facebook posts with images see 2.3X more engagement than those without images (source).
STEP 4: Add a call to action
F. By default, Facebook adds a Send Message button on your page, to edit the button text, hover over it
and select Edit Button. Choose the type of button and message that better fits your business. For example, Schedule an Appointment, Free Estimate,
or Shop Now – you can then link this button to a specific URL on your business website.
STEP 5: Get Verified
This
is often a forgotten but essential step, it shows visitors that you are a legitimate business and gives your brand credibility online. The gray
check mark icon next to your business name gives your visitors confidence they are dealing directly with your company and helps to boost your page
in search results.
Before applying, be sure to link your business website with your Facebook page in the About section. Additionally, add a link on
your business website back to your Facebook page. Ensure all essential fields are filled out on your Facebook About section.
To apply for Facebook verification, click on Settings at the top of your page, on the left sidebar click General, click Page Verification, click Verify this Page,
and finally Get Started.
For instant verification, elect to have Facebook call the phone number you have listed on your business page. You’ll receive an automated call that
will give you a 4-digit code, enter this code into the box waiting for you on screen and click Continue. You will now see a verified check mark
next to your company name.
Alternatively, you can verify by uploading a photo of an official document that shows your company name and address. Keep in mind, this method can
take a bit longer as Facebook requires time to review your document.
A Facebook Business Page is essentially a $0 marketing tool that you do not need a marketing degree to successfully integrate into your business plan.
Showcase your business personality with authentic content and you will soon find this to be a great tool to grow your business!
This custom mixing station that MLS Packaged Systems engineers designed and built for WaterTec, is a highly-efficient, VFD-controlled component, integral
to irrigating greenhouse crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and more. The station blends recycled, excess water, which was not absorbed
by the plants with treated fresh water for use in the next irrigation cycle. In the mixing tank, fertilizers are added as a balancing acid to regulate
the PH of the water to optimum levels. The water is then pumped from the tank, passing through a series of media filters, and out to the greenhouse.
The frequency of station operation is determined by a Growth Management System that constantly monitors the amount of sunlight, greenhouse temperature
and humidity, while measuring the amount of water and fertilizer returning from the plants.
The amount of fertilizer in the outgoing water cycle is regulated using electrical conductivity (EC) sensors located downstream of the mixing tank.
The treated water will have a consistent low level of conductivity due to the lack of impurities in the water. Adding fertilizers to the water
raises the EC. The grower determines the optimum EC level when selecting the fertilizer mix.
Three to seven fertilizer injector pumps cycle on and off to maintain the fertilizer levels at the correct proportions, all this controlled by the
Growth Management System. The outgoing PH is monitored by sensors installed downstream of the mixing tank, and activate the acid pump as needed
to maintain the selected set-point. A target PH for tomatoes as an example is around 5.
MLS Packaged Systems advance the growing process enabling a continuous, robust crop cycle, whatever the crop. Operational accessibility and flexibility
is a key attribute of MLS custom packaged systems.
Mitchell Lewis & Staver, Co. has expanded its footprint into Santa Maria, California. The Santa Maria office is the seventh location in California,
located at 3070 Skyway Drive, Santa Maria, CA 93455, our 16th overall branch.
This new warehouse will provide customers with immediate access to inventory, local service and deliveries, and even more options for specialized technical
support for turbines, controls, packaged systems and industrial applications.
“Our new location – the second on the Central Coast of California – will better position Mitchell’s to provide pumping solutions to the vibrant agricultural
and industrial markets in and around Santa Barbara County,” said Matt Johnson, VP of Business Development.“We’re excited to improve product availability
and provide technical support for the area’s pumping needs.”
The Santa Maria location will feature a full suite of products from Goulds, Berkeley, Fairbanks, Sta-Rite, Myers, Danfoss and more.
This large, powerful mixing packaged system was designed and manufactured entirely at Mitchell's Wilsonville facility for our client: WaterTec. Ultimately,
the finished, component, four pad system will be used in blending and dispersing combinations of water, fertilizers and other liquids in achieving
and sustaining the ideal mixes to support commercial vegetation farming. This style system is not only for tomatoes, but is also used for large scale
growing of cut flowers, specialty cucumbers, red/orange/yellow sweet peppers, annual bedding plants, poinsettias and herbs.
This unit will serve to mix fertilizers into and lower the PH of water that is on its way to the plants. When the irrigation water comes from the well,
it is treated and filtered to remove all particulates and organic materials that could affect the plants. Depending on the water quality, there may
be no treatment beyond microfiltration, but typically treatment would include RO, ozone gas, pasteurization, or chlorine gas. This water is typically
blended with left over water from previous watering cycles that has not been taken up by the plants. That water is filtered and sometimes treated before
being blended back with the treated water. This return water is reused as much as is practical to reduce the energy cost of water treatment, to utilize
trace fertilizers entrained in the water, and to mitigate high nitrate waste water discharge.
