Your Guide to Choosing the Right Industrial Vacuum Pump

Posted in Uncategorised, on August 24, 2021 By Admin

At McRae Engineering, we supply a wide variety of industrial vacuum pumps for use in various applications. With that said, it can be a challenge to choose the right vacuum pump for your needs. Furthermore, not all vacuum pumps are made for industrial use—there are also many different products better suited for chemical and pharmaceutical applications. 

In today’s blog, we will be going over the key characteristic of each type of product, to help you choose the right industrial vacuum pump for your needs.

There are six main types of industrial vacuum pump products at McRae Engineering, all from renowned manufacturer Elmo Rietschle: regenerative blowers, rotary vane dry pumps, claw pumps, rotary vane lubricated pumps, liquid ring pumps, and rotary screw pumps. Here is a breakdown of their characteristics:

1. Regenerative blowers
   1. Rough vacuum with various gases possible
   2. Minimal maintenance needed
   3. There is no oil in the entire pump
   4. Can be operated as a contact-less pump
2. Rotary Vane Dry Pump
   1. Produces a medium vacuum with air and inert gases only
   2. There is no oil in the entire pump
3. Liquid Ring Pump
   1. Can produce a rough to high vacuum
   2. Can work with liquids as well as aggressive and explosive gases
   3. There is no oil in the entire pump
4. Rotary Vane Lubricated Pump
   1. Can produce medium to high vacuum levels with air and inert gases
   2. It is a lubricated pump, and is able to tolerate oil lubrication
5. Claw Pump
   1. There is no oil in the compression chamber, making it oil-free
   2. Produces a medium vacuum only with air and inert gases
   3. Minimal maintenance required, approximately once a year
6. Rotary Screw Pumps
   1. Produces high to very high vacuums with air or inert gases
   2. Provides fast evacuation where no oil is desired

Do also take note that these industrial vacuum pumps have been organized here in order of pricing, with regenerative blowers being the most affordable option.

In addition to industrial vacuum pumps, there are also chemical and pharmaceutical pumps. There are two main types of chemical pumps: rotary vane and rotary screw pumps.

1. Rotary Vane Pump
   1. Provides a medium to high vacuum
   2. Can work with aggressive fluids other than air or inert gas
2. Rotary Screw Pump
   1. Produces a medium to very high vacuum
   2. Minimal maintenance needed
   3. No oil in the compression chamber
   4. Can work with gas streams aside from air and inert gas

Hopefully, this brief guide can help you understand the factors needed to consider before choosing an industrial vacuum pump. We recommend talking to a pump expert—the folks at McRae Engineering are committed to carefully consider the unique cases of each of our clients in order to provide them with the best solutions. Call us today for more information on our products!