When we first kicked off this blog, we gave you some tips and tricks to help quickly identify Universal 1 & Universal 2 pumps. Well today, we have two updates to the Universal 1 and Universal 2 pump covers that will shake up those assumptions. So let’s take a closer look.
Universal 1 & Universal 2 Cover Standardization
As you may recall, one of the short cuts to distinguish between a Universal 1 and Universal 2 pump was to look at the cover. The Universal 1 features a distinct two lobe cover, while the Universal 2 features a single, raised flat.
The differences can be attributed to the use of two different cover castings during manufacturing.
To streamline, simplify, and achieve manufacturing efficiencies, the Universal 1 and Universal 2 covers will now be produced from the same casting. This applies to all models except sizes 320 and up.
So what does this mean for you? For one, Universal 1 and Universal 2 PD pumps will now have very similar external appearances. You won’t just be able to pick them out by looking at the cover. The best way to identify the pump will be to look at the pump tag on the gearcase or pull the serial number off the body, cover, or tag.
You can also make some relatively safe assumptions by looking at the type of cover nuts. Universal 1 pumps will typically have a winged cover nut, while the Universal 2 pump will typically have an acorn nut. The operative word there, however, is typically. Acorn and hex nuts are still a user preference and can be used interchangeably across series.
And by mid-Q3 2023, external identifications markings will be placed on the covers to help distinguish U1 vs. U2.
While the external appearance of the covers will change (now resembling the current U2 design), there are no changes to any other components or installation procedures with this update. The new cover designs will still utilize the same cover O-ring/gasket, cover studs, nuts, and assembly/disassembly procedures. Pump performance will not change. Old and new covers are fully interchangeable with the respective U1 models (with the exception of 060-220 pumps supplied with U1 CIP rotors. This will only be for a brief period of time- contact us for more information if this applies to you).
While the castings are now the same, final machining on the U1 & U2 cover are different, so they will have different part numbers and are not interchangeable between series.
This new cover design will be integrated into new pump builds as stock of the old design is depleted.
Two Piece Jacketed Cover for Universal 1 & Universal 2 PD Pumps
The next exciting update (I’m not exaggerating) we have for Universal 1 and Universal 2 pump covers is the introduction of a two piece jacketed design for both U1 and U2.
First introduced on the Universal 3 series, we are excited to see the two-piece design being introduced for the U1 and U2.
This modular design makes the Universal series of pumps even more “universal”, allowing for the jacket to simply be bolted on to the existing cover where required. A U2 45 jacket will now also fit a U1 134. How’s that for Universal?
While we at Triplex have not historically stocked jacked pumps, because of this update, we’ll now be stocking jacket modules for pump sizes 006 through 130, which means we quickly ship you a jacketed Universal 1 or Universal 2 model 30 same day!
If you have any questions about the updates or changes to the Universal 1 and Universal 2 PD pump covers, please contact a Triplex Sales Engineer today!
