Pumps are an essential part of many food processing lines: not just for liquids, but also viscous materials such as spreads and dips, and materials containing solids such as fruit and vegetable mixes. Using the wrong pump can have expensive consequences in terms of both potential damage to products or equipment, or higher than expected energy costs.

A good pump needs to meet the requirements of the product, as well as normal food handling sanitary requirements, such as Clean-in-Place (CIP). There are many types of pump on the market, but not all of them are capable of maintaining product quality at a reasonable cost while keeping the required pressure in the system. These challenges resulted in the production of the BP Series of piston pumps from HRS Heat Exchangers, which have been proven in hundreds of food processing environments, handling everything from peppers, strawberries and baby carrots to sauces, dips, fruit purées, and many other products.

A positive solution
The HRS BP Series is a purpose-designed, hydraulically-operated, reciprocating, positive-displacement pump, with an expanding cavity on the suction side and a decreasing cavity on the discharge side. Material flows into the pump as the cavity on the suction side expands and is forced out of the discharge side as the cavity collapses. The BP Series features a sanitary design which incorporates a separator fitted between the piston and the hydraulic chamber to ensure that there is no contact between the product chamber and the hydraulic oil. Once the pump is in operation, no part which comes into contact with oil comes into contact with the product.

The standard BP Series has an adjustable flow rate of between a minimum of 52 gallons/hour and a maximum of 3,170 gallons/hour, and features a high pressure drop of up to 435 psi. It is suitable for a wide range of high viscosity, shear sensitive and large particle-containing fluids. Clap valves allow pumping of whole fruits or vegetables, and an alternative piston pump with a pneumatic cylinder can be supplied for low pressure applications of less than 72 psi.

Following the success of the standard BP Series in a range of applications, HRS Heat Exchangers have developed three other variants for use in a range of specific situations.

Multiple production lines, one pump
The first of these is the BPM Series, a mobile version of the standard BP Series pump. This is mounted on a mobile skid unit for easy movement, allowing it to be used across multiple production lines and locations, something which is increasingly popular with food manufacturers producing short runs of specialist products. Companies can now enjoy the benefits of a BP Series pump across multiple production lines without the need to invest in a dedicated pump for each line, resulting in considerable capital savings.

Viscosity no problem
The second addition to the range is the BPSC Series. This has been specifically designed for highly viscous products, such as hummus, and especially those which are produced and packed at low temperatures.

Matt Hale, International Sales and Marketing Director at HRS Heat Exchangers, explains: “When dealing with highly viscous materials particularly at low temperatures, such as hummus at 40 deg. F., the product’s thickness can make it hard to prime the pump when starting production following cleaning. The new BPSC Series overcomes this. It uses a gravity-fed hopper, together with a screw conveyor, to initially push product into the body of the pump. Once the cavity on the suction side has been filled, the pump is primed and will then operate as normal with a constant stream of product.”

Putting the pieces in place
The final addition to the HRS range of positive displacement pumps is the BPH Series, a horizontal version of the BP pump with a vertical inlet which has been specifically designed for products with larger sized pieces, such as fruit mixtures and coleslaw. To prevent damage to large particles, an automatic ball valve is used instead of the standard clap valve and there is also the option of a feed hopper.

With the addition of the BPM, BPSC and BPH Series of pumps, HRS Heat Exchangers are now able to offer an increased range of pumping solutions for a variety of uses in the food sector.

For more information visit www.hrs-heatexchangers.com.