Problem

In northwest Arkansas, a major poultry processing facility owned by a global meat producer handles millions of pounds of chicken each week to meet growing demand. Runoff from washdowns—containing blood, fat, feathers, meat scraps, & bones—collects in large catch basins before being transported to a rendering facility.

The plant had relied on air-operated diaphragm (AODD) pumps to empty these basins, but the pumps were costly to operate, requiring a 150-horsepower compressor running nearly constantly, even during partial production days.

Additionally, the AODD pumps struggled with solids, frequently clogging when encountering bones or other dense waste.

The plant needed a more efficient, reliable pumping solution to reduce operating costs, prevent downtime, and maintain continuous operations.

Solution

The plant replaced the AODD pumps with three BJM Pumps® SK Series submersible shredder pumps, with a fourth serving as a backup. Equipped with tungsten carbide tipped impellers, the SK pumps shred nearly all solids, including bones and large offal, and can pass solids up to 3½ inches in size.

With ample torque to prevent clogging, the SK Series pumps operate up to 12 hours a day without failures and require no compressor. This upgrade eliminated costly compressed air usage, minimized maintenance, and provided a highly reliable solution for offal basin management.

Following their success, the plant standardized SK Series pumps for additional applications across the facility—resulting in zero clogs, no downtime, and significantly reduced maintenance costs.