Beverage & dairy process equipment · Buyer's guide
A sanitary centrifugal pump moves low-viscosity food, beverage and cleaning liquids through closed process lines and is built to be cleaned in place. "Sanitary" is not one specification: hygienic-design certification, surface finish, wetted materials, seal arrangement and food-contact documents are separate items, and each has to be named in the order.
Start with your task
01
The same catalogue name covers pumps built for different jobs. Sort the duty first; it decides which designs and documents are relevant.
| Duty | Design offered by makers | What to confirm with the maker |
|---|---|---|
| Transfer of milk, juice, beer, water-like liquids | Hygienic centrifugal pump with a semi-open impeller, sized from a family of models (one published range runs to 500 m³/h and 11 bar differential at 50 Hz across 13 sizes) [8] | Duty point on the actual curve, NPSH margin, elastomer for the product temperature |
| CIP return and suction lines that carry air | Self-priming hygienic centrifugal pump; one published model is offered as a CIP return pump and for liquids up to 500 cP, with a maximum of 70 m³/h and 70 m head [9] | Air handling at your suction conditions, and whether the same unit is also rated for product duty |
| Viscous or shear-sensitive products | Positive rotary pumps, which the same 3-A standard and EHEDG guideline also cover [1] [2] | Compare against a positive rotary quote before forcing a centrifugal pump onto the duty |
| Aseptic, steam-sterilised lines | Equipment certified to EHEDG EL Aseptic Class I: closed, cleaned in place without dismantling, steam-sterilisable and bacteria-tight [3] | Certificate class and model range; a standard CIP pump is not an aseptic pump |
A sorting aid for buyers, not a sizing method. Final selection comes from the maker's performance curve at your duty point.
02
The shaft transmits the motor’s rotation to the impeller; the casing encloses the pumping chamber and the shaft seal separates that chamber from the drive. On the LKH example, a compression coupling joins the motor shaft to a stub shaft. Balance holes in the impeller circulate liquid around the seal and reduce axial forces [10].
| Component / BOM reference | Role in this assembly | Material: LKH standard example |
|---|---|---|
| Semi-open impeller | Rotates with the shaft and transfers energy to the liquid. | W. 1.4404 / AISI 316L [8] |
| Pump casing and backplate | Enclose the wetted chamber around the impeller. | W. 1.4404 / AISI 316L [8] |
| Stub shaft and compression coupling | Connect the impeller drive to the motor shaft. | The leaflet does not identify a separate stub-shaft grade [8]. |
| Mechanical shaft seal | Seals the rotating shaft boundary. | Carbon rotating face; silicon carbide stationary face [8] |
| Wetted elastomer seals | Seal the product-contact joints. | EPDM as standard; alternative compounds are configuration choices [8] |
Functional assembly reference, not an orderable spare-parts BOM. The material example is Alfa Laval LKH, January 2026; it does not establish the materials in DONJOY ZLX or another pump. No part numbers or quantities are inferred.
03
Ask for each claim on its own. One document rarely proves the others.
3-A Sanitary Standard 02-12 "Centrifugal and Positive Rotary Pumps" covers the manufacture, fabrication and use of pumps for dairy processing; 3-A lists editions 02-09 to 02-11 as historical [1]. EHEDG Guideline 17 (fourth edition, May 2020) sets hygienic design for pumps and is being updated by its working group [2]. EHEDG certification is a separate scheme with classes: EL Class I for equipment cleaned in place without dismantling, EL Class II for equipment dismantled for wet cleaning, and EL Aseptic Class I [3]. "Designed according to" either document is not the same as a certificate for your model.
A leading European hygienic pump lists its standard inside finish as "standard blasted", with mechanical polishing to Ra ≤ 0.8 µm as an option [8]. A Chinese maker publishes Ra ≤ 0.8, ≤ 0.6 and ≤ 0.4 µm options for one model [9]. Name the Ra value and the wetted surfaces it applies to, and ask for a roughness report.
Published wetted-part materials range from 304 to 316L, 1.4404, ASME BPE 316L and 1.4435 within a single product page [9], while another range uses W. 1.4404 (AISI 316L) for casing, impeller, impeller nut and backplate as standard [8]. State the grade for each wetted part, not only for the casing.
In the US, 21 CFR 177.2600 covers rubber articles intended for repeated food contact. Its extractive limits are 20 mg/in² in the first 7 hours and 1 mg/in² in the next 2 hours with water, and 175 mg/in² and 4 mg/in² with n-hexane for fatty foods [4]. In the EU and UK, Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 requires that contact materials do not transfer constituents that endanger health, change the food's composition unacceptably or deteriorate its taste and smell (Article 3), and that they are traceable (Article 17) [5] [6]. These cover materials; they do not certify the pump's hygienic design.
