Peristaltic pumps are one of the fastest growing types of positive displacement pumps on the market. However, many people are not yet familiar with the technical principles and advantages of this pump. Peristaltic pumps are also called tube pumps. In the past, these pumps were almost exclusively used in laboratories. But after a redesign, the flow rate and pressure of this pump have been improved. Now, a large number of peristaltic pumps have been successfully used in chemical process control and production fields

The popularity of peristaltic pumps can be attributed to their design. This design uses a motor to drive a set of rollers to rotate. Rollers run over the soft pump tube, compressing and releasing it repeatedly. This squeezing action creates a vacuum, sucking the fluid through the pump tube, thereby completing the pumping process. Because only the pump tube is the water-passing part, the maintenance and cleaning of this pump is simple and convenient.

This design brings several benefits, so that the peristaltic pump can be adapted to various complex and difficult application fields. The biggest advantages of this are:

        No pollution
        Easy operation
        Rarely maintained
        With self-priming ability
        Various pump tube materials can be used
        Gentle pumping process
        Can pump liquid, gas, multiphase mixture and viscous fluid
        High operating efficiency
        No pollution

No pollution
The design and configuration of the peristaltic pump can make the delivered fluid always flow in the pump tube. This is very important for two reasons: one is that the fluid will not contaminate the pump; the other is that the pump will not contaminate the fluid. This is particularly advantageous when transporting chemically corrosive fluids or high-purity fluids. Since the fluid will not contact gears, sealing elements, diaphragm elements, or other moving parts, it is very simple to select a chemically compatible pump for a specific solution, just choose a pump tube that is chemically compatible with the solution Just do it.

Because only the pump tube is a water-passing part, there is no need to worry about corrosion, wear and loss of other parts. Therefore, peristaltic pumps are the ideal solution when transporting abrasive fluids. The moving parts of other types of pumps are easily worn out when transporting this type of fluid, which leads to frequent replacement of the above-mentioned parts and increases the potential for component failure.

Peristaltic pumps have also been successfully used to transport solutions that tend to settle or harden. In this case, there is no need to completely disassemble each part for cleaning, just flush or replace the pump tube.

Peristaltic pumps are also widely used in some chemical processes that require high standards, maintain sterility and prevent pollution. Most types of pump tubing can easily withstand common disinfection and sterilization processes, such as high-pressure disinfection, gamma radiation disinfection, or ethylene oxide gas disinfection. Most systems accept on-site fumigation and sterilization (SIP) and on-site cleaning (CIP) processes. This guarantees the complete sterilization of the entire pump system. For ordinary pumps whose sterilization process is time-consuming and labor-intensive, peristaltic pumps have become an attractive alternative.

Easy operation
The operation of the peristaltic pump is very simple, many pumps can be used out of the box. Some models are equipped with interchangeable pump heads, which can be installed within a few minutes by turning the screws by hand. The development of engineering technology gave birth to a new design configuration, which shortened the time to replace the pump tube to a few seconds. In addition, most pumps are simple to control, and the speed can be controlled with a dial or a small keyboard, and more complicated tasks can be programmed and controlled through an intuitive and easy-to-understand menu.

Rarely maintained
Most peristaltic pumps require very little maintenance to maintain good working condition. The pump tubing must be replaced regularly to prevent leakage or flow reduction. The replacement process generally only takes a few seconds, which is an advantage when using the same pump to transport or dispense different chemical solutions. After changing the solution, only the pump tube needs to be replaced, and the pump can be restarted and run in just a few minutes, saving time and labor. Moreover, the same pump can be used for different chemical processes, which greatly saves costs.

Apart from the need to replace the pump tubing, the peristaltic pump requires very little maintenance. For pumps driven by brush motors, the brushes should also be replaced regularly. It is usually replaced every 3,000 hours or so. Many pumps are designed with a high level of protection. After the dirty liquid is transported, the pump tube can be removed for cleaning for quick and thorough cleaning.

Because only the pump tube is the water-passing part, the peristaltic pump will not release the common moving parts wear and damage of other pumps. This can avoid the cost of frequent replacement of related components, the labor required for maintenance and repair, and the costly downtime caused by component failure.

