Watson-Marlow/Bredel Tubing Pumps Feature Sta-Pure Tube From Gore & Associates
What's the easiest way to improve a peristaltic pump? Since the tubing is the only part that wears, Watson-Marlow/Bredel Pumps (WMB; Wilmington, MA) figured that was a good place to start. At InterPhex, WMB (Booth 856) will showcase its 500, 600, 700, and 800 Series peristaltic pumps sporting new tubing—Sta-Pure peristaltic pump tubing from W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc. (Newark, DE). The new Sta-Pure tube, made from expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), handles pressures to 100 psi with greatly improved tube life for pharmaceutical, biotech, food, and chemical processing applications.
According to John Beahm, marketing manager at WMB, Sta-Pure was specifically designed for use in peristaltic pumps and represents a significant upgrade for end-users. Specifically, three factors make the marriage of WMB Pumps and W.L. Gore exciting for process industries: high pressure capability, long life, and minimal to nonexistent spallation. "The Gore tubes address many of the drawbacks people mention in the same breath as peristaltic pumps," Beahm stated.
Sta-Pure tube provides the highest pressure rating available for use with peristaltic tube pumps, and also offers exceptional flow rate stability over the life of the tube. The 100 psi tube pressure rating adds to Watson-Marlow/Bredel pumps' effectiveness in handling high-pressure process applications, including filtration, bulk transfer of sanitary fluids, and fluid metering applications.
"We make hose pumps that go up to 232 psi," Beahm said, "but these pumps aren't designed to handle drugs, which is why we've never tried to place a hose pump in that marketplace. The Gore tubing finally lets us address the high-pressure requirements for pharmaceutical companies."
Sta-Pure tube also offers up to 18 times the tube life expected from silicone tubing, and twice the life of best thermoplastic elastomer tubing. Extra longevity reduces the need for tube rotation and the possibility of tube failure in a peristaltic pump, even under high-pressure conditions.
"You can't overestimate the benefit of tubing lasting 18 times longer than silicone. Since the tube is the only wearing part in a pump, extended service life plus lower changeover time, maintenance time, and downtime directly translate into lower lifetime operating cost." Beahm pointed out that peristaltic pumps have a reputation for being expensive, but given the low maintenance and high service life of Gore tubing, the lifetime cost for peristaltic pumps is now "very competitive."
With Sta-Pure, spallation and interior tube degradation are all but eliminated, while the tube's smooth bore resists the possibility of fluid contamination. Sta-Pure tube is USP Class VI approved.
"Before we switched to the Gore tubing, even our best tubes degraded noticeably from the inside out over time. Through extensive testing the Gore tubes have shown minimal spallation, which significantly impacts product purity."
Watson-Marlow/Bredel believes its tubing pumps, coupled with Gore tubes, offer the best system for contamination-free pumping available. Sta-Pure tube is clean-in-place/steam-in-place (CIP/SIP) capable and can be equipped with sanitary fittings. "In pharmaceutical processes where you need to clean a system between batches, most other pumps must be completely dissembled during cleaning. Here you just replace or clean the autoclavable tubes, which withstand most cleaning agents plus steam-in-place."
Peristaltic pumps are inherently contamination-free since no metal parts come in contact with the process fluid, thus alleviating any concern over contamination by trace metals that could be picked up through diaphragm or rotary lobe pumps. Additionally, the downtime and labor involved in cleaning other pump types, typically four to six hours at a time, is reduced considerably through the simple and less time-consuming process of changing the tubing element, which is accomplished in a matter of minutes.
Watson-Marlow/Bredel pumps with the new Sta-Pure tube are ideal for such applications as live cell transfer; filtration/ultrafiltration; tablet coating; fermentation; transfer of cosmetic gels, additives, creams and lotions; dispensing of cough syrups; automated filling of vials, bottles, and bags; chemical metering; food processing; beverage dispensing; and brewery operations.
"We consider ourselves to be a leading manufacturer for peristaltic pumps, with a very significant installed base in pharm industry. Having the opportunity to offer Gore's tube elements really gives us an edge in answering the needs of pharmaceutical processors."
For more information: John Beahm, Marketing Manager, Watson-Marlow/Bredel Pumps, 220 Ballardvale Ave., Wilmington, MA, 01887. Tel: 978-658-6168. Fax: 978-658-0041. Email: jbeahm@wmbpumps.com.
By Angelo DePalma