How to Choose Pumps for Your Food & Beverage Processing

During food and beverage processing operations, maintaining hygienic processing conditions and preventing contamination of the products are top priorities. To accomplish these goals, facilities employ equipment, such as pumps, to achieve and maintain hygienic conditions during food and beverage processing operations.

Selecting the Proper Pump

The food and beverage processing industry employs a variety of pump types for various processing applications. Some of the pump types most often used in the industry include:

• Air-operated double diaphragm
• Centrifugal
• Peristaltic hose
• Progressing cavity
• Reciprocating positive displacement
• Rotary lobe
• Rotary piston

In light of the wide selection of pumps available, choosing the right one for a food and beverage processing application is critical and requires careful consideration of the different pump types and their properties. Among these considerations are the specific processing challenges related to the handling of each food or beverage type.

Pumps used in the food and beverage industry must provide solutions to the two main processing challenges: i) separating mechanical elements driving pump compression from the processed product and ii) maintaining the integrity of the processed product. Each pump type accommodates these challenges in different ways, leading to individual sectors preferring a specific type and design depending on the requirements of their processing operations. For example:

• Lobular pumps produce a lower flow rate and tend to require a larger initial investment.
• Progressing cavity pumps apply lower levels of shearing to the production medium, making it the better option for processing fragile or viscous fluids.
• Double diaphragm pumps also provide lower levels of fluid shearing but with greater clearance allowances.
• Centrifugal Pumps are suitable for most beverage, oil, and batter processing operations.
• Positive Displacement Pumps are the most versatile. They find application in a wide range of processing operations, including wine production and the processing of thicker products and slurries, such as pie fillings, baby food, cheese, cream, icing, dressings, meat emulsions, mayonnaise, tomato sauces and pastes, and similar substance types.

In addition to maintaining the integrity of the food product throughout processing, pumps must also comply with strict regulatory standards, including:

• FDA CFR 21.177 (safe elastomeric material use in pump construction)
• 3A (material use combined with smart design with CIP and COP, minimizing contamination)
• EHEDG (adds additional performance standards and CIP testing to 3A)

These standards are in place to help eliminate contamination throughout food and beverage processing, and compliance with them is an essential element in the design of the pumps used by the industry.

Pumps Offered by Glauber

At Glauber, we offer a broad range of pumps that comply with regulatory standards and maintain food and beverage integrity during processing. Our line of positive displacement pumps designed for sanitary applications includes:

Wilden Air Operated Double-Diaphragm (AODD) Pumps

This pump features a polished 316L stainless steel whetted path design. It meets all the necessary hygienic standards, produces superior flow rates, improves energy efficiency, and meets CIP compliance design criteria.

Mouvex Eccentric Disc Pumps

This pump features a seal-less design, as well as self-priming, line-strip, shear sensitivity, and low pulsation capabilities, allowing for full compliance with food and sanitary processing standards.

Almatec AODD Pumps

Contamination-free 316L polished stainless steel whetted path components are also present in this line of pumps. This design provides for superior containment, the integration of surge dampeners, and the inclusion of full CIP design features.

PCM Pumping Systems

Within this group of pumping systems are several different pump models, including Moineau progressing cavity pumps, Delasco peristaltic pumps, Lagoa diaphragm dosing pumps, and Dosymix inline mixers.

Verder Pump Systems

Our Verder pump systems line consists of two different pump designs. The Alfa Laval SSP rotary lobe pump is suitable for general-purpose processing applications, such as managing solids, slurries, pastes, and liquids. The Packo food pump series is designed for use in applications requiring strict hygienic standards, such as are found in the dairy, brewery, distillery, and beverage manufacturing industries.

Contact Glauber Equipment Today

Choosing the right pump for food and beverage processing is a critical element in maintaining proper hygiene and preventing contamination during the production process. The food and beverage industry relies on pump designs that comply with strict material and design regulations while maintaining the integrity of the processed products.

At Glauber Equipment Corporation, we specialize in providing the best pump solutions for food and beverage processing.

Contact Us or Request a Quote today to learn more about our pump offerings or discuss your hygienic food and beverage processing needs.

Download our latest Free ebook: Choosing the Right Pumps for Your Food & Beverage Processing and read more about this process and how we can help you every step of the way!