Grease Pump Applications

Grease is a semi-solid oil-based lubricant used to lubricate moving mechanical parts. It is often supplied in 50kg or 205L drums. To extract grease from containers a positive displacement pump is required as a centrifugal pump would only create a hole in the fluid and recirculation would occur in the pump head due to the high viscosity.

Grease pumping can be performed in a variety of ways with common methods being a peristaltic pump or progressing cavity pump is driven by electricity. If driven by air a piston air driven pump would be used. Such pumps have a ratio which is the effective area differential between the air motor piston and lower end plunger rod. 

This acts like a gearbox meaning the power from an air-driven motor can be multiplied to create large pressures which are needed to move the grease.

For example, a 10:1 pump has an effective area 10 times of the fluid handling piston. At 100psi inlet pressure to a 10:1 pump, the pump would generate pressures of 1000psi. A grease pump requires high pressures and so a 45:1 or 50:1 pump would normally be used whereas if the oil is pumped a ratio as low as 1:1, 3:1 or 5:1 is used.

North Ridge Pumps supplies a comprehensive range of pumps for varying industrial applications - view pumps for grease transfer here.