Which areas on the ship are already in use?

In the table below, I will list it according to actual application scenarios to facilitate your understanding:

Where to use it? What working conditions? Why choose Wilton?

Bilge water collection contains oil, sediment, intermittent operation, self-priming + idling + slag removal, all three points are used in 

this scene

Dredging of ballast water tanks, pumping out bottom mud and carrying particles. The ability to pass particles is the key, and the T15

 series is especially suitable.

Fuel/lubricant transportation Diesel, hydraulic oil, kerosene, lubricating oil NBR diaphragm is specially designed for petroleum media, 

and has inherent advantages in explosion protection

Deck washing, seawater pumping, salt spray corrosion, aluminum alloy shell + seawater-resistant diaphragm, much more

 corrosion-resistant than ordinary pumps

Emergency firefighting requires rapid deployment under power outage conditions. No need for electricity, just connect the air pipe

 to run, which is a huge advantage in emergencies.

Domestic sewage/black water transfer Contains solids, low shear Low shear force will not break up the bacterial flora in the sewage - 

this is very important for biochemical treatment systems

Chemical tanker/platform material transportation Strong acid and strong alkali corrosive media Stainless steel shell + PTFE diaphragm, 

basically the ultimate anti-corrosion solution

4. There are so many models, how can you choose one without getting into trouble?

Wilton has made several series for ships, each with a different positioning. Let me break it down for you based on actual usage scenarios:

TZ series (metal pump, aluminum alloy/stainless steel) - This is the most commonly used series on ships. Available in diameters from 1/2 

inch to 3 inches. If you're not sure which one to choose, TZ2 (2-inch aluminum alloy) is a very safe starting option. It can be used for 

bilge water, fuel and deck washing, with the widest coverage.

Original series - the continuation of Wilton's earliest design in 1955. Classic construction, nothing fancy, but solid and reliable. Suitable

 for fixed installation scenarios where "install it and don't touch it".

Pro-Flo SHIFT Series - The biggest feature of this series is that the air distribution system (ADS) can be grounded. What does it mean?

 That is, the static electricity generated by the pump body during operation can be released through a specially designed grounding 

path. This thing is not an "icing on the cake" for oil tankers and hazardous chemicals ships, but a "rigid necessity". If you have ATEX 

explosion-proof requirements, give priority to this series.

T15 series (3 inches) - Maximum particle passing capacity 25 mm. It is mainly used in scenarios with particularly high solid content, 

such as ballast tank dredging and dock sediment extraction. This caliber is generally used on large ships.

How to choose diaphragm material? ——I will give you an optional list directly:

Diaphragm material Abbreviation Applicable medium Temperature range

Neoprene CR General industrial fluid, seawater -18°C ~ 93°C

Nitrile rubber NBR Fuel, diesel, hydraulic oil, lubricating oil -12°C ~ 82°C

Fluorine rubber FKM/Viton High temperature working conditions, highly corrosive chemicals -40°C ~ 176°C

EPDM rubber, low temperature conditions, weak acid and alkali, alcohols -51°C ~ 137°C

Teflon PTFE Extremely strong acid and alkali, almost completely corrosion-resistant 4°C ~ 104°C

The most commonly chosen ones on board are NBR (with oil) and EPDM (low temperature sea area). This combination can cover most 

of the normal working conditions on board.

5. Several practical suggestions for pump selection and daily maintenance

Keep an eye out for three things during the selection phase:

The medium must be tested clearly. Don't just know that "it's probably bilge water", take an actual water sample and do a simple 

test for pH, oil content, solid content, and temperature. These data directly determine the material selection of the pump body and 

diaphragm. If you choose the wrong one, the diaphragm may become brittle in three months.

Measure the installation location first. The space on the ship is tight. Although the Wilton pump is more compact than the centrifugal

 pump with the same parameters, it is best to determine the position of the air inlet, outlet direction, and drain outlet before purchasing.

 Otherwise, the pump will not be installed when it arrives, and the shipping date cannot be waited for.

Don’t ignore the air source quality. If the compressed air contains too much water or oil, it will accelerate the wear of the valve 

components. It is best to add a set of triple air source treatment components (filter + pressure regulating valve + lubricator) in front 

of the pump. The investment is not large, but the life of the air valve can be greatly extended.

Do these few things for daily maintenance:

The replacement cycle of the diaphragm is generally 6 to 12 months, but this completely depends on the working conditions. If you 

find that the flow rate of the pump drops significantly, or the outlet pressure becomes unstable, it is most likely that the diaphragm 

needs to be replaced. Don’t wait for it to break before replacing it—fragments of the broken diaphragm may get into the downstream

 piping.

Be sure to have two sets of repair kits in the warehouse. One is the air repair kit (air valve assembly) and the other is the wet end repair

 kit (diaphragm + seal). The Wilton stuff is easy to take apart, but it's still useless if you don't have spare parts.

During daily inspections, touch the pump shell temperature with your hand. If one side is noticeably hotter than the other, the diaphragm 

on that side may be dying, or the ball may be stuck. Although this simple method is simple, on several boats I have run on, the second 

engineer discovered several problems in advance by this method.

6. Tell the truth

Wilton's pumps are not without their faults.

The price is much more expensive than ordinary domestic pumps - this is a fact. Especially for the all-stainless steel TZ series, the 

quotation can shock the purchaser.

Awareness among domestic shipbuilding circles is not high enough - many shipyards do not mention the option of "pneumatic 

diaphragm pump" in their specifications, and there is no compressed air pipeline reserved during the design stage. If you want to 

change it later, you have to modify the pipeline, which is troublesome.

But for those who have already used it, the evaluation is surprisingly consistent: worry-free.

The centrifugal pump is repaired six times a year, and each repair takes half a day. The manpower on the ship is already tight. After all

 this calculation, the purchase price difference has long been filled.

In the marine engineering training course of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, there is a special module to teach students to 

disassemble and assemble Wilton diaphragm pumps. The fact that it can be used as a textbook in professional colleges shows that its 

reliability is recognized.

Finally, I will share a little thing that I experienced personally. During the outfitting and commissioning of a bulk carrier at a certain 

shipyard, the bilge pump in the engine room was from Wilton. The engineer in charge of the on-site commissioning was an old marine 

engineer who had been working for 20 years. He told me: "I first saw this thing on a chemical ship in Singapore. At that time, I thought 

it was unreliable - what use could the plastic piece (referring to the diaphragm) do? Later, the ship ran for three years, and the middle 

diaphragm was replaced only once. Since then, whenever I have the final say, I will replace it with this one."

——The content of this article is based on Wilden’s public technical information and actual application cases in the shipbuilding 

industry. Please refer to the on-site working conditions for specific selection. It is recommended to contact Wilden’s authorized 

agent for written selection suggestions.