Sauces, Dressings & Dips

Pump:
Universal 3 Series Positive Displacement Pump

Industry /Application:
A major processor of sauces, dressings and dips uses positive displacement (PD) pumps to transfer its products that contain suspended particulates such as tomato, onion, pepper pieces, garlic, basil and salt.

Problem:
The customer* had been using PD pumps in their process lines for many years. However, after a period of time, they discovered small ingredient particulates beginning to accumulate around the cover O-ring even after completing the clean in place (CIP) cycles giving rise to a risk of contamination. Sanitation personnel were then forced to open and further clean the pumps manually (on designs meant to be fully CIP-able) – delaying production times significantly.

Solution:
The customer tested a Waukesha Universal 3 PD Pump that utilizes a L-shaped gasket in the front of the body which mates up with the flat pump cover, preventing particles from accumulating. The customer ran multiple test products and CIP solution through a model U3 size 045. After each run, the pump was disassembled for inspection and no accumulation around the L-gasket was found.

Result:
The customer was delighted with the results and has informed SPX FLOW that they are making plans to replace other pumps with the Waukesha Universal 3 series. As an additional benefit, U3 pumps use the same shaft seals for model sizes 30-130, helping to further reduce spare parts inventories.