Gear pumps are a mainstay in sectors with CIP applications. They are under the positive displacement rotating pump classification and are frequently used in moving fluid using built-in gears. This type of pump is equipped with two or more gears that rotate and mesh with each other to create a vacuum force that’s needed to move the liquid within the pump and out to the discharge line.
Gear pumps are a popular choice in handling fluids with high thickness. Many industries are using gear pumps for continuous duty applications because of their additional advantages such as long interval between maintenance, corrosion and abrasion-resistance, and ease of use. They are the best equipment to use in filling and dispensing operations requiring a pulseless flow and general transfer and sample delivery.
Gear pumps work by trapping fluid between the teeth of two or three rotating gears. Often, they are magnetically driven, which means they use less “wetted” materials for greater chemical compatibility. Gear pumps move a cavity that rotates rather than reciprocates. These pumps move many small cavities per revolution, so they do not pulse nearly as often as diaphragm pumps. They work best when pumping against stable backpressure. Since gear pumps operate by carrying fluid between the teeth of two or three rotating gears, they are best suited for applications in which fluid shearing or particle contamination from gear wear is not a concern.