Unibloc® Twin Screw Hygienic Pumps

Game-Changing External Timing Adjustment

Unibloc® Twin Screw positive displacement (PD) pumps redefine what’s possible in high-pressure hygienic applications. While other pumps require disassembly for timing adjustments, our externally adjustable timing system enables precision adjustments in just five minutes. No disassembly, no contamination risk from opening oil-filled housings on the production line, minimized downtime.

Foolproof One-Way Screw Reassembly

The new Unibloc Twin Screw pump features an innovative design that ensures perfect alignment every time, eliminating guesswork during assembly. With identical drive and lay screw shafts, reassembly is simpler and spare parts inventory is streamlined, reducing complexity across maintenance operations. This design allows technicians to get reassembly right on the first try—without rework.

Ultra-Hygienic Design

Fewer parts than competing screw pumps reduce the risk of foreign object contamination, while our advanced oil reservoir design delivers optimal flow and circulation for superior heat dissipation and extended bearing life.

High-Performance Applications

• Delivers the highest discharge pressure of any hygienic pump.
• Handles viscous products up to 1,000,000 cP.
• Ideal for shear-sensitive products with entrained solids up to 45mm.
• Minimize waste with effective Clean-In-Place (CIP) via reversible operation.
• The family of four pumps has flow capacities from 200 to 1200 gallons (757 to 4542 liters) per minute with volumetric efficiency greater than 90%.
• The pumps can operate at temperatures up to 248° F (120 °C) and at system pressures of 360 psi (24.8 bar) to enable their use with a wide range of products.
• Operating speeds up to 3600 RPM for increased productivity.

Benefits

• Advanced design and fewer parts lead to easier, simpler, faster maintenance.
• External access to timing adjustments – without having to open messy oil-filled housings.
• Preserves the integrity of shear-sensitive, high-viscosity products, handling everything from small-batch specialty products to high-volume production runs.
• Smooth, consistent non-pulsating flow even at high flow rates.
• Dual-duty design — a single pump for processing at low speeds or effective CIP at higher speeds.

*Availability pending.

Frequently Asked Questions

Both twin screw and lobe pumps belong to the positive displacement family and see widespread use in hygienic processing, but they differ in design, capability, and the applications they serve best. Understanding these differences helps engineers and plant operators select the right technology for their specific needs.

Twin screw pumps use two counter-rotating helical screws to move product axially through the pump in a continuous, nearly pulse-free flow. This design delivers high tolerance for entrained gases, moves solids as large as 45 mm without damaging them, and can handle 1,000,000 cP, depending on operating conditions. Twin screw pumps also excel at generating high discharge pressures, making them ideal for long pipe runs and vertical lifts. Lobe pumps, by contrast, use two or more lobed rotors that rotate in opposite directions within a close-tolerance housing. They deliver gentle, predictable flow and handle particulates well, but they typically cannot match the pressure range or viscosity capability of a twin screw design.

Maintenance profiles also differ. Twin screw pumps tend to have higher initial capital costs than lobe pumps, but a well-designed twin screw pump can reduce the cost difference by lowering total cost of ownership. Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies offers both pump types. The Unibloc Twin Screw Pump features patent-pending external timing adjustment an done-way screw reassembly that simplifies maintenance. The Unibloc Lobe Pumps feature a time-saving QuickStrip^® design that slashes manual cleaning from hours to minutes. The Unibloc^® FoodFirst^® and Unibloc^® CleanPlus™ versions eliminate rotor bolts, eliminating the risk of damage from mis-torquing while stabilizing the rotor against housing contact.

Yes, twin screw pumps can run dry longer than lobe pumps, although the pump should not be run dry for extended periods. The capability to run dry for a period makes them a reliable choice for applications where product flow is intermittent or where the pump must continue operating during startup, shutdown, or process transitions without risking mechanical failure.

The design behind this capability lies in the non-contact principle at the heart of twin screw operation. The screws do not physically contact the housing or each other during rotation, eliminating the metal-on-metal wear that would occur in other pump designs during dry runs. This also means the pump poses no risk of plastic or metallic contamination in the product stream, a critical advantage in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing environments.

Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies designs its Twin Screw Hygienic Pumps to take full advantage of this capability while maintaining ultra-hygienic construction. With fewer parts than competing twin screw designs, the Unibloc Twin Screw Pump minimizes the risk of foreign object contamination and simplifies maintenance, helping keep dry-run performance reliable over the life of the equipment.

Positive displacement pumps deliver consistent, predictable flow across a wide range of viscosities and pressures, but like all mechanical equipment, they are subject to recurring issues that can reduce performance, increase downtime, and raise maintenance costs. Identifying these problems early helps plant operators protect productivity and product quality.

