This project details the design and fabrication of a rotary vane pump.
Machining Processes
A range of machining processes were used to support the fabrication process, including, but not limited to:
• metal lathe
• CNC
• water jet cutter
• laser cutter
• manual end mill
• sand casting (aluminum)
Precise Machining Requirements & Tolerancing
Rotary vane pumps require precise tolerances to function properly. This prevents interference and friction between rotating components, while also ensuring required operating pressures are maintained to effectively pump the working fluid. In this case, of the four teflon vanes used in this pump, which were milled manually, tolerances of ±0.0005" were required.