One pump on this skid is called the fill pump. When an irrigation cycle is initiated, water is pulled into this pump through two pipes, one being the return
water and the other the treated water. The water is blended by using a modulating valve system to accurately maintain their correct proportion. The
fill pump pushes this water into a mixing tank where up to 5 different fertilizers and acid is introduced in direct proportion to the volume of water
being pumped to the plants, as measured by a flow meter downstream of a second pump, called the booster pump. This pump moves all the blended and fertilized
water from the mixing tank through additional media filters and on to the plants, as well as drive water through EC and PH sensors to confirm correct
adherence to the growers fertilizer and PH requirements.
It used to be that growers grew their plants in small isolated blocks within the greenhouse, so that they were assured of a constant, rotating crop in
production. Now the common method is to plant a block to 50% capacity and when that crop is at 50% maturity, plant new plants between the existing
ones to maintain a continuous crop. This requires two independent parallel irrigation systems as the growing and maturing plants have different irrigation
and fertilizer requirements.
Meet Curt James, our detail-obsessed turbine expert... singer of western song and cowboy poet!
He's constantly in tune to his customers' needs, applying his extensive experience in designing turbine-based irrigation systems best-suited to the application.
Curt's one of our many key assets at Mitchell. Experience and a continuing appetite for technical knowledge make Curt indispensable in bringing what is
best to our customers.
Precision engineered and manufactured Alfa Laval pump products partner with MLS in broadening their distribution.
We are pleased to announce our new partnership with Alfa Laval who are recognized as one of the world leaders in the areas of heat transfer, separation
and fluid handling for high purity and sanitary applications. Their products include, but are not limited to:
• Food grade centrifugal, piston and lobe pumps
• Mixers and agitators
• Fittings and valves
• Complete CIP stations
• Heat Exchanger
• Tank cleaning equipment and accessories
• And much more
What does this mean for you? Combine a distributor with 100+ years of pump experience and a manufacturer with 2500 patents and hundreds of thousands of
installations, you get the highest quality equipment, engineered for your application, with an entire team of pump professionals at your service.
One of Mitchell Lewis’ long standing relationships is with the Department of Fish & Wildlife. We are proud to support an organization that does so
much for present and future generations providing opportunities to hunt, fish and explore the outdoors. As many of our employees and customers are
avid outdoorsmen; we wanted to share one of the recent projects we did for the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
This project was acquired by Industrial Controls Product Manager Darin Malcolm. Darin visited with the Department of Fish & Wildlife to better understand
their needs for supplying and maintaining water levels for their fish hatcheries. This specific panel was designed for the Rock Creek Fish Hatchery
in southern Oregon. This fish hatchery produces Chinook, coho, steelhead salmon and two stocks of rainbow trout.
The water source for the hatchery are the Rock Creek and North Umpqua rivers. There are five short set turbines that pump out water from these two rivers
into the hatchery.
After consulting with our electrical engineering team, Mitchell Lewis & Staver provided a comprehensive solution that will monitor and maintain water
levels for both their fish pond and fish trays.
This panel is equipped with 5 – 75HP Danfoss VFD’s that are utilizing a cascade control card which controls a five pump system alternating on a lead lag
system.
This is just another example displaying the wide range of expertise and solutions we provide on a daily basis.
We are very proud of the MLS Controls Team and the solutions we provide of customers!
MLS SUMMERTIME SCRATCHERS STARTS 6/1! OVER $50,000.00 IN PRIZES!
Mitchell's is giving you unlimited chances to win prizes this June and July just for being a customer! Purchase any pump, motor and control unit together
on the same sales order and receive one (1) Summertime Scratcher. There is no limit to how many Scratchers you can earn and prizes you can win. Ask
how to receive a Summertime Scratcher on your next order. BIg Prizes, Big Fun!
All-inclusive Alaska Fishing Trip
Traeger Grills
YETI Coolers
Little Giant 17' Ladders
Gerber Multi-tools
Amazon Echo Dots
Ridgid Wet/Dry Shop Vacs
Porter Cable Drill Sets
SodaStream Machines
and more!
The Summertime Scratcher sweepstakes runs from June 1st - July 31st 2018, and is open to all Mitchell Lewis & Staver customers.
For full list of prizes and contest rules, please visit any Mitchell's location.
Typically, water storage tanks are positioned at an elevation above the community, letting the pressure, naturally generated through gravity, pressurize
a community’s water system. This MLS Pressure Booster System however, enabled the flow of fresh water to residences positioned at an elevation above
water storage tanks.
MLS Packaged Systems are the choice of project engineers throughout the Water Systems, Agricultural, Industrial and Commercial markets. Our Consult, Engineer
and Build, three-phase strategy, produces the most-efficient, robust system for your specific application.
