Diaphragm pump manufacturer KNF has added the FP 70 to its smooth flow liquid pump range, aiming to address a need for pumps with lower pulsation.
The new product combines the established strengths of KNF diaphragm pump technology with the smooth flow normally associated with gear and centrifugal pump technologies.
The integrated low-pulsation technology generates customer value in many ways.
It improves the efficiency of the pump and the customer’s fluidic system. Due to the smooth and steady flow, the impedance of the customer’s fluid system is greatly reduced and therefore flow performance is improved. This can be a crucial factor if small bore tubing is used in the customer’s system.
Another benefit is the reduced risk of bubble formation and foaming, which helps to keep the liquid in a stable state and therefore increases the reliability of the customer’s processes.
Most fluid systems incorporate other components, such as filters and sensors, which are also positively affected by the low pulsation. Lower pressure means less stress on these parts, which results in a longer lifetime.
In many systems, the pumps are part of a closed-loop PID control system using flow or pressure sensors to provide feedback. Pulsation in these systems can make integration more complicated and the choice of flow sensors which can cope with large pulsations is limited and more costly. A pump with smooth flow delivery makes control and integration much simpler and allows the use of more common and lower-cost sensors.
In medical applications, where equipment is often situated close to, or in direct contact with the patient, minimising pulsation can have a positive impact. Any pulses in the liquid are transferred to the tubing and to other parts of the equipment, so smooth flow helps to make treatments a calmer and less stressful experience.
Integrating a pump into a system with additional pulsation damping elements and extra fittings and tubing can be challenging where space is limited, and the extra components add cost. The FP 70 solves these problems by having all the necessary damping technology integrated.
In its standard configuration, the FP 70 delivers flowrates up to 850 ml/min and is designed for continuous operation up to 2-bar pressure. On a project basis, configurations offering up to 1.2 l/min, or up to 4-bar are possible. The integrated dampers reduce the pulsation very effectively at both the pump inlet and outlet. Patented 4-point valves ensure reliable self-priming of the pump, even at very low motor speed. This means no additional priming pump is needed in the customer’s system.
