A Guide to Choosing the Right Pump for Hygienic Applications

Pumps used in high-purity applications such as pharmaceutical processing and biotechnology typically require a level of design that is higher than in most other processing industries. The pumps not only need to transfer product efficiently, but they must also meet strict design and cleanability requirements mandated by the many organizations that establish standards for ultra clean processing.

Sizing and selecting a pump for any application can be a tough task, but in the world of ultra-clean processing, the stakes are higher, and the requirements are more demanding so the challenge can be a bit overwhelming. Your first priority should be to partner with a qualified pump expert that has the experience and the tools to do it right the first time. Choose a pump partner with many years of experience designing and building process systems and who also understands pump design, performance, and applications. Their expertise will help you select the pump you need to get the results you want.

This guide is intended for engineers, maintenance and production managers, or anyone concerned with proper pump selection for pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other ultra-clean applications. We look at the important considerations for choosing the right pump for your high-purity application.

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Pump Types

The first big question in pump selection is: ‘What type of pump do you need?’ To answer that, it helps to understand a little about pump design and consider the various pump styles that are available to fit your application.

In general, there are two main categories of pumps – kinetic and positive displacement.

Each of these categories is distinguished by the mechanics of how they transfer fluids. Pumps in both categories have advantages and disadvantages depending on your high-purity requirements, and there are pumps available in both categories with the necessary hygienic features suitable for high-purity processing.