Self-irrigation ability
When starting, the peristaltic pump can generate enough suction to suck the liquid from the liquid source into the pump tube, which can avoid the pre-priming and suction tube filling process. This also eliminates the need for flooding and filling, so it is no longer necessary to place the pump below the liquid level of the liquid source, making the installation position of the pump more flexible, and also making it possible to move the pump at will. In addition, the water filled in the peristaltic pump will not be lost, so unnecessary downtime can be avoided.

Pump tube material
Since the pump tube is the only part that is in contact with the pumped fluid, when determining the material compatibility, you only need to simply find the correct pump tube material. The available pump tubing materials are very wide, including silicone tubing, thermoplastic tubing, Viton fluoroelastomer tubing, and even more rigid PTFE tubing, which means that you can always find a pump that can meet the most complex and difficult fluid pumping needs. The material of the pump tube comes.

Many types of pump tubing can also meet the requirements of USP, FDA, USDA and/or NSF energy authorities. This makes the peristaltic pump suitable for pumping a variety of fluids, from sensitive cell culture fluids to industrial solvents, and it also allows the same pump to be used in a variety of occasions-only the pump tube needs to be replaced.

Gentle pumping process
The design configuration of the peristaltic pump produces a gentle squeezing action, pumping fluid out comfortably. The fluid does not have any mechanical grinding or shearing action with gears, valves or other parts, leaving the solid components in the fluid, such as cell walls and particles, intact. Therefore, the peristaltic pump is particularly suitable for transporting sensitive fluids, slurries or suspended solids. In addition, the moving parts and the fluid are separated from each other, which can avoid the abrasion caused by the fluid.

Can pump multiple fluids
In addition to having sufficient self-priming pump capacity, the vacuum formed in the peristaltic pump is sufficient to pump most viscous fluids. Many viscous fluids that are difficult to pump by other types of pumps are not a problem for peristaltic pumps. Most manufacturers have established various specifications for their peristaltic pumps, including pumping viscous fluids.

Some pumps can only deliver liquids because these liquids are used to dissipate heat and lubricate the moving parts. The peristaltic pump can transport liquids, gases and multiphase mixed fluids. If there are bubbles in the fluid (for example, from the gas released in the solution), just pump them out together with the liquid part without blocking. Therefore, the peristaltic pump can run dry without damage.

Can pump multiple fluids
The operating efficiency of the peristaltic pump is very high. This advantage is especially obvious when transporting corrosive chemicals. In this case, other types of pumps require chemical corrosion-resistant treatment on multiple water-passing parts. When it is necessary to pump or transfer or dispense such chemicals, it is wise to purchase a peristaltic pump equipped with a chemically compatible pump tube instead of a pump equipped with expensive, special parts.

Just change the pump tube, the same pump can pump different solutions, therefore. The same pump can be used for multiple purposes without the need to purchase several dedicated pumps. In addition, compared with other types of pumps, it consumes less labor and maintenance costs. While expanding the application field, it reduces the total cost of use.

limitation
Although peristaltic pumps have many advantages and benefits, they also have their limitations. Because the peristaltic pump uses a flexible pump tube, the pressure it can withstand is limited. As the pressure inside the tube increases, the pump tube swells outwards and compresses the rollers, causing wear. The pump pipe will burst under high pressure, which may endanger the safety of surrounding personnel. However, technological progress has given birth to a new generation of flexible pump tubes that can withstand the bulging trend caused by high pressure.

Peristaltic pumps have also been constrained by their low flow rates in the past: they can only deliver a few liters of fluid per minute. However, with the successful development of new models, large-diameter pump tubing or reinforced pump tubing was used, and the flow rate of the peristaltic pump increased significantly. Some industrial hose pumps have a maximum flow rate of 108 gallons per minute, which can meet the needs of large flow pumps. Therefore, the peristaltic pump has become a viable replacement product for companies with pollution-free, low-maintenance pumping needs.

Some applications do not want inherent pulsation during peristaltic pumping. This pulsation can be reduced by increasing the number of rollers. Adding a pulse damper can also help reduce this pulsation.

in conclusion
Compared with the past, peristaltic pumps have been widely recognized in more and more applications and industries. Its application has gradually evolved from being only seen in laboratories in the past to becoming a key and reliable component of many industrial processes. The wide application and ease of use of peristaltic pumps enable it to meet various complex and difficult fluid transportation needs. As the demand for pumps continues to grow worldwide, the application prospects of peristaltic pumps will be unlimited