Beverage Industry logo
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Beverage Industry logo
  • NEWS
    • R&D News
    • Supplier News
  • PRODUCTS
    • New Products
    • Reader's Choice Poll
  • CATEGORIES
    • Alternative Drinks
    • Beer
    • Bottled Water
    • Cannabis Beverages
    • Carbonated Soft Drinks
    • Energy Drinks & Shots
    • Juice & Juice Drinks
    • Plant-Based Beverages
    • Sports Drinks
    • Tea and Coffee
    • Wine & Spirits
  • R&D
    • Beverage R&D Features
    • Ingredient Spotlight
  • PACKAGING
    • New Packages
    • Packaging Equipment
    • Packaging Material
  • OPERATIONS
    • Distribution
    • Plant Focus
  • TOP LISTS
    • Beer Market Report
    • Executive of the Year
    • State of the Beverage Industry
    • Top 100 Beverage Companies
    • Truck Report
    • Wholesaler of the Year
  • MEDIA
    • eBook
    • Podcast
    • Polls
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • DIRECTORIES
    • Annual Manual
    • Contract Packaging Guide
    • Take a Tour
  • MORE
    • Classifieds
    • Channel Strategies
    • eNewsletters
    • Events
      • Membrane Technology Forum
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
    • Market Insights
    • Sponsor Insights
    • Store
    • White Papers
  • EMAG
    • eMagazine
    • Archived Issues
    • Advertise
  • SIGN UP!
Market Insights

Progressing cavity pumps can reduct production cost

High-pressure, high-viscosity applications benefit

By Pete Ciorrocco
Progressing Cavity Pump (PCP) for Condensed Milk Beverage Industry October 2017
Progressing cavity pumps can be well-suited for food and beverage applications that need contamination avoidance but require an additional pump for effective clean-in-place procedures. (Image courtesy of NETZSCH Pumps North America)
October 26, 2017

Although progressing cavity pumps are not the most common pumps used for conveyance in food and beverage production, certain applications, such as those requiring high pressure or conveying highly viscous media, require this pump type.

Progressing cavity pumps can be well-suited for food and beverage applications that need contamination avoidance, but require an additional pump be included in the system for effective clean-in-place (CIP) procedures. With the right system design, progressing cavity pumps can reduce cost, lower maintenance needs and achieve better results in complex conveying applications.

Where food and beverage pumping applications are concerned, progressing cavity pumps rarely are the first thought in system design. Rotary lobe and centrifugal pumps more commonly are used in these applications and often are the right choice. In many situations, however, rotary lobe and centrifugal pumps are not up to the task of conveyance in food and beverage applications, or are not the most cost-effective solution.

Progressing cavity pumps generally cost less than rotary lobe pumps and are capable of handling higher pressures and higher viscosity materials than either rotary lobe or centrifugal pumps. Cost savings of as much as 50 percent are possible with progressing cavity pumps compared with rotary lobe pumps, especially in smaller volume operations. In addition, in applications where media is under high pressure or of high viscosity, progressing cavity pumps are better suited than the alternatives.

The choice is not so clear-cut for applications requiring an extremely small footprint; in these cases, designers must balance the need for high pressure or high viscosities with available space to determine the best solution.

In the end, progressing cavity pumps are ideal for conveyance tasks in a number of food and beverage production environments, especially those with difficult-to-convey, shear-sensitive, abrasive and/or viscous components.

Specifically in food and beverage applications, progressing cavity pumps can be designed to reduce the risk of contamination. In order to do so, pumps must use materials that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, including metals, plastics and elastomers, with each elastomer compound independently tested to determine suitability. Depending on the material being conveyed, certification might be required for pump systems and processes in food and beverage applications.

Incorporating progressing cavity and other similar positive displacement pumps into food and beverage pumping applications brings up the question of sanitization and CIP processes. Although rotary lobe and centrifugal pumps allow for CIP processes directly through the existing pumping technology, progressing cavity and other positive displacement pumps require a separate pump to enable CIP processes. This does not make them unsuited to the task; it simply requires some additional concern in the initial system design.

CIP procedures are critically important in food and beverage conveying applications because proper pump and pipe cleaning is key to avoiding contamination, bacterial growth and other issues. By running a cleaning agent through the pump system, proper cleaning can be ensured and regulatory requirements can be met.

