Sanitary Pump

What is a Sanitary Pump?A Sanitary pump is a type of pump which is easily cleanable and has smooth internal surfaces to prevent bacterial growth and therefore prevents contamination of the product.

The most used material in Industry is Stainless Steel 316L. Where Sanitary pumps are required to handle Corrosive liquids, some manufacturers are able to offer “noble” exotic materials.

What are the main types of Sanitary Pumps?

A sanitary pump, by definition, is more to do with the features rather than the type. The most common type of Sanitary pump is a Hygienic Centrifugal Pump. There are also other types i.e Rotary Lobe Pump, Side Channel Pump, Progressive Cavity Pump and Disc Rotor Pump.

The sanitary pump versions work in the same way as Industrial pump versions. There is no difference in how they operate.

What are the uses and applications for a Sanitary Pump?

A Sanitary pump is commonly used in the Food and Beverage Industries, Biopharma/Pharma for Active Ingredients & products, traditionally purified water and/or WFI (Water for Injection).

What is the difference between Sanitary Pumps and CIP Pumps?

There is no difference – users will frequently use a dual-purpose role for Sanitary Pumps & CIP (Clean In Place) Pumps.

CIP (Clean In Place) is essential in the industries mentioned above because it thoroughly cleans the process equipment and kills any bacteria which remains. This is usually achieved by circulating sodium hydroxide (caustic) at an elevated temperature. This level of cleanliness will also depend on the duration of the CIP cycle.

What are high pressure Sanitary Pumps typically used for?

High pressure sanitary pumps are typically used for pumping higher viscosity fluids.

With higher viscosity fluids, the pressure drop in the system due to friction is generally much higher (depending on the pipe size) and this requires a pump capable of achieving a higher pressure, usually a positive displacement pump type. Positive displacement pumps are easier to clean than multistage centrifugal pumps as they are less complex in design and open in their construction.

Which type of Sanitary Pump is most used in high-purity applications?

In our experience of supply and visiting customer installations – the single stage end suction Centrifugal would be the most common type.

What are the industry standards for Sanitary Pumps?

The most commonly found standards to be used in industry are;

  • 3-A sanitary standard (American standard recognised by the Administrative Symbol Council represents the USDA and the FDA), also known as 3-A SSI and was developed in the 1920’s

to “protect food meant for human consumption from contamination and to guarantee that all product contact surfaces can be mechanically cleaned and dismantled manually for thorough inspections”.

  • EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group) is the European standard which governs the cleanability of the equipment.

The EHEDG guarantees the design is in accordance with the EHEDG guidelines. The sanitary pump has been tested for cleanability which means that bacteria cannot grow in the pump after it has been drained.

Which Sanitary pump manufacturers does Flexachem collaborate with?

Flexachem collaborate with world leading Manufacturers of Sanitary Pumps and supply the following brands and types;

Inoxpa – Hygienic Centrifugal Pump (including self-priming) and Rotary lobe

Netzsch – Progressive Cavity Pump

We also have an extensive inventory of Sanitary Pump and Spare Parts in stock so let us know what you are looking for, and in the off chance that we do not have it in stock, we will source it for you!

We provide localised technical support & on-site service engineering to support your operational needs.

Want to discuss a particular application in more detail – why not call one of our Pump Specialist team.

Contact our Pump Specialist Team:

Phil Soltan (External) – mob: 086 185 3782

Internal Team

Adrian McSweeney – tel: 021 461 7212

Paul-Fox Morris – tel: 021 461 7231

Una Long (Pump & Service Support) – tel: 021 431 7200

Tel: 021 4617 200

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