4 Advice to Choose a fluoroplastic pump manufacturer

In the world of industrial production, liquid transfer is as crucial as blood flow in the body. Industrial pumps are the core driving force behind this “circulatory system.” However, industrial applications vary greatly, and each process has different requirements for pumps. This makes choosing the right pump even more critical. After all, the right equipment can not only improve efficiency but also save on maintenance costs and extend service life.

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To help you navigate through the many options, this guide will walk you through the main types of industrial pumps. We hope this guide will provide you with clear insights, helping you find the perfect “liquid handler” that best suits your needs!

Part 1. What is an Industrial Pump?

Industrial pump is a mechanical device used to move liquids—or sometimes gases—from one place to another in a controlled and efficient way. Unlike household pumps, industrial pumps are built to handle large volumes, high pressures, or harsh conditions commonly found in manufacturing, chemical processing, water treatment, oil and gas, and other heavy-duty applications.

They come in many types and sizes, but their goal is the same: to keep fluids flowing reliably through pipes, systems, and processes. Whether it’s transferring chemicals, circulating cooling water, or dosing precise amounts of liquid, industrial pumps are essential to keeping industries running smoothly.

Part 2. Two Main Types of Industrial Pumps: Dynamic and Positive Displacement

Industrial pumps can be broadly classified into two main types based on their working principles:

Dynamic Pumps: These pumps rely on kinetic energy to move liquids. A typical example is the centrifugal pump.

Positive Displacement Pumps: These pumps mechanically change the volume of a sealed chamber to “push out” the liquid. Examples include peristaltic pump and diaphragm pumps.

Each type is suited to different fluid properties and operating conditions. In the sections below, we’ll delve into the features and applications of each category in more detail.

Part 3. Types of Dynamic Pumps

Dynamic pumps move liquids by converting mechanical energy—usually from a rotating impeller—into kinetic energy, which is then transformed into pressure. These pumps are ideal for continuous, high-flow applications and are commonly used in a wide range of industries.

1.Centrifugal Pump

The centrifugal pump is one of the most widely used types of industrial pumps. It operates by using a rotating impeller to generate centrifugal force, which throws the liquid outward from the center of the impeller, increasing velocity and pressure to move the fluid through the system.

Advantages:

• Simple structure, easy to maintain
• Cost-effective
• Ideal for handling large volumes of low-viscosity liquids

TypicalApplications:

• Chemical plants
• Power stations
• Municipal water supply systems
• Cooling and circulation systems

Limitations:

• Not suitable for high-viscosity fluids
• Poor performance in low-flow, high-pressure situations

2. Axial Flow Pump

Axial flow pumps, also known as propeller pumps, move liquid along the direction of the pump shaft (axially), much like a boat propeller. They are specifically designed for situations that require very high flow rates at relatively low pressures (low head).

Advantages:

• Excellent for moving large volumes of liquid
• Efficient in low head conditions

Typical Applications:

• Agricultural irrigation systems
• Urban flood control and drainage
• Large-scale water circulation in industrial plants
• Water treatment and pumping stations

3. Mixed Flow Pump

Mixed flow pumps combine the characteristics of both centrifugal and axial flow pumps. The liquid is discharged at an angle—partly radial and partly axial—making these pumps suitable for medium head and medium flow conditions.

Advantages:

• Balanced performance between flow and pressure
• Suitable for applications requiring moderate head and capacity

Typical Applications:

• Municipal water supply systems
• HVAC and industrial cooling systems
• Aquaculture and fish farming operations
• Light-duty irrigation and drainage systems

Part 4. Types of Positive Displacement Pumps

Positive displacement pumps move fluid by trapping a fixed amount in a chamber and then forcing (displacing) it into the discharge pipe. Unlike dynamic pumps, they deliver a constant flow regardless of pressure, making them ideal for handling viscous fluids or applications requiring precise flow control.

Here are six common types of positive displacement pumps:

1. Gear Pump

A gear pump operates using two meshing gears—either external or internal—that rotate to trap fluid in the spaces between the gear teeth and the pump casing.

As the gears turn, they carry the liquid from the inlet side to the outlet, producing a steady, pulseless flow. These pumps are known for their simplicity, durability, and ability to handle thick fluids.

Advantages:

• Smooth and consistent flow
• Compact design
• Handles viscous fluids well

Applications:

• Lubrication systems
• Fuel transfer
• Hydraulic power units
• Chemical processing

2. Diaphragm Pump

A diaphragm pump moves fluid by the back-and-forth flexing of a diaphragm, which creates a change in volume inside the pump chamber. Check valves control the flow direction, making this type of pump ideal for transferring corrosive, abrasive, or hazardous fluids.