Seal wear and leakage rank among the most frequent issues. Mechanical seals degrade over time due to pressure cycling, temperature changes, and abrasive media. Improper reassembly after manual cleaning accelerates this process. Timing drift is another common concern, particularly in twin screw pumps. When screw timing shifts, the pump’s efficiency can decrease. High part counts and complex disassembly procedures compound these problems by making routine inspections and seal replacements time-consuming and error-prone. Contamination risk also increases when maintenance requires opening oil-filled housings or handling many small components near the product stream.

Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies engineered its pump portfolio to address these exact challenges. The Unibloc Twin Screw Pump features a patent-pending external timing adjustment system that takes just five minutes, with no disassembly, no exposure of the oil housing, and no contamination risk. Its one-way screw reassembly eliminates guesswork, and its front-loaded seal design simplifies replacement. With fewer parts than most competing designs, the pump reduces both the likelihood of maintenance errors and the chance of contaminants entering the product stream.

Twin screw pumps serve a broad range of applications wherever processors need gentle, high-volume fluid handling combined with reliable sanitation. Their ability to move viscous, shear-sensitive, and particle-laden products without damage makes them a versatile workhorse in demanding industrial environments.

Food and beverage production represents one of the largest markets for twin screw pumps. Dairy processors, confectioners, bakery manufacturers, and pet food producers all depend on twin screw pumps to transfer products like yogurt, chocolate, fruit-filled preparations, and thick sauces without damaging inclusions or altering product texture. Unibloc twin screw pumps are also capable of handling extremely high viscosities up to 1,000,000 cP, depending on operating conditions. This makes them well-suited for syrups, sauces, and thick formulations. Beyond food, these pumps find regular use in personal care, pharmaceutical, and chemical processing, wherever product integrity and cleanability are paramount. Their high discharge pressure capability, up to 360 psi, allows them to push product through long pipe runs and vertical lifts without relying on booster pumps.

Twin screw pumps also serve as effective CIP pumps. At higher RPMs, they generate the turbulence needed to clean themselves in place, and their reversible operation allows processors to clear residual product before a cleaning cycle begins, reducing waste. Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies offers twin screw pumps engineered specifically for these demanding applications with a patent-pending external timing adjustment, bi-directional flow, and foolproof one-way screw reassembly.

Screw pumps deliver continuous, low-shear flow across an exceptionally wide range of viscosities and product types,making them one of the most versatile positive displacement technologies available to hygienic processors. Their application range extends well beyond a single industry or product category.

In food manufacturing, screw pumps move viscous products like creams, sauces, fruit preparations, and confectionery blends while preserving texture and particle integrity. They handle suspended solids gently and maintain non-pulsating flow, which supports consistent downstream process performance. Dairy and beverage producers rely on screw pumps to transfer thick or shear-sensitive fluids through processing lines without degradation. Personal care and cosmetics manufacturers use them for lotions, pastes, and emulsions that demand gentle handling. Pharmaceutical processors value screw pumps for their cleanability, predictable flow, and compatibility with strict sanitation protocols and regulatory requirements.

From a process design standpoint, screw pumps also offer steady, predictable flow and the ability to self-prime, which reduces the complexity of installation and startup. Their high discharge pressure ratings make them effective for applications involving long pipe runs or significant elevation changes. Unibloc Hygienic Technologies manufactures twin screw pumps built around these capabilities, combining an ultra-hygienic design with external timing adjustment.

Twin screw pumps are widely used across a wide spectrum of process industries, anywhere that operators need to move viscous, shear-sensitive, or particle-laden fluids with precision and cleanliness. Their versatility across viscosity ranges, flow rates, and discharge pressures makes them a recurring choice in demanding production environments worldwide.

The food and beverage industry represents the largest user base. Dairy processors, confectioners, bakery manufacturers, and pet food producers all depend on twin screw pumps to transfer products like yogurt, chocolate, fruit-filled preparations, and thick sauces without damaging inclusions or altering product texture. Personal care and cosmetics manufacturers use them for lotions, creams, and emulsions that require gentle handling. Pharmaceutical companies value their cleanability and flow consistency for transferring active ingredients and semi-solid formulations. Chemical processors select twin screw pumps when they need high discharge pressures and the ability to handle viscous fluids over long distances. Their tolerance for high discharge pressures and self-priming ability also make them useful in process lines where upstream conditions vary.

Across all of these industries, sanitation and maintenance efficiency play a critical role in pump selection. Unibloc Hygienic Technologies designs its Twin Screw Pumps meets these demands, featuring fewer parts, patent-pending external timing adjustment, and a dual-duty design that supports both production and clean-in-place cycles.

