Wine pump VX136: improved pumping processes

Case Study - an Italian winery

Pumping is a fundamental and very delicate phase during the winemaking process; in particular, we analyzed:

• Pumping over, often of the traditional type, is performed by circulating from the bottom to the top of the fermentation tank. During this phase, it is very important that the product is pumped gently and constantly.
• The blending, or mixing, of wines and musts from various sources, where a constant flow rate is required.
• The delivery of wine where wine cellars often use tanker trucks that must be filled or emptied quickly by means of a pump system.

We addressed these three phases with a well-known wine cellar in the Veneto region, who encountered the following problems when using piston pumps:

• During pump-over, the product was very foamy as it was not pumped constantly and the product was shaken.
• Flow rates were not constant during the blending phase as well.
• Furthermore, the tanker truck did not get fully filled, as the flow rate underwent peaks, which created emulsion that reduced the end capacity.

Together with the customer, we decided to install the VX136-140 QVVA pump fitted with HiFlo^® lobes with 4 helical wings, which guarantees a constant pump action without peaks in flow rate. The pumping processes have improved now:

• Pumping over now takes place at a constant rate with no emulsion, and the product is delivered much more gently.
• The blending phase now occurs seamlessly, guaranteeing a constant flow rate.
• The tanker truck now gets fully filled, as a layer of foam is no longer created inside.