What is a peristaltic tube pump?

Peristaltic pumps are popular options for many purposes, but they come in different model variants and designs. In this blog, we're going to look specifically at peristaltic tube pumps, how they work, and when they are most useful.

What is a peristaltic pump?

Let's start with defining the broader peristaltic pump. They are often known as “roller pumps”. They get this name from the mechanism used to pump fluids. Unlike a common piston design, a roller pump has a revolving rotor that creates positive displacement, which then moves the fluid in and out of the system.

This rotor mechanism was first developed in 1855, and it is still ubiquitous today. It works by compressing fluids in a tube each time the rotor turns, pinching the tube tight and then moving a pocket of air through the tubing, creating suction.

What is a peristaltic tube pump?

Tube pumps work just as described above, but they usually require non-reinforced tubing. This is different when compared to other peristaltic pump designs such as hose pumps. Tube pumps use rollers to pinch the tubing and move the fluid along, with some designs requiring as many as 12 rollers to do the job.

What are the advantages of a peristaltic tube pump?

With this many rollers, there's a key advantage. As the space between each roller pinching the tube is smaller, this creates an increased pulse frequency. This results in lower amplitude pulsation. In effect, it means that the material is pumped more smoothly, as there aren't as many peaks and troughs to the fluid being pumped. This is preferable for situations where smoother flow is essential.

Other advantages associated with peristaltic pumps include:

1. Easy to sterilise because the rotor never comes into contact with the fluid
2. Can pump viscous and abrasive fluids
3. Low maintenance and cost effective with no valves or seals needing to be replaced.
   
   

What are the disadvantages of a peristaltic tube pump?

There are a few situations where you would be best looking for a different pump design. For example:

1. Tube pumps reduce the lifespan of the tubing due to a higher number of rollers.
2. They tend to produce lower pressure output than hose pumps
3. Even with many rollers, the flow is still somewhat pulsed, and so this might not be a good fit for every situation.
   
   

When to use peristaltic tube pumps?

Peristaltic tube pumps are great options for:

• pumping and dosing chemicals
• laboratory settings including testing
• beverage dispensing
• pharmaceutical production
• pulping, paper, or as a concrete pump
• waste water management
  
  

For more information on our range of peristaltic tube pumps, contact one of our experts today.