Usually with rotary lobe and centrifugal pump systems, there is no need for a separate CIP pump. The pump in use can be used as a CIP pump for cleaning by simply running the proper CIP solution in place of the usual food or beverage media. It often is easier to disassemble these types of pumps for cleaning than progressing cavity pumps. Rotary lobe and centrifugal pumps can be disassembled for cleaning without disconnecting piping; however, progressing cavity pumps must be fully disassembled, including the rotor and stator in order to perform manual cleaning tasks.

Given that the suction body of the progressing cavity pump is larger than the surrounding piping, a velocity drop of the cleaning solution within the suction body will happen if the progressing cavity pump is used for CIP procedures. As a result, the cleaning solution does not achieve the proper velocity throughout the system, hampering the success of the CIP process. By using a separate pump, proper velocity can be achieved and CIP processes are successful.

Given that a separate CIP pump is required for systems that include progressing cavity pumps, it also is important that the progressing cavity pump design has the appropriate bypass setup, as well as suction and discharge ports that allow for the addition of a separate pump. The NETZSCH NEMO Progressing Cavity Pump is an excellent example of this kind of design for sanitary applications, as the NEMO pumps have suction and discharge ports located tangential to the body of the pump in order to achieve complete drainage and proper circulation through the pump for cleaning. In addition, NEMO pumps feature open universal joints to enable the best cleaning of the universal joint and the elimination of dead zones that can lead to contamination. BI

KEYWORDS: beverage equipment beverage processing

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Pete Ciorrocco is a business field manager at NETZSCH Pumps North America (pumps.netzsch.com/us)

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla shakes

    Classic flavors provide reliable, consistent results for beverage-makers

    Classic flavors of chocolate, vanilla and strawberry...
    Ingredient Spotlight
    By: Chloe Alverson
  • Free Spirits Instant Bar Bundle

    Lifestyle trends drive growth for non-alcohol category

    As lifestyle trends continue to drive growth for the...
    Wine & Spirits
    By: Lauren Sabetta
  • Younger generation displays unique habits when it comes to beverage consumption

    Generation Z shakes things up in beverage

    Experts share that Gen Z is changing the standard on what...
    Beverage News
    By: Chloe Alverson
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Beverage Industry audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Beverage Industry or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • Fourpeople toasting with cocktails made with low-sugar ingredients, celebrating healthier drink options.
    Sponsored byCargill

    What’s Hot in Sugar Reduction: Beverages

  • chocolate milk
    Sponsored byCargill

    Sweetening the Future for Dairy and Dairy-Alternative Beverages

  • woman pouring a drink
    Sponsored byFFP

    Building a Beverage System: Meeting Consumer Demand for Precision Wellness

Popular Stories

halfday sodas

Beverage-makers turn to fiber, prebiotics and more to support consumer needs

Anheuser-Busch Brewing Futures

Anheuser-Busch announces $300 million investment in US manufacturing

PepsiCo + poppi

PepsiCo completes acquisition of poppi

Vote for your favorite new product

Have your say in what makes it to the top this month!
Vote for your favorite new product and help us celebrate excellence.


VOTE NOW!

Events

April 16, 2025

2025 State of the Industry Series: Alcoholic Beverages

On Demand In Beverage Industry’s annual State of the Industry: The Alcohol Beverage Market, analysts at S&D Insights LLC delve into these trends and how they’re shaping the industry.

June 5, 2025

Heat-Resistant Molds 101: Fundamentals and Prevention Strategies for Better Beverage Quality

Learn about the spoilage challenges and operational bottlenecks that ascospores can pose to your quality program if detection is delayed, or worse – not detected at all. Subject matter experts will cover the basics of these bugs and real-world impacts of insufficient quality methods to help you beat the heat … resistant mold.

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Retail Coffee Segment

What retail coffee segments will fare well into the next year?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

Milk and Dairy Foods Nutrition, Processing and Healthy Aging

See More Products

Related Articles

  • Business - Beverage Industry

    Overlooking time to action can cost companies money

    See More
  • John Peter Koss

    Packaging design can be felt throughout the beverage production process

    See More
  • Genesee Brewery adds 24-ounce can production line

    See More

Related Products

See More Products
  • food and bev control.jpg

    Food and Beverage Cost Control, 7th Edition

  • water.jpg

    Microbiology of Drinking Water: Production and Distribution

  • mastering brewing.jpg

    Mastering Brewing Science: Quality and Production

See More Products
×

Elevate your expertise in the beverage marketplace with unparalleled insights and connections.

Join thousands of beverage professionals today. Shouldn’t you know what they know?

JOIN NOW!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing