A Clean Sheet -

Nash's Donation Helps Pump New Life into a U.S. Pulp and Paper Laboratory

"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers. At Nash, we could not agree more. We strongly support students in their educational journey and are dedicated to their development and helping to expand their potential. With our extensive experience and know-how, we ensure they benefit and learn by using our innovative products and solutions.

A direct reflection of this philosophy is Nash’s partnership with the Washington Pulp & Paper Foundation. A nonprofit organization; supporting the exceptional students in the Bioresource Science & Engineering (BSE) degree program in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington. By assisting the Foundation, we have been helping achieve its declared mission of providing the pulp and paper market with a pipeline of highly qualified and dedicated engineering graduates. 

Coming Under Pressure

The Washington Pulp & Paper Foundation fosters the instruction of future industry leaders with ample theoretical and practical knowledge and well-developed research and supervision skills. With their knowledge, these men and women will make significant contributions to their companies once their formal education is complete. An element of the process is the Wollenberg Paper and Bioresource Science Laboratory on campus in Seattle, which offers hands-on training in a wide range of biomass processing activities in lab and pilot plant settings.

The laboratory offers students the chance to work with pulping and bleaching of both woody and non-wood fiber sources. Understanding basic fiber chemistry and physics prepares the students to run the laboratory’s pilot paper machine.

NASH Vectra SX Vacuum Pump
NASH Vectra SX Vacuum Pump

When the machine’s old vacuum pump no longer met the process requirements of the laboratory, there arose an urgent need for finding a new vacuum solution so the machine’s operations could resume. 

Engineering to Help

With its long-lasting presence and unwavering dedication to the pulp and paper industry, Nash immediately jumped at the opportunity to help. Nash donated a Vectra SX liquid ring vacuum pump to the Washington Pulp & Paper Foundation. This robust and reliable pump series is available in five models and offers suction capacity ranging from 25 to 260 m3/h, vacuum of up to 33 mbar abs., discharge pressure of up to 2.3 bar abs., and differential pressure of up to 1.3 bar.

The Vectra SX series is engineered to meet the exacting needs of process industry applications and stands out through its superior performance. The Vectra SX offers engineering upgrades such as built-in mechanical seals to eliminate shaft leakage and NASH’s patented Gas Scavenging Technology boosting longevity at high pressure levels. These pumps are defined by their quiet operation, as well as low lifecycle and utility costs with their design features translating into lower power consumption, minimal wear, and maximized operating lifespan.

To learn more about our Vectra SX vacuum pump, click the link below. 

 

Vectra SX Vacuum Pump

NASH Liquid Ring Vacuum Pump
Students watch the NASH Vectra SX Vacuum Pump in action!

Give and Gain

Nash’s high-quality Vectra SX liquid ring vacuum pump has improved performance with a 50% increase in upper basis weight capability and enhanced process flexibility at the pilot paper plant.  It has enabled students at the University of Washington to have practical training and first-hand papermaking experiences. 

NASH’s pump will help students in their hands-on studies and help prepare them for the papermaking industry. Our pump donation, as well as other activities with the Washington Pulp & Paper Foundation, will not only support undergraduate education in the Western US, but also benefits those who have a stake in the further development and modernization of the pulp and paper industry.