Project Specs:
Design Point: 50 GPM at 250’ TDH (108 PSI)
Components: 7.5HP Goulds 10SV6 Vertical Multistage Pump, 7.5HP Danfoss FC202 Variable Frequency Drive – NEMA12 Out-of-Box Design, 0-150 PSI Discharge Pressure
Transducer for control, 316SS Sch40 Piping, Safe-T-Cover insulated, marine grade, aluminum enclosure with louvers, 1000W King utility heater, Flomatic
butterfly and check valves, Amtrol 44 gallon Well-X-Trol hydropneumatic pressure tank, fabricated and powder-coated steel base with forklift pockets,
lifting eyes, and bolt-down provisions.
Protect the lifespan while maximizing the performance of your
motor and pump with a great, value-priced Soft Start from MLS.
75hp to 300hp in stock, up to 600hp available, 230V to 480V.
These Nema 4 and Nema 12 Soft Start panels are easily
configured to meet the requirements of a variety of
demanding applications from agricultural and municipal
pumps to manufacturing conveyors and mixers,
and many more.
The easy to read, four line, plain English graphical display
and three menu (Quick, Application Setup, and Main) format
inside provides configuration and programming ease and
effective systems feedback.
Contact your local MLS sales rep today for details: 866-748-8077
On the road to achieving its goal of becoming a Zero Waste Nation, the island nation of Singapore is committed to promoting sustainable practices within
its industrial sector.
West Salem Machinery (WSM), with over 67 years of experience across multiple industries, shredding, grinding, milling, and the mass volume screening
of materials, was selected in 2017 to supply the urban waste reduction equipment for the 800 Super recycling company of Singapore. The WSM system
grinds urban wood waste, reducing its particulate size to less than 75mm creating fuel for the system. Wood waste which would have typically been
shipped off the island, becomes fuel for a boiler and produces energy, which in turn, is used by 800 Super to reduce operations costs. The WSM
system consists of a Metso 1000 pre-shredder, a WSM Grinder, a Steinart metal separator, and auxiliary conveyors. Clean wood waste is produced,
with consistent sizing, enhancing the performance of a power-generating, steam-driven turbine.
As an acknowledged industry leader in custom engineered electrical switchgear and automation controls for OEM in the “Bio Prep” field, MLS was once
again chosen by WSM to develop system controls for 800 Super, Singapore. MLS provided the electrical switchgear for the entire system including
a Danfoss MCD500 Reduced Voltage Soft Start for the grinder, and multiple Danfoss FC51 Variable Frequency Drives for proportional control of the
conveyors feeding the boiler.
MLS also provided the automation equipment, including a Siemens programmable logic controller to monitor and control the Metso, West Salem Machinery,
Steinart, and auxiliary conveyor systems, enabling a maximum production of 50 metric tons of fuel per hour.
As a trusted partner of WSM, MLS provided the engineering, manufacturing, programming, and startup support for the 800 Super “Bio Prep” system.
Mitchell Lewis Controls – engineered, efficient solutions for specific industrial applications. Contact one of our application engineers today at
controls@mitchellewis.com.
Determining overall plant efficiency (OPE) in deep well vertical turbine pumps (VTP’S) (often referred to as “wire to
water” efficiency) is essential in our design process for VTP’s at MLS. The OPE determines what the end user will pay in dollars to
run his pump. The higher this number is in efficiency percentage, the lower those payments will be.
Pumping plant field efficiency tests are conducted to determine the OPE of a system. This number will help an end user decide whether
or not to repair or replace his current system. The power savings often enough will pay for a new system within a few years.
Let’s look at some basic terms we use:
Power can be measured both mechanically and electrically.
Mechanically, power is typically expressed as horsepower (HP). One HP is the power required to lift 33,000 lbs one foot in one minute
or 550 lbs one foot in one second.
Electrical power is measured in watts
1000 watts = 1 kilowatt
1 kilowatt = 1.34 HP
1 HP = .746 Kilowatts
Pump HP = GPM x Total head (in feet) / 3960 x hydraulic eff
Pumps and motors, like all machines, cannot convert all of the power supplied to them as useful work.Losses occur from slippage, hydraulic
and mechanical friction. These losses can be set to a minimum with proper design.
Efficiency = Power output / power input
Let’s simplify this –
Power is billed to the customer in kilowatt hours (KWH). KWH used is determined by the input HP to the system and read at the electrical
meter. The more we can reduce the KWH required, the more efficient the system, ultimately reducing the operating cost to the end user.
OPE is determined by taking the hydraulic efficiency of the pump at its operating point X the electrical efficiency of
the motor, minus the losses in the system.
Let’s look at an example –
If a pump is operating at 86% hydraulic efficiency and the motor is operating at 95% efficiency, the OPE will be .86 x .95 or .81% before
we add in our losses. Losses typically will be 5-6 % in a properly designed system and even more in a poorly designed system.
