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How to pump large particles of food
Without crushing or damaging the foodstuff!
Large-particle pumps are key pieces of equipment in the food processing industry where they are used to transfer a wide range of foods. Typical examples are jams, marmalades and preserves that contain pieces of fruit or even whole fruits like cherries; tomato pastes and purees that contain tomato cubes; and meat and poultry products that contain large morsels of meat. In all these applications, the foodstuff has to be pumped from A to B but without crushing or damaging the solid pieces of food.
What kind of pump to look for?
The best kind of pump to use is a double-diaphragm pump. These can run dry, they self-prime, and they offer a seal-less design. But you need to get the right one. When considering what kind of double diaphragm pump to use for these kinds of sanitary applications, it’s good to have a “shopping list”. There are two key features you need to look out for:
- Flapper check: Choose a pump with a flapper check instead of balls. A flapper check is much gentler on the foodstuff than balls, and allows very large particles to pass through.
- Clearance: The clearance is the space between the diaphragm and the metal cover through which a foodstuff can pass without it being crushed or damaged. Choose a clearance that is comparable to the size of foodstuff you are pumping. So if you are pumping strawberries, the clearance needs to be 4-5 cm. If you are pumping chicken breasts or wings, then it needs to be 9-10 cm.
Electric-operated or air-operated?
Once you’ve chosen a pump that has all the above characteristics, you need to decide whether to select a double-diaphragm pump that is air-operated (AODD) or electric-operated (EODD). From a purely functional viewpoint, both can pump fluids containing large particles perfectly. However, EODD pumps offer a number of significant advantages over their air-driven cousins.
The absence of hydraulic fluids in an EODD pump is a major advantage. If the diaphragm breaks, the food cannot be contaminated by the hydraulic fluid.
An EODD pump reduces energy consumption by up to five times compared to an AODD pump. This translates into significant savings on energy costs. And of course with an AODD pump you need an air compressor, so moving to electric negates air consumption and costs.
An EODD pump does not have an air exhaust. This immediately removes a source of dirty air and potential contamination.
An EODD pump is much quieter. In a food processing plant running a large number of pumps, this can mean a significant reduction in noise levels and a much more pleasant working environment.
Some EODD pumps, such as Graco’s SaniForce pumps, stall under pressure. So they behave as air-operated pumps but with all the benefits of electric.
How to select and configure your pump
Whether you wish to select an AODD or EODD sanitary pump for large-particle applications, Graco can help you make the right choice. We offer two online configurator tools for this purpose. These are the Sanitary air-operated pump selector tool or the Sanitary electric-operated diaphragm pump selector tool.
Both work in the same way. You simply go through the steps provided. These cover the certification required, fluid section material, pump inlet/outlet size, center section material, pump speed, compressor, motor, porting, seats, balls, diaphragms, and manifold O-rings. Some of these selections will not be relevant for your specific application.
After completing the configuration, you will see a photograph of your selected pump with a part number. Clicking on More Info takes you to a website page that explains the key features and benefits of that type of pump. Clicking on Technical Specs takes you to the data sheet of that product with full technical specifications, including performance charts. You will also see a list of the recommended Repair Kits for that particular product.
If you click on the Download PDF button you will get a full description of all the selections you have made when configuring this particular pump. It includes part numbers of the pump and repair kits, as well as optional accessories and their part numbers. It also includes performance charts for that specific pump, and instructions how to read them.
Need help configuring your pump?
If you have questions regarding the selection and configuration of a large-particle double diaphragm pump, or would like to see a demonstration of one of these pumps, please fill in the contact form below.
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