Since the fluid is isolated from the moving parts, it’s a top choice for clean and safe fluid handling.

Advantages:

• Leak-free, safe for toxic fluids
• Handles solids and slurries
• Self-priming capability

Applications:

• Chemical dosing
• Wastewater treatment
• Paint and ink industries
• Food and beverage

3. Piston Pump

Piston pumps use a reciprocating piston within a cylinder to draw in and force out liquid in a controlled manner. Each stroke of the piston displaces a specific volume, offering precise flow and high pressure.

These pumps are often used where accuracy and power are required, and they can handle a variety of fluids, including those with suspended solids.

Advantages:

• High pressure output
• Accurate flow control
• Ideal for metering

Applications:

• High-pressure cleaning
• Hydraulic systems
• Oil and gas industry
• Water jet cutting

4. Peristaltic Pump

Peristaltic pumps work by compressing a flexible hose or tube with rotating rollers, pushing the fluid forward in a peristaltic motion—much like how food moves through the digestive system.

Since the fluid only contacts the tubing, the pump ensures contamination-free transfer, making it ideal for sanitary or chemical-sensitive environments.

Advantages:

• No cross-contamination
• Gentle on shear-sensitive fluids
• Easy to clean and maintain

Applications:

• Pharmaceutical and biotech
• Laboratory dosing
• Food-grade applications
• Chemical handling

5. Screw Pump

Screw pumps transport fluid by rotating one or more helical screws inside a closed chamber. As the screws turn, they create a continuous seal that moves the fluid smoothly along the axis.

They are particularly suited for high-viscosity, abrasive, or multiphase fluids, and are prized for their low pulsation and quiet operation.

Advantages:

• Steady, pulsation-free flow
• Good for high-viscosity fluids
• Handles solids in suspension

Applications:

• Crude oil transfer
• Sludge handling
• Industrial coatings
• Bitumen and adhesives

6. Lobe Pump

Lobe pumps feature two or more lobed rotors that rotate in opposite directions without touching. The rotating lobes trap and transfer fluid efficiently while allowing large solids or delicate materials to pass through without damage.

Their gentle pumping action and easy-to-clean design make them favorites in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries.

Advantages:

• Hygienic design
• Low shear, good for delicate products
• Can handle solids without damage

Applications:

• Dairy and beverage processing
• Cosmetic and personal care products
• Pharmaceutical production
• Food manufacturing

Part 5. How to Choose the Right Industrial Pump?

When it comes to selecting an industrial pump, “almost right” just doesn’t cut it. With so many types available, choosing the right one requires a solid understanding of your working conditions and fluid properties.

A well-matched pump not only ensures smooth operation but also minimizes maintenance costs and extends service life. Here are the key factors to consider:

1. Fluid Properties

Corrosive liquids? Choose pumps with corrosion-resistant materials like fluoroplastic centrifugal pumps or diaphragm pumps.

Contains solids or particles? Avoid pumps with narrow clearances (e.g., gear pumps); opt for screw pumps or slurry pumps.

High viscosity? Positive displacement pumps like peristaltic, screw, or lobe pumps perform better than dynamic ones.

Tip: Understand your fluid’s composition, temperature, viscosity, and whether it contains abrasives—these directly influence your pump choice.

2. Flow Rate & Head

High flow, low head applications (e.g., water supply or cooling): Centrifugal pumps are efficient and economical.

Low flow, high pressure needs (e.g., metering, spray systems): Go for plunger or diaphragm pumps.

Need precise volume control? Consider peristaltic or gear pumps.

Tip: If available, provide a flow vs. head curve to ensure the pump operates in its optimal range.

3. Working Environment

Frequent start-stops? Use pumps that are easy to prime and self-start (e.g., peristaltic or diaphragm pumps).

Explosion-proof requirement? Choose intrinsically safe or non-electric pumps (e.g., air-operated diaphragm pumps or spring starters).

Strict hygiene standards? For food, beverage, or pharma, select hygienic-grade centrifugal, lobe, or peristaltic pumps.

Tip: Assess if your system needs CIP/SIP, high-temperature resistance, or noise control features.

4. Maintenance & Lifespan

Some pumps (e.g., plunger pumps) require frequent seal replacement;

Others (like peristaltic pumps) offer easier maintenance by simply replacing tubing;

Gear pumps are long-lasting but sensitive to solids.

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Tip: Evaluate how easy it is to service the pump, and how often it needs downtime for maintenance.

