Lewa GmbH, a manufacturer of pumps and systems for a wide variety of industries and segments, will present a portfolio at this year's Technopharm that includes not only different diaphragm metering pumps, rotary lobe pumps, progressing cavity pumps, centrifugal pumps, and air-operated double diaphragm pumps, but also customer-specific chromatography systems.
Ecoflow hygienic
A Lewa Ecodos hygienic with Intellidrive will be exhibited, as well as an Ecoflow hygienic with the M900 diaphragm pump head. Both hygienic pumps are characterized by the fact that the product chamber is safely isolated from the gear side without seals. Even for longer-lasting processes, this allows the pumps to remain hermetically tight and leak-free. Pump hydraulics and the metered fluid are consistently separated by the sandwich diaphragm. If one of the layers of the diaphragm is damaged, the increase in pressure between the diaphragm layers leads to an automatic fault message.
Both the Ecodos and the Ecoflow hygienic can also be used as multiplex pumps for recipe metering. For this purpose, multiple pump drives are mounted on a single drive shaft. The metering volume can be varied reproducibly and cost-effectively by frequency regulation of the shared drive motor and/or individually using manual or electrical stroke adjustment of each specific pump head.
Ecoflow high pressure metering pump
While the Ecodos pumps are primarily suited for metering and conveying tasks in the low-pressure range up to 20 bar, the Ecoflow is a high pressure metering pump capable of maximum discharge pressures of 1200 bar or flow rates of up to 19 m³/hr per pump head. The patented sandwich diaphragm ensures the necessary process reliability, along with the required high-precision metering. To meet all aseptic requirements and optimize the manufacture of sterile products, both models have been tested for compliance with internationally valid directives for cleanability and both their materials and the details of their design ensure that contamination will not be an issue.
The Intellidrive technology also allows metering characteristics to be modeled individually for different suction and pressure profiles. The combination of speed variation and partial stroke mode permits an adjustment range of up to more than 1:150. This automatic control system is designed for filling processes, but can also have advantages in the mixing of two media and in high- and low-pressure separation in chromatography systems.
Ecoprime systems
Specifically for low-pressure chromatography – for example in the manufacture of biopharmaceuticals – Lewa has developed the Ecoprime systems, featuring a precision flow rate from 0.03 up to 60 l/min, a large, dynamic flow range, minimal pulsation, and a low holdup volume. This increases yield and safety in cleaning. As a result, both time requirements and costs for validation are reduced. In comparison with other systems, the Intellidrive technology can cover a significantly higher flow range. The combination 'speed variation' and 'partial stroke mode' offers an adjustment range of over 1:150, which is normally possible only using two systems.
Stainless steel variants
Lewa also offers related products from partners in stainless steel variants and with Ra < 0.8 µm. These pumps are designed for CIP and SIP processes. Pomac rotary lobe and centrifgual pumps are suitable for standard hygienic applications and meet the strict requirements of the EHEDG guidelines. These pumps are flexible enough to handle low-viscosity, viscous, and/or shear-sensitive media. Knoll progressing cavity pumps designed for even, gentle transport during the suction and metering of watery to high-viscosity media, can convey even entrained solids gently. They are designed with a low holdup volume and – like Wilden air-operated double diaphragm pumps in the hygienc variant – meet the requirements of the EHEDG guidelines. The latter are suited for suction from containers and for transport tasks.
