Design Improvements

LCI has taken the basic Turba-Film design and modified it into an efficient, dependable machine.

Since acquiring the Turba-Film® product line in 1993, LCI has engineered significant changes to dramatically improve serviceability, reliability, and quality. Basic design improvements include:

Alignment

Taper pins have been eliminated as a means to insure alignment. Because of LCI's ability to hold closer machining tolerances than previous manufacturers, all major components have precision machined features which provide repeat alignment, positive fit, significantly easier maintenance and faster turn-arounds. Jackscrew holes are provided on all machined fits to facilitate easy disassembly.

Internal Bearing

The LCI Turba-Film thin-film evaporator is now available with an internal journal bearing configuration (pin and bushing), eliminating the need for a second mechanical seal. Turba-Film units with the internal bearing design have a conical discharge arrangement better suited for higher viscosity processes. LCI's journal bearing design provides a bushing cartridge for easy replacement.

The Rotor

Many of our customers have realized quick return on their investment by upgrading existing equipment with a new LCI Turba-Film rotor.

Customers with older Turba-Films run higher rates after installing new rotors. Over time, clearances change due to erosion, corrosion, and wear. Rotor-to-wall clearance has the largest impact on overall efficiency of the machine. If clearances are too tight, the machine will be overly sensitive to temperature changes and rotor damage could occur. Too large a clearance negatively affects efficiency. LCI has optimized rotor clearances, which vary by evaporator size, to provide a healthy balance between efficiency and reliability.

New LCI Turba-Film rotors are constructed entirely from stainless steel as a standard, eliminating the stress problems due to different coefficients of thermal expansion. Our improved blade design provides a lighter yet stronger rotor better suited for all applications and especially helpful to food and other sanitary industries. Rotors are also available in all other weldable materials such as alloy C-276, C-22, 254 SMO, alloy 625, Titanium, Niobium, etc.

LCI Turba-Film rotors are now manufactured with removable shafting on both the top and bottom (instead of bottom only), vastly improving serviceability and reducing downtime and repair expenses.

Additional new rotor features include a tapped port into the rotor core to allow testing, bolt-on balance weights, lifting lugs, and low-profile balance weights for sanitary and viscous applications. All our rotors are two-plane balanced to ISO 1940 G2.5 tolerances and come with appropriate documentation.