Fertilizer International 496 May-Jun 2020
31 May 2020
THEN & NOW
Fertilizer International reached its 50th anniversary in 2019. The magazine’s continuing success is built on mutually beneficial partnerships forged over five decades. This year, we will continue to show our appreciation by profiling a much-valued commercial supporter in the magazine. This issue it’s the turn of the Lewis ® brand from Weir Minerals.
Lewis began life as Chas S Lewis and Co, Inc, the company established by its founder Charles Lewis in St Louis, Missouri, in 1891. The company, an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) from the start, made pump lines for the beer pasteurisation and bottle cleaning industries using custom alloys.
Lewis developed its first sulphuric acid pump in 1914. As time went on, the company continued to specialise in sulphuric acid equipment and designed the first sulphuric acid valve in 1975. The company was then acquired by Weir Group in 1994 and subsequently expanded its product line.
Company profile
The Lewis ® brand from Weir Minerals continues to manufacture reliable specialty pumps and valves for the sulphur, sulphuric acid and phosphoric acid industries, with a reputation for innovative designs and performance over 125 years.
Weir Minerals developed Lewmet ® nickel-chrome alloys, which are specifically designed to withstand long-term exposure in the harsh operating environment of contact process sulphuric acid plants. Lewis ® pumps and valves with Lewmet ® alloys are able to achieve superior erosion resistance and corrosion protection.
In addition to Lewmet ® , Weir Minerals added gate, globe and butterfly valves to the Lewis ® product line, shipping the first 30″ gate valve to Zambian Copper smelter in 1995. These valves have proven to be highly effective in sulphuric acid plants for standard acid and heat recovery services.
1891
- Chas S Lewis & Co is established by Charles S Lewis as representative for manufacturers of pumps and valves, in St Louis, USA.
1914
- First vertical sulphuric acid pump for chamber acid process is developed and produced.
1970s
- 1972 World class 10-MT/MS (1,200 mt/hr) Lewis acid pump designed and manufactured.
- 1973 First of several Lewmet® alloys designed to provide significantly higher corrosion resistance than alloy 20, the material previously used in sulphuric acid applications.
- 1975 Lewis® globe valves introduced for throttling service in hot H 2 SO 4 .
- 1976 Lewis® gate valves designed and installed for the first time in H 2 SO 4 service.
- 1977 Company becomes part of the Baker Hughes Group.
1994
- Weir Group PLC acquires all of Baker Hughes’ pump production companies.
2000
- Size 18 acid pump designed, tested and sold.
2010
- First Lewis® molten salts pump is manufactured.
2020
- Three new pumps introduced to the market: New Lewis® VL Axial Flow Pump, Lewis® Horizontal Process Pump and Lewis® Vertical High Pressure Molten Salt Pump.
The latest Lewis® products
Recently, Weir Minerals has developed three new Lewis ® pumps for the sulphuric, phosphate fertilizer, and concentrated solar power industries. The Lewis VL Axial Pump, ® the Lewis Horizontal Process Pump, ® and the Lewis Vertical High Pressure Molten Salt Pump ® come in multiple sizes and configurations, and mark a new chapter in the brand’s proud history of innovative product and material engineering.
The three pumps are all made with proprietary Lewmet ® alloys to maximize wear life in some of the world’s most corrosive industrial applications while simplifying maintenance through their streamlined designs. This has significantly reduced the number of parts compared to previous pumps, without compromising their performance.
The future of Lewis®
The Lewis ® team in St Louis, Missouri, remains dedicated to their customers around the world, and continues to develop pumps, valves, and other related products. For the past 125 years, they have provided equipment that improves safety, efficiency and sustainability, contributing to the essential resources needed by a growing world. Product innovations, a dedicated group of employees, and continued investments in the St Louis community ensure Lewis ® will remain a valued supplier to its customers – companies who feed the world and power the global economy.
In 2020, Lewis ® and Weir Group will continue to focus on the development of sustainable solutions for customers by concentrating on the sustainability impact of their products.