A OPE is 75% is considered to be high.
If we picked a pump that was 80% efficient at our design point and used the same motor, our OPE would drop to 71% (still considered good) using the same
criteria a above.
Let’s look at some numbers. A system that requires 2000 GPM @ 400 feet of head with 86% bowl efficiency will use 235 bowl HP. The same conditions with
80% hydraulic eff would require bowl 253 bowl HP. That’s 18 more HP to do the same job. 18 HP / .95% (motor eff) = 14.00 KW. At .14 cents a KWH, that’s
$1.96 more per hour.If we run our pump 2100 hours per year, that’s over $4000.00 per year in additional operating costs. Over 10 years that’s 40Kplus
in savings for a 6% increase in hydraulic efficiency!
Efficiency pays rewards.
Electric motor efficiencies have been set by the Department of Energy (DOE), but pump efficiencies have yet to be set. Our best way to improve OPE is by
picking the highest efficiency pump we can, while still meeting our design criteria. Losses in turbine pumps consist of column friction
losses and shaft and thrust bearing losses. Column friction losses increase the total head required. Thrust bearing and shaft HP losses increase the
load to the motor.
While in the design process for a deep well pump, we look for several factors on the pump performance curve. Obviously, we want the highest efficiency at our operating point.
We also want to pick a curve that puts our operating point 1-2 % to the right of the BEP (best efficiency point on the curve).We do this for two main
reasons, as the water table declines and as the pump wears, the operating point moves to the left on the curve (towards shutoff).As this happens the
pump efficiency actually increases and stays efficient longer as it moves toward BEP and beyond. In deep well pumps, we also look for the steepest
curve that meets our other requirements (the highest shutoff head). By selecting the steepest curves, the capacity drops off slower as the pump wears
and the water table drops.
We also need to insure our column size is correct and adequate for capacity and velocity while incurring the least amount of friction losses. The same
with our line shaft, it must be able to handle the HP required and be suitable for our elongation requirements while keeping our additional shaft HP
to a minimum.
As I stated, motor efficiencies have been regulated by the DOE (Dept of Energy), and now must meet the premium efficiency standards set.
The DOE is also setting efficiency standards for pumps which will begin to take effect in 2020. The DOE is well aware that the higher
the OPE’s we have, the less energy will be consumed and need to be produced. As responsible suppliers and designers, we need to make
the best selections for our customers in regards to quality and overall plant efficiencies.A well designed pump system with the highest OPE is in the best interest of all and begins to pay dividends immediately.
I will be glad to answer any questions you may have. I encourage you to contact me.
About 100 miles north of Montana, in the town of Medicine Hat, you’ll find Big Marble Farms, home of a 1.5 million square foot greenhouse, yes, 1.5 million.
Even though Medicine Hat is in the heart of the Canadian Sunbelt, with 2000 hours of sun a year, it isn’t quite enough to hold off the Alberta Winter,
so Big Marble took their operation indoors.
A green house that has 300,000 cucumber plants, along with 60,000 tomato vines needs quite a bit of high tech equipment to keep their crops happy and healthy.
Cucumbers in particular like a very humid environment to flourish. Mitchell Lewis was contacted by one of our valued partners Watertec, out of British
Columbia, to help design a system to meet the customer’s needs. Key parameters included system foot print, required water flow and pressure, initial
cost, and energy efficiency. To create and maintain the essential level of humidity, the system would use fog nozzles to create a fine mist spray to
fill the growing area. The customer’s previous system was falling apart, quite noisy and inefficient.
The packaged pump system from Mitchell Lewis was designed to be a “plug and play” skid that contained the maximum amount of equipment on one single base
that only needed to be mounted, wired and plumbed to be operational. The packaged system contained a water storage tank, filtration down to 1 micron,
fabricated SS headers, custom UL controls and of course pumps to supply the 50gpm @ 1000psi required. The custom header also included 5 actuated ball
valves to open and close depending on which zone of the greenhouse needed misting. Powerful, highly-efficient pumps enable the system to support all
5 zones simultaneously using a single pump at reduced speed. The system provides built-in redundancy and increases energy cost savings.
With the ever-increasing demand for energy and water efficiencies, Mitchell Lewis & Staver and its network of valued partners stands ready to meet
these challenges with the latest in technology, engineering expertise and good old fashion experience.
OUR ORANGE COUNTY, CA BRANCH IS NOW OPEN FOR BUSINESS!
We're located close to Angel's Stadium, just off the I-57 at the Orangewood Exit. Swing by and check out our new facility and meet the MLS Pro staff. We're
open M-F,
8am to
5pm. Quick, efficient Will Calls and deliveries available.
This summer, MLS features a range of controls as qualifying product that will get you Scratchers!
