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Easy to Maintain Hygienic Pumps Supplied within 3 Weeks for Food Packaging Plant We were contacted by a mechanical contractor who was working on the expansion of a food packaging plant and urgently needed hygienic pumps. As part of the expansion several packaging lines had been added for differing liquids to be packaged and resold ranging from oil products, to jams, syrups and juices. The lines were nearing completion, however, pumps which had been ordered several months prior were still not yet delivered, and confirmation could not be given of the expected delivery date which had been postponed several times. 4 lines required pumps urgently. These lines were being used to transfer sugar syrup, vegetable oil, vinegar, and fruit juices - all liquids which needed careful consideration during handling to ensure the liquids were not only handled gently without alteration of their consistency, or inadvertent attack of the pump or internal parts, but also that the pumps used during the transfer could be easily cleaned and sanitized between batches. Considerations for Reducing Spare Part Holding or Incorrect Spare Part Installation When several similar pumps are installed on site one consideration to bear in mind is keeping materials of the pumps limited to as few possible combinations, reducing the number of spares kept on site, which also ensures that pumps cannot be easily fitted with the wrong parts which may not be compatible with the fluid being pumped. For this application and due to the limited timeframe in which pumps were required, we selected a pump of flexible impeller design. Why a Flexible Impeller Design? This design of pump transfers solids gently due to the reduced speed at which it operates and polymer internal parts which softly transfer liquids from the suction port through to the outlet. Access to internal parts is quick and easy via removal of the front cover plate, but pump cleaning can also be automated using CIP. Such designs are very versatile as they can operate at full motor speed for low viscosity liquids such as light oils, or water like sauces or at reduced speed for higher viscosity shear sensitive liquids such as creams, sauces, or glycerine with suspended solids. They are also customizable via the use of accessories such as variable speed drive for variable flow, or trollies for easy porting between processes. We fitted the four pumps with 1” RJT ports which are a hygienic design of fitting enabling easy cleaning and sanitisation of fittings. Due to their design debris does not accumulate within the threads. An impeller material was chosen which was compatible with all 4 liquids, reducing the number of spare parts required to be kept on site. The four pumps were assembled and dispatched in under 3 weeks, meeting all the requirements and specifics the customer had required.
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