Thursday 26 November 2015

What A Positive Displacement Sanitary Pump Is

By Marci Nielsen


Some of us will be thinking of going into the food manufacturing business and in view of this will need to be familiar with some of the industry terms and equipment used. In all likelihood, you may have come across the term positive displacement sanitary pump. This article will introduce you to what this piece of equipment is all about and why it is essential or used in some food manufacturing processes.

In essence, a pump is a mechanical device that moves solutions and food products, including slurries for processing along an assembly line. It does this in a framework of set health standards. These standards are either set by outside government agencies or internally by the company itself. Agencies in the United States that set standards are the US Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration.

There are basically two types of pumps used in the food processing and manufacturing industry, being the centrifugal type and the positive displacement type. The former uses centrifugal force to push liquids and such while the latter makes use of rotating lobes in fixed chambers, which when active creates suction for the liquid to flow through. Both though different, are alike in the way that they are manufactured to eliminate the growth of bacteria in the process.

PD pumps, the acronym for positive displacement types of mechanisms, produce much higher flow pressures than centrifuge mechanisms, although the latter gives much higher flow volume. Thus the PD pump is much sought after for specialist applications which involve thick liquids or liquids with fragile solids.

PD pumps rely on rotating part to directly push liquids in an enclosed chamber until enough pressure has built up. When this is achieved then it is pushed on to a discharge system. This is much slower in velocity than a centrifuge mechanism and so much more desirable when dealing with liquids with some form of inert solid matter that is fragile in nature.

The industry currently has two general types of PD pumps being the rotary type and the reciprocating type. The former uses only moving parts and rotating parts to push liquid through, and this is good for liquids with solid in it. The latter makes use also of moving parts plus valves to create and check vacuum pressure. This is useful for applications that require the elimination of reverse flow in the production line.

The main advantage of using a PD type over a centrifuge type is that it can provide a constant flow, even if the liquid is thick. Thus this is useful in breweries and dairy production facilities. Firms involved in the manufacturing of oils in the food market also benefit from the use of PD pumps. Other firms which produce molasses have also started to use these equipment in their overall production and processing lines.

In sum it is hoped that this article has illumined a better understanding of what a PD pump is to the reader, and has lifted the shroud of mystery surrounding it somewhat. It is not an exhaustive piece as it would want to be, but hopefully this article has done its job of simplifying what may seem to be a very technical subject or topic.




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