Goulds and Pentair bring reliability and value to basic water system controls. Tried-and-true engineering and quality manufacturing assure years of service
from these rugged, efficient, simple, Start/Stop controllers. Your knowledgeable MLS rep can match the right controller to your specific application,
contact your salesperson for a complete run-down on these great products.
Don't miss the fun this summer playing MLS Summertime Scratchers!
Mitchell's is giving you unlimited chances to win prizes this June and July just for being a customer! Purchase any Goulds or Pentair brand pump, motor
and control unit together on the same sales order and receive one (1) Summertime Scratcher. There is no limit to how many Scratchers you can earn and
prizes you can win. Best part? Every card is a winner! Ask how to receive a Summertime Scratcher on your next order
Prizes include:
All-inclusive Alaska Fishing Trips
Traeger Grills
Yuneec Drones
Equinox Kayaks
Gerber Multi-tools
GoPro Hero Cams
Yeti Coolers
Fandango Movie Cards
Cabela's Gift Cards
Gas Gift Cards
Starbucks Gift Cards
The Summertime Scratcher sweepstakes runs from June 1st - July 31st 2017 and is open to all Mitchell Lewis & Staver customers within the United States.
For full list of prizes and contest rules, please visit any Mitchell's location.
The Portland location of a national motel chain was having severe sewage issues. The equipment in their wet well was old, failing regularly, and causing
the site manager a ton of problems. Additionally, the ever-changing waste stream was plugging the pumps, which in turn caused overflow conditions and
on several occasions the need for a vac truck.
One of Mitchell Lewis & Staver’s longtime partners, Hillsboro Pump Service was contacted by the motel manager for much-needed help. Mitchell Lewis
met with HPS for an on-site review. It was determined that the existing pumps were still a good choice for the required flow/head, but the liquid now
contained many “non-pumpable” solids that needed to be addressed. To handle this, the team decided on the tried and true solids destroyer, the Landia
Eradigator, a submersible chopper pump, that would also mix the wet well contents with its angled discharge nozzle.
The complete solution is put into action when the pump on float activates. The Eradigator runs for 1 min to chop and mix all wet well contents, it then
shuts off, and the on-call, self-priming pump removes the liquid until the stop float is reached. MLS provided the UL control panel as well which required
the use of a Danfoss VFD to convert the sites 1/230v power to 2/230v power to run the Eradigator. The MLS Control Panel provided some dry contacts,
so the manager could have remote indication of any problems. While only in service for a short time at this point, the station has been trouble-free
and the site manager is very appreciative of everyone’s efforts.
A tour of a Mitchell Lewis & Staver electrical controls manufacturing facility. We discuss our capabilities in building custom panels with variable
frequency drives (VFD), SCADA systems and packaged systems for a variety of applications.
MLS Midvale is now serving Utah with Goulds pumps and accessories!
A premiere, time-tested brand, Goulds is now available from MLS in Utah! MLS features a full suite of Goulds products, including water systems, irrigation,
sump, sewage &effluent. Whatever your application, MLS & Goulds delivers.
Contact the MLS Midvale office at 800-733-6065 to get started purchasing Goulds products today!
The uninterrupted flow of water for irrigation is a paramount concern for any farming operation. The vast and diverse Stahl Farms in Irrigon, Oregon
relies on its custom-designed pump system to faithfully deliver Columbia River water to expansive fields, miles away. Unwelcome noises from two of
the pumps had Herb Stahl reaching out to his irrigation specialist, Valmont NW., who in turn, contacted the irrigation system experts at Mitchell Lewis
& Staver. Upon inspection, it was determined by MLS engineers, that the foreign noises were attributable to the pumps operating at too low of pressure,
causing the pumps to operate off the end of their performance curves – resulting in unsettling noises. The trusted engineering experts at MLS bring
decades of experience to their work – from custom irrigation system design to remote "house calls", MLS keeps it flowing!
MLS and Polaris deploy jet ring power to save customer and competitor from costly downtime.
Moses Lake WA - Basic American Foods, a major processor of potatoes, was experiencing routine clogging, and inability to self-prime with their existing
chopper pumps in their waste pit. The waste stream fluctuates between water with just a few skins and pieces, to large slugs of potato chunks, sticks
and dirt. During these large influxes of solids the existing chopper pumps were unable to pull a suction lift, or chop such a high solids concentration
at once. A solution was needed that could not only handle these solids, but also “stir the soup” to keep a uniform solids concentration, and stand
up to the abrasive sand present in the waste stream.
Mitchell Lewis selected a 15hp, hard iron slurry pump from Polaris to do the job. This pump can handle solids concentrations up to 60%, is made of a high
chrome metal for abrasion resistance and came equipped with an externally mounted jet ring to continuously mix the sump and keep the solids even dispersed
throughout the water. The jet ring is fed from a separate water source and shoots high pressure water jets to break up large masses of solids.