Twin screw pumps belong to the positive displacement family of pump technologies. They move fluid by physically displacing a fixed volume of product with each revolution of the screws, rather than relying on velocity, as in centrifugal pumps. This fundamental operating principle gives them a predictable flow regardless of system pressure changes.

Inside the pump housing, two helical screws rotate in opposite directions, synchronized by external timing gears. As the screws turn, they trap pockets of product between their threads and the pump housing, then carry that product axially from the suction port to the discharge port in a smooth, continuous motion. The screws do not physically contact the housing or each other, because a small, carefully controlled clearance exists between them. This non-contact design eliminates metal-on-metal wear, prevents contamination from abrasion, and allows the pump to run dry without damage. The result is a consistent, non-pulsating flow that preserves product integrity, handles solids gently, and maintains consistent output even at high viscosities.

Twin screw pumps also self-prime and tolerate entrained solids effectively, simplifing installation, and improving reliability in real-world processing conditions. Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies builds on this proven operating principle with innovations such as a patent-pending external timing adjustment and one-way screw reassembly, making the Unibloc Twin Screw Pumps faster and easier to maintain than competing designs.

The twin screw mechanism is the core operating principle behind twin screw pumps, a positive displacement design that uses two synchronized, counter-rotating helical screws housed inside a precision-machined casing to move fluid from inlet to outlet in a controlled, continuous manner.

The two screws are driven by a common motor and kept in precise rotational alignment by external timing gears housed separately from the product path. As each screw rotates, its helical threads create volumetrically trapped cavities formed between the screw flights and housing. These pockets travel axially along the length of the screw, carrying product smoothly from the suction side to the discharge side without turbulence or pulsation. Because the screws never make direct contact with one another or with the housing, the mechanism produces no metal-on-metal wear and no abrasion-based contamination, which are critical advantages in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing. The tight clearances between moving parts also allow the pump to generate high discharge pressures, enabling it to overcome friction losses in long pipe runs and move viscous fluids over significant distances.

This mechanism delivers volumetric output directly tied to rotational speed, giving operators precise control over flow rate simply by adjusting RPM. Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies Twin Screw Pumps refine this proven mechanism with features like patent-pending external timing adjustment and identical drive and lay shafts, reducing operating and maintenance complexity without compromising performance.

Twin screw pumps offer a compelling combination of performance, versatility, and maintainability that sets them apart from other pump technologies in hygienic processing environments. Their advantages span product handling, operational flexibility, and long-term cost of ownership across a wide range of industries.

Twin screw pumps deliver smooth, nearly pulse-free flow across a wide range of viscosities, up to 1,000,000 cP for extremely high viscosities, depending on operating conditions, while handling solid particles up to 45 mm without damage. Their non-contact design means the screws never touch the housing, eliminating metal-on-metal wear and any risk of abrasion-based contamination entering the product stream. They self-prime, run dry without harm, and tolerate entrained gases, making them resilient across variable process conditions. Twin screw pumps also generate high discharge pressures up to 360 psi, enabling them to move product through long pipe runs and vertical lifts without the need for booster pumps. Their dual-duty capability allows a single pump to handle both production at lower speeds and effective clean-in-place cycles at higher RPM, a significant advantage for facilities where downtime and sanitation efficiency directly impact profitability.

Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies Twin Screw Pumps amplify these inherent advantages with design innovations including patent-pending external timing adjustment, one-way screw reassembly, front-loaded seals, and an advanced oil management system that extends bearing life. The result is fast operational adjustment, fast disassembly for maintenance, and CIP cleaning. All these features combine to lower the total cost of ownership.

Screw pumps come in several configurations, each suited to different flow, pressure, and product-handling requirements. Understanding the distinctions between these types helps engineers match the right technology to their specific processing demands.

Single screw pumps, also known as progressive cavity pumps, use one helical rotor turning inside a molded elastomeric stator. They handle viscous and abrasive products well, but can present challenges in hygienic environments due to the complexity of cleaning around the stator geometry and the limitations of elastomeric materials to aggressive sanitation chemicals.

Twin screw pumps use two counter-rotating helical screws housed in a precision-machined metal casing. They deliver higher flow rates, higher discharge pressures, and superior cleanability compared to single screw designs, making them the preferred choice in food, beverage, and pharmaceutical processing.

Multi-screw pumps incorporate three or more screws and are typically used in industrial lubricant transfer and hydraulic applications where hygienic requirements are not a priority. Their smooth flow characteristics make them effective for oil and fuel handling but less relevant to sanitary processing environments.

For hygienic applications demanding high flow, gentle product handling, and efficient sanitation, twin screw pumps represent the strongest option in the screw pump family. Unibloc^® Hygienic Technologies designs its Twin Screw Pumps with features like external timing adjustment and dual-duty CIP capability to meet these needs.