Patent number US 10,400,765 B2 has been granted to PeopleFlo for a unique gear/lobe pump design that restrains the thermal growth of high-CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) rotor materials such as plastics or composites. PeopleFlo has incorporated this design into a metallic lobe pump with thermoplastic lobes that maintains tight running clearances throughout a large temperature range, even though the CTEs of the lobes and casing are very different.
“Thermoplastic lobes are especially beneficial in a sanitary pump because they eliminate the potential of metallic wear particles getting into the pumped fluid” stated Mike Thompson, co-inventor.