We are pleased to note, that after two months after installation, the Polaris has been able to keep the self-priming pumps clog free and the system running
24/7.
With increasing demand for a reliable source of potable water, the government of Cameroon in 2015 embarked on an ambitious project to rebuild and replace
their insufficient, aging colonial French water infrastructure. The robust, new system will deliver much-needed water to the
capitol, Yaounde. Engineers at MLS have designed a powerful, scalable new system, which utilizes some of the existing
built-ins, while delivering substantially more water volume to the central civic reservoir. Once completed, the new water system will feature a
series of five Goulds vertical turbine pumps powered by US Motors, rated at 1250HP, delivering 6600 GPM @ 581 ft. This project will be completed later
in 2016.
Several months back, Mitchell Lewis & Staver provided the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport Oregon, several sump pumps and variable frequency drives
(VFDs). The VFDs allow the pumps to run at reduced speeds when demand is low, saving energy and money. Working in conjunction with level sensors, the
VFDs help the pumps maintain a certain sump level at all times by running the pump at a proper pace and not having them start and stop all of the time.
Running pumps at reduced speeds also helps increase the overall lifetime of the pump. Gary Smith, Head of Maintenance for the aquarium, states “We
are saving on average $60-70 dollar per month, per pump by using VFD’s, and with the level maintenance process, we never run the pumps dry.” Gary has
since added 2 more VFDs to other existing pump controls. Danfoss VFDs are an integral part of powerful and efficient MLS Controls.
We are honored to receive the 2015 Sales Excellence Award from Pioneer Pump. Known for their hardworking, reliable and innovative products, Pioneer Pump
products lead the industry, and are in constant demand. Pioneer Pump will continue to be an important, crucial part of business at Mitchell, Lewis
& Staver.
In order to meet expanding current and future demand for their popular products, a major dairy in Boardman, Oregon, recently acquired an additional
7,000+ acres of land for dairy cow feed, livestock grazing and potato cultivation. Upgrading their irrigation capabilities is a priority and includes
a complete rebuilding of their 18 pump system. Time is of the essence, as these crucial irrigation pumps are offline during the rebuild period.
Under this tight deadline, MLS is moving quickly to rebuild the 18, 4 to 5 stage vertical turbines, which operate at between 200 and 500 hp, delivering
up to a maximum of 5,600 gallons of water per minute. An engineering challenge, as each rebuilt pump must match the existing discharge head and
column. Valmont Industries selected MLS as the best source for the scale and schedule driving this project.
The ability to immediately suppress any dockside shipboard fire is a perennial safety concern for the U.S. Navy. Historically, securing a ready-source
of high-pressure water in the event of fire, particularly in foreign ports, has posed significant challenges, sometimes with tragic consequences.
Following exacting USN specs, Mitchell Lewis & Staver created a highly efficient, powerful solution. This month the U.S. Navy will receive the final
shipment – 54 vertical, multi-stage pumps in all, from MLS. Each pump incorporates non-corroding, stainless steel or bronze components throughout,
and is framed in a custom-designed, galvanized (marine air resistant) frame allowing the pump to be rapidly deployed from either dockside surface or
sub-surface vessel. Vessels will carry a pump fore and aft. Each pump runs at 226gpm at 174 tdh, powered by a Goulds Water Technology 46SV 20 hp pump
with a Leeson VFD.
MLS worked closely with our business partner Balco to secure this opportunity to proudly serve.
When New Earth of San Antonio, Texas went looking for a heavy-duty, aggressive grinding machine to annually convert 350,000 tons of highly-variable organic
waste into high-grade garden products, they turned to West Salem Machine (WSM). Typically, this type of diverse, organically-rich waste including food
waste, grass clippings, leaves, livestock manures and tree trimmings ends up buried in conventional landfills – going to waste. New Earth gives it
a second, vital purpose.
Likewise, the efficient, aggressive processing of a range of materials with such dynamic densities requires a tough, sensor-responsive controller of
intelligent design. Genuine Mitchell's Controls utilizing a Danfoss VFD, keep the whole process moving – monitoring, regulating and adjusting production
feed in relation to the density of material. The rigorous demands of industrial applications require robust electronic controls which optimize
operations and keep production flowing.
Lorentz Solar is supplying powerful, "off-the-grid" solutions to remote Ag customers.
Farmers in Turkey faced problems with unreliable grid electricity which resulted in the loss of crops. The solution was the installation of a grid-independent
PS40k2 solar pump system. This system provides 1200 tons of water per day from 80 meters below ground level. Being independent from the grid and receiving
water reliably with solar energy is a great relief for the farmers.
