Pumps are an essential piece of equipment for any lab and are extremely essential in many of the demanding applications. These include such as conveying, metering, mixing, heating, cooling and many more.
Below we discuss things to consider when choosing your pharmaceutical pumps, as well as additional items which will make the process easier, including trolleys to help you move your pumps around the lab, and pulsation dampeners to help you keep the quality of product.
Type of Product
Pumps can be made from numerous different materials, all of which can handle different types of fluid.
If you're pumping abrasive, corrosive or viscous fluids, or even heat sensitive products, it's important that your pump's components can handle them.
Flow Rate
The amount of fluid a pump can expel is measured in either Litres Per Minute (LPM), Gallons Per Minute (GPM) or Cubic Metres Per Minute (m3/hr).
This allows you to gauge how quickly a pump can transfer liquid from A to B.
Precision
When exact doses are needed for batches, precision is paramount.
It’s important to take into consideration how accurate your pump needs to be and invest in metering or dosing pumps for these types of applications.
Shearing & Pulsation
A nice, smooth flow is essential for high quality product.
Try to ensure your pump is not shearing your product and invest in a pulsation dampener, when possible, this will allow you to prevent as much air as possible from getting into your product.
Hygienic Equipment
Hygienic pumps and parts are essential for the pharmaceutical industry.
Sanitary pumps are usually made from high grade Stainless Steel to ensure that there are no areas of the pump body where the product can sit and develop bacteria. When using peristaltic pumps, ensure the hose is sanitary grade.
Flexible Impeller Pumps
There are many sanitary flexible impeller pumps available, in a range of sizes to suit your application.
They are self-priming and can pump liquids with suspended solids and they are efficient and gentle on the product. Most of these pumps will come as CIP (Clean In Place) as standard or easy to strip clean.
Diaphragm Pumps (Air Driven)
Air driven double diaphragms pumps are versatile positive displacement pumps that are driven by compressed air. They are self-priming, with the ability to handle a wide range of liquids, including hot, cold, thick, and solid laden.
AODD pumps are available in sanitary materials which makes them ideal for a lab, alongside being low maintenance and easy to clean. Their no seal designs and gentle handling of the product ensures that no air from outside the pump can get into your product. Air regulators and pulsation dampeners are also available to add to your AODD pump to create a smoother transfer of your product.
Diaphragm Pumps (Electric Driven)
Electrically driven double diaphragm pumps offer all the same benefits of air driven double diaphragms, although they do not require costly compressed/pneumatic air to operate them.
They are a more expensive investment initially; however, they are far more cost effective to operate and run if you are planning to use them for long periods of time.
Peristaltic Pumps
Peristaltic hose pumps are a very simple, quiet & hygienic design of pump, using the principle of peristalsis (similar to your intestine), the liquid is simply & easily pushed through a sanitary rubber hose, causing minimum disturbance & damage to the product being pumped. If you are doing single-use, then the hose can be disposed of after every batch to stop any cross-contamination.
This style of pump shall transfer your product from A to B without introducing oxygen or shaking your product. Peristaltic pumps will cause pulsation in your pipe work, but pulsation dampeners are available to combat this. When choosing a peristaltic pump for your lab, ensure that the hose used is Sanitary/Food Grade.
Lobe Pumps
Lobe pumps are ideal for pharmaceutical applications, their design ensures that they do not shake the product, and they effectively maintain the quality of the product. They are self-priming, essentially pulsation free and support both CIP and SIP.
Lobe pumps are usually made to order based on the individual application and can therefore be a quite expensive investment. If you are choosing a lobe pump for your lab, please contact us.
Metering / Dosing Pumps
Metering pumps, or dosing pumps, are positive displacement pumps, and are designed to inject (dose) a substance into a flow of water, gas, or steam, allowing the user to ensure accurate, linear and repeatable metering across all process conditions.
They are essential for any application needing very precise measurements. If you are choosing a dosing pump for your lab, please contact us.
Centrifugal Pumps
There are thousands of ranges of Centrifugal Pumps available by hundreds of different brands, some pumps are built purposely for the most stringent requirements for the pharmaceutical, diary and food & beverage industry.
A fully compliant centrifugal pump will be a highly efficient piece of equipment for gentle product treatment. Designed for CIP and simple and cost-effective cleaning cycles. For more information on our hygienic centrifugal offerings, please browse here.
It's important to think about your application from start to finish, a pump is a main part of the job but it's important to consider what else you'll need. Below you'll find some items that may be considered essential, depending on your application. If you're ever unsure on your requirements, our team is available to help you.
Hoses
Our food grade hoses are the Clear Braided Hose and the Steel Wire Braided Hose, which would be ideal for non-abrasive applications.
Air Regulators
If you are using AODD pumps, airline regulators provide controlled, consistent air pressure which in turns provides a smoother flow for your product.
Trolley
A trolley is especially useful for pumps that you use for more than one application, allowing you to easily manoeuvre the pump around your space.
Pulsation Dampeners
A pulsation dampener can be used to reduce pulsation and remove pressure variations on the discharge of your pump, ensuring a smoother flow and less disturbance to your product.
Get in touch
Our friendly team of experts are on hand to give you any advice you require for your job. If you require more information or help on choosing the right pump for your application, then fill in the contact form or call us on +44 1332 913500 to speak to a member of our team.
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