Alfa Laval MaxiLobe UltraPure Rotary lobe pumps

Introduction

Maximize performance, reliability, yield and compliance with advanced Alfa

Laval MaxiLobe® UltraPure rotary lobe pumps. Tailor-made for biotech and

pharmaceutical processing lines, they ensure consistent process flows,

safeguards product integrity, and support cost-effective production with

minimal downtime.

High volumetric efficiency and a wide performance envelope enable smaller

pumps to be sized closer to actual process requirements while achieving the

same duty at lower operating speeds, reducing energy consumption, wear,

and product shear.

Applications

Designed for efficient fluid transfer in high-purity processes, the Alfa Laval

MaxiLobe UltraPure is ideal for biotech and pharmaceutical applications.

Its gentle, low-shear pumping action is particularly well suited for shear-

sensitive media – all types of cell cultures and organic solids in suspension

 – and higher discharge pressures.

By minimizing shear, MaxiLobe UltraPure helps maintain cell viability and

productivity throughout the seed train and improves harvesting efficiency.

It also delivers reliable performance at higher discharge pressures and is

suitable for both CIP and SIP processes.

The MaxiLobe UltraPure rotary lobe pump is available with 12 different

pump head displacements to handle flow rates up to 112 m³/h and

differential pressures up to 16 bar.

Benefits

• Reduce capital costs and simplify system design with smaller, optimally

sized pumps that deliver high capacity without compromising product

quality

• Increase process efficiency and yield through high volumetric efficiency

and a wide performance envelope

• Safeguard product integrity and simplify process validation with pharma

-grade design, validated materials, factory-tested performance

• Simplify maintenance and maximize uptime with front-loading seal, fully

interchangeable spare parts and easy-to-set pump clearances

• Replace selected Alfa Laval rotary lobe pumps with minimal pipework

modifications

Standard design

MaxiLobe UltraPure features tri-lobe rotors rated to 150 °C, facilitating use

in both CIP and SIP processes. All product-wetted metal components – 

including the rotor case, front cover, rotors, and rotor nuts – are

manufactured in EN 1.4404 (AISI 316L) stainless steel. Electropolished

surface finishes are Ra ≤ 0.38 μm.

An all-stainless-steel exterior, including the gearbox housing and feet,

provides exceptional corrosion resistance for demanding high-purity

production environments.

A robust gearbox with duplex shafts, rigid shaft assembly design, and

heavy-duty bearings ensures accurate rotor timing, supporting high

volumetric efficiency and long service life The pump is equipped with

a front-loading single mechanical seal, enabling quick, easy inspection

or replacement without removing the pump or disconnecting pipework.

Single flushed and double mechanical shaft seals are available as 

options.

Precision-profiled elastomer seals and an optimized shaft seal location

enhance high-purity design, verified cleanability and compliance with

the most stringent hygienic standards. MaxiLobe UltraPure is supplied

as standard with the comprehensive Alfa Laval Q-doc™ documentation

package, supporting full traceability and validation.

Working principle

Alfa Laval MaxiLobe UltraPure rotary lobe pumps operate on the positive

displacement principle, providing smooth, reliable transfer of low- to

high-viscosity products in high-purity applications while maintaining

product integrity.

Inside the pump head, precision-machined tri-lobe rotors rotate in

opposite directions without contacting each other or the pump casing.

A robust timing gearbox synchronizes the rotors to maintain accurate

clearances throughout operation.

As the counter-rotating rotors revolve, expanding cavities form between

the rotor lobes and the pump casing, creating a partial vacuum that

draws product into the pump. The product is then gently carried around

the outside of the rotors within these cavities. As the rotor lobes mesh

on the discharge side, the cavities decrease in size, displacing the

product through the outlet at a consistent flow rate.

Because there is no metal-to-metal contact in the pump head, MaxiLobe

UltraPure minimizes product shear and equipment wear, ensuring

efficient fluid transfer. Its gentle pumping action makes the pump ideal

for handling shear-sensitive, high-value products in pharmaceutical and

biotechnology applications.