The REAQUA video shows how in an area with a dry, sandy and hot climate, 5000 head of cattle on an isolated Australian farm are fed. REAQUA installed two
LORENTZ submersible pumps which provide year round water to center pivot systems each covering an area of over 40 hectares per pivot.
MLS partners with Lorentz in bringing our Ag customers dependable, power-generating, solar-based solutions. With over 20 years of continuous innovation,
Lorentz is an Industry leader in solar-powered, water pumping technology.
See how Lorentz is bringing power (and much-needed water) to remote Ag sites worldwide.
Mitchell Lewis & Staver will be attending the National Groundwater Association Expo this year in Las Vegas, December 16-17, 2015. Come by and say hello
and we'll deposit 5,000 bonus points in your Rewards account just for dropping by.
In order to qualify for 5,000 bonus points, you must stop by our booth at space #420 and register, and have an active Mitchell's Rewards account in good
standing.
The Moscone Center in San Francisco CA is one of the largest convention centers in the state. Moscone West contains the kitchen for the entire facility as well as several bathrooms. The kitchen produces a good deal of food waste, floor debris, commercial dish washer water and occasionally, a rubber glove finds its way down the drain along with everything else. Combined with the bathroom waste, these solids often plugged the standard, non-clog pumps previously operating in the wet well. As the pumps were on rail systems and needed to be cleaned constantly, it became a maintenance headache. General contractor, Koffler Electric, turned to Mitchell Lewis for solutions to the plugging problem at Moscone. Mitchell Lewis having had several recent successes with the Landia chopper pump, was able to select a model to hit Koffler’s desired design specs: (250gpm @ 36ft TDH). The Landia pumps were installed recently and have run “clog-free” ever since.
The Landia Chopper continues to impress here on the west coast. MLS has installed several Landia pumps which continue to perform flawlessly, some for over two years, and not a one has been pulled off line, for any reason….ever.
Contact a Mitchell, Lewis & Staver Industrial Product Specialist today at 503-682-1800 to learn more about the innovative product solutions available to you.
RE: New Mitchell’s Controls Manufacturing Facility
To our valued customers,
Mitchell Lewis & Staver is growing! I am pleased to announce we have moved our electrical control manufacturing operations to a larger, dedicated facility. While the new building is just a hop, skip and a jump from our previous location, the technology, capabilities and additional capacity it provides are a major leap forward.
This new controls manufacturing facility now employs even more engineering expertise and skilled staff. We’re also employing more state-of-the-art machinery than ever before, allowing us to assemble, package and make complex, precision cuts in a fraction of the time. The expanded warehouse space also allows for more stock – and greater variety – on hand at all times. This will allow us to service you more efficiently and effectively throughout the season.
Mitchell’s Controls feature premium Danfoss Variable Frequency Drives and come in a full array of configurations and horsepower ranges. For more information, contact our Engineered Solutions office at 503-682-1187, or toll free at 866-748-8077.
Looking for a great solids-handling option for your wastewater application? The Myers® V2 Series from Pentair is a newly innovative 2 hp submersible grinder pump designed specifically for use in today's complex wastewater environment. It features an advanced cutting technology and semi-open impeller design to effectively macerate typical domestic sewage solids into a fine slurry.
Click here for interesting review from Water & Wastes Digest. For more info, give us a call at 866-748-8077 and ask for Industrial Sales.
MLS helps solve excessive pump wear problem for local composite manufacturer.
A manufacturer of glass composite materials, located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley has a real issue with abrasive liquids. Pumping liquids containing ground glass for their process had proven to be a challenge for their existing pumps. While the previous pumps were made by a top quality manufacturer, they were not the best style for this application, nor were the pump construction materials ideal.
Working with the plant engineer, Mitchell Lewis & Staver reviewed all of the critical application data (flow, head, solid concentration, solid type, solid size) and determined a low rpm, vortex/recessed impeller pump made the most sense. The Toyo DEH 61-50 was selected and driven by a 7.5HP motor at 1347rpm. A key feature of the DEH is its unique axial spiral casing design, allowing solids to follow the flow path directly out of the pump with only 15% of the solids coming into contact with the impeller. This major design benefit means internal recirculation -- a process which is detrimental to hydraulic efficiencies and increases pump wear -- is minimized. Sacrificial wear parts are not required with this advanced design DEH.
End users will find that reduced life cycle costs are achieved with the benefit of lower power consumption. Additionally, the DEH is also made of 28% Hi-Chrome (HiC) material for increased resistance to wear. The initial two pumps have been installed and are working well, the facility has since ordered another set for a similar application.
Many of today’s bathroom products - baby wipes, feminine products, etc. - advertise themselves as flushable. While technically they can be flushed, these items can cause a world of trouble for the wastewater operators and the equipment that encounters them once they leave the bathroom. The majority of sewage pumps are of the 2-vane, non-clog style, again another misnomer. These pumps are more accurately “clog-resistant” and can pass most large solids and common sewage components without issue. Enter the flushable product, made of strong, synthetic, tear-resistant fiber, which can easily bind up a non-clog pump impeller.
