Many aspects of food processing require sanitary designs to prevent contamination. When handling slurries and viscous fluids, ease of pump cleaning becomes a major factor in decision-making. That’s why positive displacement pumps are so widely used for sanitary applications.
Here’s what you should know about selecting the right pump for sanitary operation in your processes.
What Sanitary Design Means for Food-Processing Pump Designs
In food processing, sanitary design means that equipment is built to meet real-world cleaning and sanitization requirements.
Many plants face stringent regulations to keep food-contact surfaces up to certain standards. Preventing contamination through sanitary operations requires avoiding buildup over time and stopping material from getting caught in hidden pockets.
The specific regulatory requirements can vary by country, state, and industry. However, the general operational expectation is the same: Sanitary design must allow for effective cleaning, verification, and maintenance.
All equipment needs to have both the geometry and material selection to make it easy to clean. Drainage is a primary factor here, being essential for proper sanitary design.
Sanitary design also means that cleaning is verifiable. Equipment should have specific locations that can easily be inspected, along with additional requirements for routine teardown. Positive displacement pumps require a variety of specifications to meet these requirements and satisfy sanitary service.
How Positive Displacement Pumps Work to Improve Hygienic Operations
Positive displacement pumps are often a great choice for hygienic operations. The product path is clearly defined, with an enclosed pump chamber instead of an open area. The controlled pumping action allows for hygienic zoning, preventing any uncontrolled splatter at connections. The fluid pumped stays neatly contained during operation, even with low-viscosity fluids.
PD designs are among the more easily cleaned types of pumps. Smooth pump casing geometry serves to avoid buildup, along with supporting constant flow at a set pump speed. Using clamp-style connections and seal arrangements further improves inspection. Easy access to wetted areas shortens verification time and avoids hidden residue from pumped fluid.
During operation, areas like clearances, valve seats, and seal interfaces become magnets for buildup. Reciprocating positive displacement pumps can be designed to allow for repeatable cleaning. The right approach can simplify maintenance while satisfying your processing demands, including for shear-sensitive fluids.
Sanitary Design Features to Avoid Contamination in Fluid Transferred With PD Pumps
Positive displacement pumps can vary widely in their individual design parameters, so it’s important to choose carefully for sanitary processes.
Minimizing crevices, steps, and dead spaces will help eliminate stagnant fluid. A drainable pump casing is also vital for limiting retention. The pump chamber should empty fully during shutdown to promote ease of cleaning.
Seals are another core detail to get right. Plan ahead to ensure that you can access hygienic seals without tearing half the line apart.
Additionally, verify that seal materials will remain stable under your clean-in-place (CIP) chemistry. Carefully scheduling replacement intervals for high-wear parts can further improve the hygiene of your operations.
Certain types of positive displacement pumps have unique considerations. Rotary pumps and gear pumps, for instance, have tight clearances that can trap residue if the design doesn’t allow for access. Similarly, screw pump designs require proper drainability and clean-out access when handling high-viscosity fluids.
Diaphragm pumps must feature cleanable inlet and outlet valve geometry to reduce the risk of product contamination. Reciprocating and piston pumps may introduce pulsation that can lead to splashing downstream, so pulsation dampeners may be necessary.
Cleaning, Inspection, and Compliance Practices for Reciprocating Positive Displacement Pumps
The cleaning of positive displacement pumps must be planned and executed carefully to ensure sanitary operations.
Various designs may require cleaning by full clean-in-place, partial disassembly, or scheduled teardown. Building a verification routine is also essential for any hygienic operation. Swabbing repeatable locations and tracking results will enable your team to identify any drift before it leads to real problems.
Facilities regulated by the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) must align their pump cleaning with the required sanitation standard operating procedure (SOP) discipline.
All procedures must document frequency, responsible roles, and verification methods. Make sure your operations match the SOP exactly to keep your positive displacement pumps clean and avoid contamination.
Maintenance also plays into sanitation control. Wear on seals, timing components, gears, and other parts can impact hygienic performance, especially internal gear pumps.
For PD and vane pumps in particular, ensuring pressure safety is integral for sanitary operation. Proper pressure mitigation prevents hazardous discharges that can result in widespread contamination during both changing pressure flow and constant pressure holds.
Choose the Right Pump for Your Sanitary Applications
Sanitary applications demand designs that enable easy cleaning, inspection, and compliance. When properly designed and operated, positive displacement pumps can meet these needs.
The FPEC team is here to help you navigate the process requirements for hygienic operations. Contact us today, and our experts will guide you toward the right positive displacement pumps for your unique operations.