Demystifying the Universal® Series Pumps

With the release of the Waukesha Cherry-Burrell® Universal 2 ND Industrial Pump (U2 ND), I’ve received calls from engineers everywhere who ask some version of the question, “How do I decide which Universal Pump to use in my project?” So this month I’ll tackle that question and take a look into what makes each of our Universal Pumps unique.

Universal 1: The Original Workhorse

The Universal 1 was introduced to the industry over 50 years ago with 2 primary goals: 1) Provide precise and robust pumping to the food and beverage industry, and 2) be the most maintenance-friendly pump on the market. The Universal 1 was designed to be a clean out-of-place (COP) pump that only requires four tools for maintenance. When I travel around the US for training sessions on these pumps, I illustrate how to perform a full seal replacement and reassembly in about 10 minutes. Yes, I use a clean demo pump for these demonstrations, but if I can do it, a maintenance technician can too.

Universal 1 Applications: Food and beverage applications namely the meat and egg industries, oil and gas fracking and small-scale manufacturing where CIP systems are not available. Click here for more information.

Universal 2: Built for CIP and Higher Pressure

As the food industry continued to develop, cleaning regiments became integral for maximized uptime and efficiency. This evolution led us to develop the Universal 2 just over 30 years ago. The Universal 2 was designed with 2 additional goals from our maiden Universal pump: 1) Integrate clean-in-place (CIP) functionality, and 2) design the pump to run at higher operating pressures. In order to make the pump CIP capable, we added additional o-rings and torque specifications to ensure control of the cleaning pathways and o-ring compression. We also added a tier of models with pump pressure ratings as high as 500 psi.

Universal 2 Applications: Food and beverage applications including juice, chocolate, yogurt and sauces; Personal care applications include toothpaste, mascara and aloe vera among others. Click here for more information.

Universal 2 ND: Proven in Sanitary – Built for Industrial

Over the past few years, we noticed that many of our sanitary pumps were being used in industrial applications. We recognized this as an opportunity to bring our incredible pump technology to a new market, so we got to work. The result is the Universal 2 ND (U2 ND) pump which is a non-sanitary, defeatured version of our popular Universal 2 pump. The U2 ND features Waukesha Cherry-Burrell’s famous robustness and reliability and is competitively priced for the industrial market. While technically this is a “new” pump, its foundation is built upon decades of pumping excellence in the sanitary sector. This really is a great pump for industrial applications.

U2 ND Applications: Surfactants, oil slurries, resins, polymers, consumer cleaning products and pulp and paper among others. Click here for more information.

Universal 3: Front-Loading Seals for Easy Maintenance

Pump technology is constantly evolving, and SPX FLOW continues to drive this innovation forward. The Universal 3 is the most recent product variation and introduced front-loading seals to our pump portfolio. On traditional pumps like our Universal 1 and 2, the seals are housed in the back side of the pump body. As such, to replace the seals during routine maintenance, the pump body must be removed. With the Universal 3, the seals are accessible within the body. This becomes a game changer for large pumps with 100+ pound bodies and those in hard-to-access areas like underneath a tank. And now with our quick ship program where orders ship out in 10 days or less, you can get your U3 faster than ever.

Universal 3 Applications: Food and beverage applications including juice, chocolate, yogurt and sauces; Personal care including toothpaste, mascara and aloe vera among others. Click here for more information.

Still Not Sure Which Pump Is Right?

So that’s a quick rundown of our Universal Series pumps. I could spend hours diving into the intricacies of our pumps, but hopefully this breakdown helps you understand which type is best for your application. And because I know that every new application presents new challenges, SPX FLOW solution makers are here to answer any question you have about configuring solutions.