What are Peristaltic Pumps and their Applications?

Peristaltic pumps are designed to pump liquids flowing in flexible piping elements. The principle of operation is based on using the rollers to squeeze a flexible piping element containing liquid; the rollers move along the piping element, pushing fluid forward. A pneumatic pump usually includes a flexible piping element, several rollers, and surfaces against which the rollers press the pumping parts. The designs also exist where the bearing surface is not used, with the piping element squeezed on rollers due to tension.

Peristaltic pumps are volumetric. Their unique design is free of several drawbacks inherent to other pump designs:

• no metal-metal contact
• the medium has no damaging impact on the pump, and the pump does not impact the medium
• the minimum idle and service time
• easy installation, maintenance, and cleaning 
• the piping element is the only part affected by wear 
• the piping element replacement time is less than one minute 
• dry run
• precise and stable metering
• the high quality of measurements: flow rate is in proportion to the pump speed
• no damage to shift-sensitive media
• low noise level. 

Peristaltic pumps: application

• Metering peristaltic pumps can run dry indefinitely; thus, no protection against dry running is necessary. As a result, there is no need to install the dry run sensor. 
• The theoretical self-suction limit is the liquid column corresponding to the atmospheric pressure of 1 bar (10 meters). Due to some losses, the practical section height for self-suction pumps is slightly less, between 8.5 and 9 m. Because, for all three liquids, their specific gravities are much less than the particular gravity of water, it can be assumed for the specified required liquids that the minimum suction height is 10 m. The maximum suction height, 10 m, is for an empty reservoir. This suction height is always the difference between the level of the complete receiver and the corresponding level of the dry suction to be carried out by the pump. During suction, the pump moves liquid “uphill”. With this condition reached, fluid flowing towards the pump runs from the reservoir; as a result, the self-suction height is insignificant. 
• Flexible piping elements are made of Silicone and Marlene; these materials are stable when in contact with the specified pumped liquids and are intended for these liquids. To ensure this is the case, you must take the specimen of flexible piping elements and test it on-site in the specified media. 

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