5. Cost Effectiveness

A cheaper pump may lead to higher operational or repair costs;

A more expensive, efficient pump may save more in the long run with better energy efficiency and lower maintenance needs.

Tip: Consider the total life cycle cost—initial price + energy use + maintenance—when comparing options.

In Conclusion

Industrial pumps come in a wide variety, each designed for specific applications and with its own unique advantages. Understanding how different types of industrial pumps work and where they are best applied is essential for improving equipment efficiency and ensuring safe production.

Diaphragm pumps offer powerful, consistent performance, even with variations in liquid viscosity and pressure. However, for smooth operation and long service life, you’ll need to assess your application requirements to ensure the pump you’re using is up to the task. Multiple factors can influence the type of diaphragms, valves, pump casing materials, and power source you need to get the job done, including the liquid you plan to pump and where you’re working. In the following guide, we’ll discuss what you should know before purchasing a diaphragm pump or asking us to build a custom pump tailored to your needs.

5 Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Diaphragm Pump

1. Drive Type

The first thing to consider is the drive mechanism, how you will get the diaphragm to flex and thus the pump to run. The drive type (electric or air-operated, for example) you choose for your diaphragm pump depends on two things: Where you’ll be operating the pump and whether or not you’re working around flammable substances. If you plan to work off-site away from a power source, you’ll need to purchase an air-operated double diaphragm pump (AODD). AODD pumps are also the only safe option for use around flammable liquids or vapours because they don’t present a risk of ignition.

If you’re working near a power source and away from flammable materials, a diaphragm pump with an electric motor may be more suitable for your application. Consider an electric diaphragm pump if your application requires high  pressure (AODD pumps can’t exceed the pressure of the forced air supply), or if operating costs are a concern for you. Electric diaphragm pumps use up to 80% less energy than AODD pumps, making them cheaper to run for long periods.

Click here to read more on the different driving mechanisms/types of diaphragm pumps.

2. Valve Type and Size

As a general rule, if you want to achieve a high flow rate or pump liquids with large suspended solids, you should choose a pump with a large valve size (3-4 inches) and a robust check valve. Our 4″ Pro Series Hydraulic Diaphragm Pump, for example, combines a heavy ball valve design with a 4″ connection to effectively handle liquids containing solids up to 1¾” in size. Heavy/weighted ball valves are essential when pumping very viscous fluids as they’re capable of cutting through thick materials to seat quickly, preventing backflow.

Another consideration when choosing a valve type is the abrasiveness of the liquid being pumped. For highly abrasive liquids, such as ceramic slip or mineral slurry, choose an abrasion-resistant valve seat (e.g., look for valve seats made of stainless steel rather than rubber).

3. Diaphragms

As the part responsible for propelling liquid and keeping it separate from the pump body, diaphragms are incredibly important to the operation of any diaphragm pump. Failure to properly select and maintain diaphragms can result in liquid leaking into the pump’s casing or motor, causing significant damage and operational safety risks. Before choosing diaphragms for your pump, make sure you understand the qualities of the liquid you intend to pump (e.g., its viscosity, chemical content, abrasiveness or corrosiveness, maximum solids size, etc.) Then, review the following criteria to find the best diaphragms for your application:

Chemical & Abrasion Resistance

Before selecting a set of diaphragms, you should always refer to a detailed chemical resistance guide. Diaphragm materials vary widely in the type of chemicals they can withstand: just because a material offers good overall chemical resistance, that doesn’t guarantee it will be compatible with the specific chemical you’re handling. There are, however, some general material guidelines you can refer to when assessing chemical and abrasion resistance:

Santoprene (TPO)

Santoprene is a highly durable thermoplastic rubber designed for superior chemical and abrasion resistance. Santoprene is used in many of our Wastecorp diaphragm pumps due to its extremely long flex life and versatility; Santoprene can handle most alcohols, ketones, glycols, esters, acids, salts and bases without degrading. However, it should not be used with certain volatile chemical compounds, such as benzene/chlorobenzene, chloroform, cyclohexane, kerosene, trichloroethylene, naphtha, toluene, or xylene. For this reason, Santoprene is unsuitable for pumping gasoline and other fuels.

Neoprene

A rubber compound, neoprene offers mild to moderate chemical resistance, good abrasion resistance, and long flex life. It can safely withstand some oils, but not esters, ketones, acetone, or strong acids, and some hydrocarbons can damage Neoprene over time. Neoprene may also absorb water.

Nitrile (Buna N)

Nitrile offers moderate abrasion resistance and excellent resistance to a variety of hydrocarbons, including oil, petroleum-based fuels, grease, lubricants, hydraulic fluid, motor oil, turpentine, and other compounds often used in painting and automotive applications. However, Buna N has a reduced flex life compared to neoprene and Santoprene.