A major university in WA state had continuous problems with plugging of their non-clog sewage pumps. This resulted in downtime, constant maintenance and some near-miss overflows. MLS met with the campus facilities manager and reviewed the application data and changes in the waste stream. It was determined that a Landia submersible chopper pump would be the right solution to cut up the fibrous and stringy materials for pumping. The cutting mechanism in the Landia is a dual-action rotating and stationary hardened knife system. These knives chop and cut the materials prior to them entering the impeller. Many chopper pumps use the impeller itself and part of the cutting mechanism. The Landia approach allows for a more efficient impeller design, while still passing any small solids that remain.
The pump was installed in December of 2013 and has been maintenance free since. Zero maintenance.
If you are having plugging issues with your “non-clog” pump, give us a call, we excel at solving difficult pump problems.
We are pleased to announce Pentair's Bill Corey will be providing training opportunities for our customers at Mitchell Lewis & Staver locations across the west! Classes cover products in the categories of domestic water systems, agriculture and irrigation.
Bill's schedule is as follows:
Visalia, CA
Water Systems - 2/23
Ag / Irrigation - 2/24
Wilsonville, OR
Water Systems - 2/26
Ag / Irrigation - 2/27
Murrieta, CA
Water Systems - 3/9
Ag / Irrigation - 3/10
Phoenix, AZ
Water Systems - 3/12
Ag / Irrigation - 3/13
Salt Lake City, UT
Water Systems - 3/16
Ag / Irrigation - 3/17
Boise, ID
Water Systems - 3/19
Ag / Irrigation - 3/20
Topics vary by location, but these "101" level classes will cover a variety of topics, including terminology, curves, sizing, formulas, cavitation, pump software, VFDs and much more. Lunch is included, and seating is limited. Contact your local branch today for details.
The small town of Declo, Idaho, had experienced consistent plugging issues with their “non-clog” pumps. Like many other municipalities, Declo has seen a significant increase in difficult to pump items like baby wipes, duster pads and the like. These items tend to wrap around a standard non-clog impeller and bind up the pump, resulting in costly downtime and maintenance calls. One pump in the duplex system was in need of immediate replacement. Mitchell Lewis & Staver was asked to assist in the selection of a new pump and to explore alternative to help combat the plugging issue.
Design Criteria
Replace existing 4” non-clog, dry-pit pump
Match existing plumbing
Pump Performance: 450 gpm @ 35’ TDH
Pumped Liquid: Raw wastewater including baby wipes. Less than 1% solids
Pump Application: Chop and pump the wastewater.
We determined the right solution to be a Landia dry-pit chopper pump. Its unique hardened knife blade system chops up the solids and stringy materials prior to them entering the impeller. Landia was also able to design and build a base/suction elbow to match existing suction and discharge piping height, making for a near seamless installation. After seven weeks in operation, the city reports no clogging issues or down time with the Landia. In fact, the other remaining non-clog pump is no longer used as the Landia remains trouble free. The city plans to replace the other pump with a Landia this summer.
A local plastic bottle recycler was having ongoing issues with the pumps that came as part of a larger piece of OEM equipment. The pump was used to circulate caustic wash water. The liquid itself was a challenge in that it contained pieces of shredded plastic and was 200º F with a pH over 12. To further complicate things, the OEM supplied pump was foreign made, which created issues with customer service and parts availability. The existing pump had plugging issues and leaked constantly. Mitchell Lewis & Staver was asked to visit the facility, examine the application and provide a high quality, domestically made, pump solution. MLS was able to offer several selections including a progressive cavity style pump and several end suction centrifugal models.
Design Criteria 8mm solids
3% solids concentration
14pH
200F
316SS or CD4 desired
40-50gpm @ 25ft TDH
VFD compatible motor
Although the pump does have a flooded suction, to meet the solid size handling criteria a self-priming trash pump was selected. The AMT Model 282F-98 was installed in late December and has been problem free since.
Headed to the National Groundwater Association show in Las Vegas next month? If so, be sure to drop by our booth #1111 and say hello, and while you're there we'll set you up with 5,000 bonus points in your account! Don't have an account? Not a problem, staff will be on hand to get you all set up.
We'll also have product experts in the booth to answer your questions about our full line of pumps, parts and accessories for the domestic, ag, irrigation and industrial markets, electrical controls featuring quality Danfoss drives, and custom engineered booster systems and lift stations. See you at the 2014 NGWA show!
For every 50hp of our Danfoss powered variable frequency drives purchased in the month of October, we'll pay you back with a $25 Visa gift card. There's no limit to how much you can earn! See promo below for more details, and always ask for Genuine Mitchell Drives.
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