04
Published values below show the kind of range makers state; they are not limits for every pump.
| Give the maker | Why it matters | Published example |
|---|---|---|
| Flow (m³/h) and differential head (m) or differential pressure (bar) at the duty point | Sets model size and impeller diameter; reduced-diameter impellers are a standard option on some ranges | 13 sizes up to 500 m³/h and 11 bar at 50 Hz [8]; up to 70 m³/h and 70 m [9] |
| NPSH available at the pump inlet | NPSHA belongs to the system; NPSHR is supplied by the pump maker. Selection also needs an application-specific margin over NPSHR throughout the operating range, not merely a positive difference at one duty point [7] | Ask for the NPSHR curve at your duty point |
| Product, temperature range, viscosity, air or solids | Decides elastomer, seal arrangement and whether a self-priming design is needed | EPDM rated −10 to +140 °C [8]; −20 to 150 °C and up to 500 cP [9] |
| Maximum inlet pressure | Inlet pressure limits differ across sizes in the same family | LKH-5: 6 bar; LKH-10 to -70: 10 bar, except LKH-70 at 60 Hz: 5 bar; LKH-85/-90: 5 bar [8] |
| Cleaning and sterilisation regime | CIP chemistry and temperature, and any steam sterilisation, affect elastomers and seal flushing | Flush-housing sterilisation up to 125 °C with the pump stopped, on one range [8] |
| Connection standard and size, both ports | Clamp, union and flange systems are not interchangeable | ISO 2037 clamp, DIN, SMS, RJT, DS and ASME BPE clamp variants [8]; thread, clamp, flange or aseptic flange [9] |
| Motor and supply | Frame, protection, voltage and frequency, and speed control | IEC foot-flanged motors, IP55, 0.75–110 kW, 50/60 Hz [8] |
| Operating envelope and liquid properties | Include minimum and maximum flow, density, viscosity and cleaning chemistry. A new liquid or duty point can require reselection. | Recheck application suitability when capacity, pressure or liquid changes; do not substitute a generic pH or service-life range [11]. |
05
Seal options are a configuration choice with utility needs, not a detail to leave to the quote.
Ask the maker which arrangement it recommends for your product, temperature and cleaning cycle, and what water connection and consumption that arrangement needs.
06
Alfa Laval’s LKH service guidance calls for regular visual checks and operation within the specified duty. Prevent the shaft seal from running dry, and provide the water supply required by the selected seal arrangement. After cleaning agents, rinse thoroughly with clean water. These are LKH care instructions, not a substitute for another model’s operating manual [11].
Keep the matching service kit available. A change of liquid, capacity or pressure calls for a suitability check, even when the piping and motor have not changed. The same guidance recommends preventive maintenance after 12 months for LKH; a contract for another pump needs its own service schedule rather than an assumed lifetime in hours [11].
07
Ask for documents that name the supplied model and the legal holder, not a brochure page.
08
Paste it into your enquiry below or into an email to a maker, then replace every bracket.
Product: sanitary centrifugal pump for [product], [temperature] °C, viscosity [cP], air/solids: [yes/no] Duty point: [flow] m³/h at [head] m differential; NPSH available: [value] m; max inlet pressure: [bar] Service: [product transfer / CIP return / aseptic]; cleaning: CIP [chemicals, °C]; SIP: [yes/no, °C] Wetted parts: [grade, e.g. 1.4404 / 316L] for casing, impeller and backplate; surface finish Ra ≤ [µm] on wetted surfaces Elastomers: [EPDM / FKM / other], food-contact statement for [US 21 CFR 177.2600 / EU 1935/2004] Shaft seal: [single / flushed / double]; flush or barrier water available: [bar, l/min] Connections: [standard and size] inlet, [standard and size] outlet Motor: [kW], [V/Hz], IP [rating], speed control: [VFD yes/no] Documents: 3-A or EHEDG certificate for this model (state class/edition), material certificates, Ra report, performance curve with NPSHR Quantity: [units]; delivery to [country]; target date: [date]
See source-checked manufacturers Send an enquiry through CNFX
10 companies list this product among what they make. Company figures are quoted from each company's own website; every card states where the relationship came from.
The source now identifies its operator as Zhejiang Chenjie Pump Industry Co., Ltd. and publishes a wassermann.cn contact address. Its catalogue includes sanitary centrifugal pumps alongside circulation and other water pumps; those other pump families do not establish hygienic suitability for a food process.
Product scope checked 2026-10-09
Explore company information and manufacturing capabilities, then discuss the scope of your project with a relevant supplier.
3-A lists 02-12 as the standard for centrifugal and positive rotary pumps and 02-09 to 02-11 as historical editions. Ask the maker for the authorization covering the model you buy and the edition it was assessed against. [1]
It is the certification class for equipment cleaned in place with liquids without being dismantled. Equipment that must be taken apart for wet cleaning falls under EL Class II, and EL Aseptic Class I adds steam-sterilisability and bacteria-tightness. [3]
No. It covers rubber articles intended for repeated food contact, such as elastomer seals and gaskets, including permitted ingredients and extractive limits. It says nothing about the pump's hygienic design. [4]
For return lines that carry air, makers offer self-priming hygienic pumps; one published model is described as a self-priming CIP return pump that tolerates air or gas in the feed. Confirm the suction conditions with the maker. [9]
Not necessarily. One leading range lists a blasted inside finish as standard and Ra ≤ 0.8 µm mechanical polishing as an option. Specify the Ra value you need. [8]
Sources checked 2026-10-12. Standards bodies and regulations define the requirements; manufacturer pages show published ranges for those models only. CNFX does not certify products or suppliers.
Ask for use case, specification boundaries, supplier type, and RFQ preparation information for this product.
Compare manufacturer profiles with relevant product and process capability.