Fluid flow is an essential process in pharma manufacturing, where its controlled flow (direction and speed) is required according to the equipment and process requirement. The fluid flow is controlled through a driver, such as pumps and compressors. These drivers take various fluids as input and generate the required fluid characteristics.
The main driver for the fluid in pharmaceutical industries is a pump, which generates the required pressure and flow characteristics. However, the pump must also adhere to strict pharma requirements such as sanitization, contamination control, and others to prevent the fluid in action from changing its properties and losing its purity level. In a conventional, it becomes difficult due to various mechanical parts such as gears and screws.
A peristaltic pump is one of many drivers used to pump critical liquids from one point to another. It helps to maintain a high level of purity through its unique design while providing all the functionalities of a conventional pump.
What is a Peristaltic Pump?
A peristaltic pump is a mechanical device to transfer pharma liquid from one point to another, by forced pressure of rollers or brushes against a tube. The liquid is contained in the tube without contacting the pump's part. As the roller or bushes rotate and press against the tube, liquid moves forward by the action of push and suck; due to stress imposed by these rollers or brushes.
The main advantage of this pump is that liquid does not come in direct contact with the product. Instead, the product only comes in direct contact with the tube.
In the pharmaceutical industry, they are used in processes where a high degree of purity is required. It is also easy to clean, and the pump's internal parts remain free from product traces.
Principle of operation of peristaltic pump
Let's discuss the principle of operation of a peristaltic pump
The peristaltic pump works on the principle of peristalsis, which refers to muscle contraction of the human body's digestive tract, resulting in food movement. This resembles a peristaltic pump, where a pharma liquid tube is subjected to deformation and compression through rotating rollers.
Let's discuss the general principle of operation of a peristaltic pump.
1. Peristaltic pump consists of a roller attached to a motor, which rotates the roller in a fixed circular path
2. A product-compatible tube is passed through rollers in a way that the roller presses the tube
3. One end of the tube is placed in a container or vessel, containing liquid to be pumped
4. As the pump starts, the roller starts rotation and presses against the tube
5. Roller exerts force on the tube, causing it to compress and decompress. This phenomenon creates a vacuum in the tube
6. The liquid is sucked in through the effect of a vacuum each time compression and decompression occurs and moves forward throughout the entire length of the tube
7. The liquid moves forward every time the rollers rotate a complete cycle. This continues until the liquid reaches the end of the tube.
8. The pressure and speed of a liquid is directly proportional to the speed of rollers. The liquid speed and pressure can be increased or decreased by increasing or decreasing the speed of rollers.
9. Peristaltic pump can be manually operated or through automatic mechanism. In the manual method, pump speed, rotation, and other parameters are manually adjusted, typically through a control panel on the pump, which requires constant human presence.
In automatic mode, the pump takes input from a centralized controller or Programmable Logic Controller – PLC and controls parameters such as speed and rotation through signals from the controller without human involvement.
Applications of Peristaltic Pump
As discussed previously, peristaltic pumps, pump liquid from one point to another with high purity and preciseness. In the pharmaceutical industry, it is used where fluid need...
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