Like neoprene, nitrile is not suitable for use with harsh chemicals, ketones, acetone, or strong acids.

FKM (Viton)

FKM can resist very high temperatures and offers broad chemical compatibility, being able to withstand multiple solvents, ozone, mineral oil, fuels, hydraulic fluids, most acids, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. However, it isn’t recommended for use with ketones, amines, certain esters and ethers, nitro hydrocarbons, and very potent acids.

EPDM

EPDM is the diaphragm material of choice for use with many corrosive fluids such as solvents, brake fluids, and hydraulic fluids. It also offers enhanced temperature resistance, with a wide range of operating temperatures. However, it should not be used with oils, fats, grease, petroleum-based fluids, or highly concentrated acids.

TPEE (Hytrel)

TPEE is among the toughest diaphragm materials, offering excellent resistance to temperature extremes, impact, and flex fatigue. It’s a common choice for use with very abrasive liquids and many industrial chemicals, oils and solvents.

PTFE (Teflon)

PTFE offers the highest level of chemical resistance, being suitable for use with most aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons, acids, caustics, ketones and acetates.

Temperature Limits

Before selecting a diaphragm material, consider the temperatures of the environment where your pump will be operating and the fluid it will be pumping. The temperature ranges of various diaphragm materials are outlined below:

Neoprene: -18°C to 82°C

Buna N: -12°C to 82°C

FKM: -29°C to 120°C

EPD: -50°C to 100°C

Santoprene: -23°C to 120°C

TPEE: -18°C to 120°C

PTFE: 4°C to 100°C

Suction Capability

How much “suction lift” your application requires is another important factor to consider when choosing diaphragms. Some materials, like Teflon, are very rigid and may therefore become damaged by high vacuum pressure, while rubber compounds readily bounce back. If you need both suction lift and superior chemical resistance, you may need to purchase two-piece bonded diaphragms, which combine the durability of one material (such as Teflon or stainless steel) with the flexibility of rubber.

Hygiene Standards

If you plan to use your pump for applications related to food, beverage, pharmaceutical, or cosmetics manufacturing, you’ll need to use diaphragms that comply with hygienic standards. Two-piece bonded PTFE diaphragms are often used for applications requiring enhanced hygiene.

4. Pump Body Material

Common diaphragm pump materials include cast iron, steel, aluminum alloy, and certain highly specialized hard plastics, such as fluorine plastic (PVDF). If you plan to pump non-corrosive liquids, choose a pump with a metal body (e.g., cast iron or aluminum alloy) as metal pumps offer excellent durability when not exposed to corrosive substances. Pumps with a metal body are also less prone to leakage than plastic pumps and can withstand high levels of abrasion from suspended solids.

For corrosive liquids, on the other hand, plastic and PVDF pumps are usually recommended as they will not rust or otherwise degrade, giving your pump a longer service life. Most plastic pumps can safely transfer acids, caustics, and bleach; however, you should always consult your pump’s manual to verify that it’s suitable for your application before pumping a corrosive liquid. To prevent leakage, inspect plastic pumps regularly for loose fasteners and tighten them as needed.

Operating temperature also plays a role in material selection: If you plan to pump liquids at very hot temperatures, you will need to use a stainless steel or PVDF pump, as both materials offer excellent thermal resistance. If pumping an abrasive liquid at high temperatures, choose a stainless steel pump; for highly corrosive liquids, PVDF may be a better choice in certain situations.

5. Flow Rate

The final step before buying a diaphragm pump is to calculate the flow rate needed for your application. Diaphragm pumps can transfer liquid at rates as low as one gallon per minute up to hundreds of gallons per minute, depending on the pump’s size and operational speeds. To reduce wear on your pump, we strongly recommend selecting a pump that has twice the flow rate you require. Running a pump at 50% of its maximum capacity during typical operation will greatly extend its service life.

Ask the Experts at Wastecorp For Advice on Choosing a Diaphragm Pump

Choosing the correct diaphragm pump will protect your pump from premature damage and ensure safe usage. If you would like to review your options or have a diaphragm pump designed to fit your specific application, Wastecorp can help. As a pump manufacturer, we offer custom diaphragm pumps and a wide range of diaphragm pump parts and accessories, giving our pumps unmatched versatility. Plus, all of our pumps are designed and manufactured in North America, guaranteeing superior product quality and reliability. Contact us today to get started or browse our extensive selection of diaphragm pumps:

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