An Overview of Peristaltic Metering Pumps

 

 

A peristaltic metering pump is a type of positive displacement pump that utilizes a rotating mechanism to create a squeezing action on a flexible tube or hose. This squeezing action, also known as peristalsis, creates a continuous suction at the inlet and pushes the fluid at the outlet of the pump. By design, the hose/tube is the only part in contact with the fluid preventing the fluid from coming into contact with any moving parts. It’s ideal for handling delicate or shear-sensitive fluids and to reduce the total cost of ownership. Its ability to deliver precise and accurate flow rates has made it a popular choice in applications where dosage accuracy is critical.

How Does a Peristaltic Metering Pump Work?

The operation of a peristaltic metering pump is ingeniously simple yet highly effective. Let's break it down step by step:

  1. Squeezing Action: The pump's rotor compresses the flexible tube/hose against a stationary housing, creating a squeezing action on the fluid-filled tube/hose.
  2. Formation of Seal: As the rotor continues to rotate, the squeezed portion of the tube moves away, creating a seal between the suction and discharge sides of the pump.
  3. Fluid Discharge: The sealed portion of the tube progresses towards the pump's outlet, pushing the fluid forward in a precise and controlled manner.
  4. Tube Recovery: After the fluid is discharged, the tube returns to its original shape, ready to be squeezed again for the next cycle.

The peristaltic metering pump's operation relies on the principle of positive displacement, ensuring accurate and repeatable fluid transfer.

Benefits and Applications of Albin Peristaltic Metering Pumps

  1. Abrasive resistance and excellent solid handling capabilities

    Due to zero slip, hoses pumps are 100% volumetrically efficient. And more importantly, no slip means no wear due to abrasion. This is true while the hose is perfectly occluded.

    The hose of high-pressure peristaltic pumps is made of rubber and offers a perfect combination of mechanical strength and flexibility. This is crucial when considering the hose compression and enables these hoses to handle abrasive fluids such as slurries from mining/quarrying processing. Peristaltic pumps can also handle solids with a maximum size of 25% of the hose internal diameter.

    This combination of zero slip and a high quality hose is the key success factor of Albin Pumps in the mining and quarrying industries - Mining Pumps and Quarry Pumps | Albin Pump

  2. Precise and Accurate Metering

    Albin peristaltic metering pumps excel in delivering precise and accurate flow rates. The pump's design allows for fine adjustments, enabling users to achieve highly controlled dosing. This accuracy is crucial in industries such as water and wastewater treatment.

    Albin Pumps are able to maintain dosing accuracy of +/- 1% even for abrasive fluids. A good example is the number of significant successes that Albin Pump has recorded in the niche application of dosing lime milk. Sewage, Water & Waste Water Transfer Pumps | Albin Pump

  3. Gentle Handling of Shear-Sensitive Fluids

    Many fluids used in industries like biotechnology, cosmetics, and food processing are sensitive to shear forces. Albin pump's gentle squeezing action minimizes shear and agitation, preserving the integrity and quality of the fluid being transferred. This makes it an ideal choice for delicate substances such as emulsions and shear-sensitive chemicals.

  4. Self-Priming and Dry Running Capability

    Albin peristaltic metering pumps possess excellent self-priming capabilities up to 95% of vacuum, eliminating the need for manual priming and reducing downtime. The pump's design allows it to evacuate air from the system, ensuring efficient operation even when dealing with outgassing fluids.

    Peristaltic pumps can run dry without damage thanks to their sealless design (only the hose in contact with the fluid and no mechanical seal, packing, stuffing box).

  5. Easy Maintenance and Cleanability

    Maintaining hygiene and preventing cross-contamination are crucial in industries like food and beverage and pharmaceuticals. Albin peristaltic metering pumps offer easy maintenance and cleanability advantages due to their tubing-based design. The tube can be quickly and easily replaced, preventing fluid contact with the pump's internals and minimizing the risk of contamination. Maintenance can be done in place reducing downtimes.

  6. Wide Range of Chemical Compatibility

    Albin peristaltic metering pumps are highly compatible with a broad range of chemicals, making them suitable for diverse applications. From aggressive acids and bases to viscous fluids and abrasive slurries, these pumps can handle a wide spectrum of fluids, providing reliability and versatility in demanding environments.

    Albin Pump provides replacement hoses available in 7 different rubber compounds and in 16 sizes to ensure compatibility with a wide range of applications and most available hose pumps on the market. Color coding on each hose makes it easy to identify the material of construction.

    Our peristaltic pump hoses are interchangeable with most major competitive pumps. Once retrofitted with an Albin Pump hose, competitive pumps reduce their total cost of ownership (TCO) thanks to an extended runtime between hose failures.

    Learn more about our hoses here

  7. Versatile Applications

    The adaptability of Albin peristaltic metering pumps enables their use in a multitude of industries and applications, including:

    • Water treatment and wastewater management
    • Mining and mineral processing
    • Chemical processing and dosing
    • Pharmaceuticals and biotechnology
    • Food and beverage production
    • Laboratory and research
    • Oil and gas
    • Agriculture and irrigation

The above list represents just a fraction of the vast range of applications where peristaltic metering pumps have proven their worth.

Conclusion

Peristaltic metering pumps have undoubtedly transformed the landscape of fluid transfer. Their precise metering, gentle handling of abrasive and shear-sensitive fluids, wide chemical compatibility, and versatile applications have made them an invaluable asset across various industries. With their continuous advancements and ability to meet the demands of modern fluid transfer processes, Albin peristaltic metering pumps remain a reliable and trusted choice for accurate and efficient fluid transfer.

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