Peristaltic pump 101

We strive for transparency and honesty in all of our products provided to our customers. We know how often questions can come up in this industry, and we’re ready to answer all of them. Please reach out to our team members for help.

What is a peristaltic pump?

A Peristaltic Pump is a positive displacement pump used to pump fluids within a flexible tube fitted inside a circular pump casing. They are also commonly known as roller pumps. The peristaltic pump uses a mechanism called peristalsis to transport fluids through the tubing. Typically, a rotor with two or more rollers attached to the external circumference of the rotor compresses a flexible tube alternately. As the rotor turns, the part of the tube under compression is pinched closed (occlusion), thus forcing the fluid to be pumped through the tube to the outlet. As the tube opens to its natural state after passing the cam (restitution), fresh fluid is induced into the tube from the inlet.

Why should you choose a peristaltic pump?

There is Minimum Contamination of the fluids through the peristaltic pump. Because the only part in contact with the fluid being pumped is the interior of the tube. A surface inert tubing can be selected to transport the fluids, and the tubing can be sterilized and cleaned before each use.
Due to its nature, the peristaltic pump can handle complex fluids, including slurries with high solid content and viscous, shear-sensitive, and chemically aggressive fluids.
Since a fixed amount of fluid is pumped per revolution of the rotor, the peristaltic pump can measure the amount of fluid being transferred precisely.
The peristaltic pump design prevents backflow and siphoning and requires no check valve installation.
The peristaltic pump requires Minimal Maintenance throughout its entire life span. No valves, seals, or glands are equipped with peristaltic pumps, making them comparatively inexpensive to operate.

Most critical things you need to be aware of when using a peristaltic pump.

Depending on the construction materials and the interactions with the rollers, the flexible tubing tends to degrade over time and requires periodic replacement.
Pulsation effects are an intrinsic property of the peristaltic pump. Factors such as flow rate/rotor speed and fluid properties determine the pulsation. A higher flow rate requires a high rotor speed, adding higher-frequency pulsation to the transferred fluid. Higher fluid density increases the pulsation impacts due to stronger roller interactions. Therefore, peristaltic pumps are less suitable where a smooth, consistent flow is required. An alternative type of positive displacement pump, such as a gear pump, should be considered.