Four Things to Consider When Selecting a Sanitary Food Grade Pump

Contrary to popular belief, all pumps are not created equal. They vary by type, size and capability. The variety of offerings can lead to confusion and anxiety for shoppers. That begs the question:

How is one to pick the very best food grade pump for their application?

Selecting even the most basic food grade positive displacement or centrifugal pump may prove challenging. Some manufacturers only offer one type of pump, leaving effectiveness questionable. Others are not tailored enough to your application. Partnering with a company that offers diverse, yet specific types of sanitary pumps allows application engineers to properly choose the best pump for your process requirements.

Choosing the correct pump type is only part of the equation. Building the pump with the correct elastomers, seals and rotors are crucial to reliable pump life. Below our solution makers cover four things you should consider when selecting a sanitary pump, leveraging over 89 years of premium pump supply experience to the food and beverage market.

1. Cleaning Processes
   The faster and more efficiently a CIP or COP process can run, the less downtime a process line faces. This can directly affect yield/output. If your pump is CIP compatible, you don’t have to remove the pump from the process to clean it, saving considerable time. We see this often with food grade pumps. Our solution makers recommend the Waukesha Cherry-Burrell® (WCB) Universal Twin Screw (UTS) Series, or Universal 2 for CIP processes, and the WCB Universal 1 Series Pumps for COP processes given its easy assembly.
   
   
2. Metal Composition
   Depending on your process, the quality of your pump’s metal composition can prove critical, especially in food grade applications often regulated by national governments. Our patented Alloy 88 is designed to work in contact with stainless steel and many other metals without galling or seizing. This allows for close internal clearances within the pump which increases volumetric efficiency. Alloy 88 is FDA approved for contact with food and can be used in CIP systems. Our made in-house Alloy 88 metal is used in the Universal 1, Universal 2, Universal 3, and UTS series of pumps.
   
   
3. Size
   Size matters and based on your application, the more to select from the better. With a wide range of sanitary pump offerings and sizes, you are more likely to find the pump for you. The W+ Centrifugal Pumps Series includes up to 16 model sizes and styles such as inducers, aseptic and high-pressure versions and self-priming pumps. The WCB C-Series Centrifugal Pumps offers five size types and is a good economic choice. If heightened efficiency is your goal or if pharmaceuticals is your specialty, then we suggest the Universal 200 series that comes in eight sizes.
   
   
4. Seal Maintenance
   Sometimes you need to get in and out of your process line quickly. In addition to CIP benefits, front-loaded product seals simplify and reduce seal replacement time dramatically. If you have a CIP process and want to limit downtime, then we recommend the UTS or WCB Universal 3 pumps.

Be it a food grade pump, sanitary pump or a general stainless-steel pump, select the solution ideal for your process line. These fast, reliable and hygienic solutions are feeding and building our world, and producers even more so as your direct impact is felt in communities around the world. Let’s work together.

Learn more about our sanitary food grade pumps.