Pumps Hit Their Prime

“An engineer will say, ‘You can’t beat the piston for reliability,’ “ says Lambert. “Yes, but things are changing.”

Waukesha Cherry-Burrell has been promoting its Johnson Pump Topwing of late, a new addition to its product mix in the U.S. It’s an external circumferential piston (ECP) pump with a strong documentation package, says Scott Dillner, director of marketing for WCB parent SPX Flow Technology (Delavan, Wis.).

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WCB also offers the Universal II positive displacement pump for biopharma applications: 316 stainless steel rotors and contact surfaces, with 316L stainless or electropolish of contact surfaces optional.

The S200 series centrifugal pumps for biopharma are made to ASME BPE specs, with all product contact components machined from wrought <5% ferrite level 316L SS. Horizontal, vertical and 45° angle discharge port orientations are available. Stainless steel motors are optional as well.

SciLog designs pump skids for a variety of applications, each with its own software, user definable alarms and input-ouput capabilities. The skids can be tailored to filtration, ultrafiltration, chromatography, purification, dispensing and filling, metering, reactor feed and more.

The SciPro Smart Bioprocessing System is a customizable skid for any of the above purposes. Users may choose their own pump head, whether peristaltic (Watson Marlow, Tandem, Cole-Parmer), rotary lobe (ITT Jabsco), or magnetic gear (Micropump). Flow meters, level sensors and the ability to control up to 12 pneumatic valves are included. SciLog also makes lab-scale Smart Pumps with similar offerings.

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Fristam’s (Hamburg, Germany) new stainless steel models include the FKL 205 PD, meant to reduce deflection and wear for long life and low maintenance. The FZX 2350 self-priming pump is for CIP and other entrained air applications.

The Grundfos (Bjerringbro, Denmark) CRN MAGdrive pumps eliminate the need for shaft seals by way of, as the name implies, a magnetic-drive system where the power from the motor is transmitted to the pump by magnetic force. The liquid end is hermetically sealed liquid end, making the pump leak-free — and a good solution for aggressive or volatile media. The CRN’s hygienic aspects include very low surface roughness, electro-polished parts and Tri-Clamp connections.

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Goulds Pumps, a subsidiary of ITT Corp. (Seneca Falls, N.Y.), has developed a new ANSI magnetic drive process pump to handle difficult pharma fluids. The Model 3296 EZMAG is specifically designed to reduce the risk of leaking toxic or ultra-pure liquids. Applications include product transfer, circulation and tank car loading.

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The 3296 EZMAG features silicon carbide bearings for dry run protection. The bearings are housed in a bearing cartridge which protects the pump and product in the event of a bearing failure. The EZMAG can handle flows up to 750 GPM (170m³/hr) and operating temperatures from –40 °F to 535 °F.

Alfa Laval (Lund, Sweden) offers a range of pumps for gentle, precision pumping in hygienic applications. This includes centrifugal and positive displacement pumps, as well as liquid ring pumps for liquids containing air or gas.

Swagelok (Solon, Ohio), known for its valves and tubing, also offers sanitary centrifugal and positive displacement pumps pumps for pharma applications. The centrifugal pumps are applicable for a broad range of applications. Wetted parts, such as back plates and impellers, are electropolished 316L grade stainless steel, offer CIP without disassembly and are also 3-A sanitary compliant.

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Centrifugal models offer discharge rates up to 750 gal/min (2835 L/min) and head pressures up to 315 feet (94 m), 136 psig (9.5 bar). Swagelok pumps feature internal mounted, single mechanical carbon/carbide silicone seals. Process fluids cool and lubricate the seal, thereby reducing wear.