Will a Simsite® impeller fit my existing pump?

Yes — Sims Pump Valve manufactures Simsite® as a fit-and-function replacement for any centrifugal pump impeller. MARITECH coordinates the drawing exchange and balance specification from Hamburg.

What is Simsite® made of?

A patented graphite combination-fiber composite, continuously interwoven and reinforced with phenolic/epoxy thermoset resin. The material is electrochemically inert — it does not corrode in seawater, brine or any oxidising marine fluid.

Is Simsite® approved by class societies?

Simsite® components have been installed in vessels classed by ABS, DNV, Lloyd's Register, BV and ClassNK for over four decades. Specific class approval is granted on a per-application basis.

Simsite® composite vs bronze impellers: total-cost analysis

Simsite® composite impellers cost roughly 1.5–2× a bronze equivalent up front but routinely deliver 25+ years of service without measurable corrosion — flipping the lifetime cost equation in favour of the composite for any seawater or ballast-water duty. Sims Pump Valve has manufactured Simsite® in Mantoloking, NJ since 1919; MARITECH is the German distributor.

Documented Simsite® service life (seawater duty): 25+ years
Weight reduction vs bronze (same diameter): ≈ 70 %
Typical retrofit payback period: 5–7 years

Where Simsite® wins

Seawater service, ballast water, bilge, fire-fighting, brine and any duty where a bronze impeller would suffer galvanic corrosion against a stainless or duplex casing. Simsite® is electrochemically inert, so the casing's own protective coating becomes the dominant wear surface and lasts longer too.

Where bronze still makes sense

High-temperature lube-oil service above 120°C, applications where the impeller is a designed sacrificial component, and very small pumps where machining cost dominates. For everything else, a Simsite® retrofit usually pays back inside 5–7 years.

Weight & efficiency

A Simsite® impeller weighs about 30% of a bronze equivalent of the same diameter. The lower rotating mass reduces shaft loading on start-up and, in larger frame sizes, allows a smaller bearing to be specified at next overhaul.

Retrofit process

Send the bronze impeller and the OEM drawing to MARITECH in Hamburg. Sims Pump Valve produces a fit-and-function Simsite® replacement with the same hub bore, vane profile and balance class. Retrofit lead time is typically 6–10 weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

Sims Pump Valve — Simsite® product page →

Simsite® composite vs bronze impellers: total-cost analysis

Where Simsite® wins

Where bronze still makes sense

Weight & efficiency

Retrofit process

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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