At Pump Solutions Australasia, we offer a full line of vacuum pumps which we import from elite global manufacturers to our Perth facility. We would like to provide you with a guide to the basics of vacuum pumps.
While invention of the first vacuum pump was credited to Otto von Guericke in 1650, their predecessors, known as suction pumps, were used in ancient Rome as early as 79 BC. Vacuum pumps move fluids by removing gas from a sealed chamber, creating a partial vacuum. Fluids then move into the chamber due to the disparity in pressure gradients.
Types of Vacuum Pumps
Vacuum pumps fit into three broad categories: positive displacement pumps, momentum transfer pumps and entrapment pumps. Different types of pumps have different strengths and weaknesses. This is why pumps must be chosen carefully to make sure the right pump is used for any job.
Positive Displacement Pumps
The most common and popular vacuum pumps are classified as positive displacement pumps. When the volume of a chamber is increased, it creates a partial vacuum. A chamber can be evacuated indefinitely without requiring infinite growth by a mechanism best illustrated by the basic water pump in a well.
When you push the pump handle down, the mechanism inside expands the chamber and water is pulled into the chamber due to the pressure gradient in the chamber being much less than that of the water. The water is exhausted through the outlet. When the handle is pulled up, the chamber is returned back to its smaller size. Then the process starts all over again.
All positive displacement pumps use variations of this principle. Their differences are in the mechanism used to expand the chamber, exhaust the liquid and return the chamber to its original volume.
Rotary Vane Pump
The rotary vane pump uses a rotor which rotates inside of a cavity. It is the most simple of vacuum pumps and is used for applications such as high pressure hydraulic pumps in automobiles, espresso coffee machines, carbonators for fizzy drinks, flight instruments, air conditioners and freeze dryers.
Our manufacturer of choice for rotary vane pumps is Fluid-o-Tech.
Diaphragm Pumps
Diaphragm pumps, including air operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps, use one or more membranes to expand and contract a chamber. They are used predominantly in five industries: petrochemical, food & beverage, printing & ink, metal fabrication and construction. They can move a wide range of fluids, from simple liquids to thick sludge. One of their strong points is that there is no oil contamination.
Our manufacturer of choice for AODD pumps is Ran, whose principal headquarters are in Turkey.
Liquid Ring Vacuum Pumps
A liquid ring pump rotates an impeller inside of a cylindrical casing. Gas is drawn into the chamber through the inlet and through the discharge port. Their design makes them highly resistant to dust. They are used for power generation equipment, groundwater remediation, vapour extraction and food production, along with a host of applications in the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Our liquid ring vacuum pump manufacturer of choice is Speck Pumpen, headquartered in Germany.
Call Pump Solutions Australasia Today
At Pump Solutions Australasia, we have been providing not only vacuum pumps, but a wide range of other types of pumps from our Perth location since we opened in 1990. When we first opened, we were known as Pumps and Services Australia. It was founded by an engineer from Germany.
Pumps and Services Australia was instrumental in creating the vacuum pumping system for Geraldton Fish Markets and developed a tremendous track record in the Australian fishing industry.
By 2000, the Pumps and Services Australasia had expanded and diversified its offerings to include imported pumps from all over the world, with a large number of them from Germany and Italy. In 2008, Pumps and Services Australia became Pump Solutions Australasia, which we are today.
We have dedicated ourselves to providing the best customer service in the industry and backing it up by offering an incredibly wide range of pumps from all over the world.
To learn more or to enquire about a pump, call us today: 1300 793 418.