Industrial Gear Pumps

A gear pump is a rotary positive displacement pump that uses mechanical gears to transport fluid from suction to discharge in constant volume per rotation — independent of system pressure. It is the correct technology for any fluid with viscosity above roughly 150 cSt, the range where centrifugal pumps lose efficiency exponentially. There are two main gear-pump architectures: external and internal. In external gear, two gears with external teeth are mounted side by side, rotating in opposite directions. Fluid fills the spaces between teeth and the casing wall, being transported in 'pockets' around each gear. It is the most versatile, most robust, cheapest and most tolerant architecture for difficult start-ups. In internal gear, a smaller external gear rotates inside a larger internal ring, with a half-moon spacer between the two that seals suction from discharge. This architecture has much lower pulsation, lower shear, greater tolerance to extreme viscosities and silent operation. FB Bombas manufactures both: the FBE series (external gear) since 1944, and the FBEI series (internal gear) for applications where FBE is not the technically correct choice. The two lines together cover 99% of Brazilian industrial applications requiring rotary positive displacement pumps — from light hydraulic oil to blown bitumen, from chocolate to heavy fuel oil, from sulfuric acid to epoxy resin.

The FBE series is FB Bombas's main line. It covers DN 1/8" to 6" in 12 standardized sizes, with flows from 5 L/min on the FBE 1/8" up to 6,500 L/min (390 m³/h) on the FBE 6" DA. Nominal pressure is up to 22 kgf/cm² across the whole line, temperature up to 350 °C (on the CA version with heating chamber) and viscosity from 30 to 100,000 SSU per technical manual Table 2 MTEC-01/01. Standard materials are five: cast iron ASTM A48 CL30 (most applications), ductile iron ASTM A536 60-40-18 (high mechanical loads), carbon steel ASTM A216 WCB (petrochemical and severe applications), 316 stainless steel ASTM A743 CF8M (corrosive fluids, food, emulsions) and bronze ASTM B584 C93700 (marine and specific chemical applications). Sealing in four options: gland packing, type 21 mechanical seal, lip seal and magnetic coupling. Construction variants by suffix: A (larger-diameter gear), CA (With Heating Chamber for fluids requiring controlled temperature), D (longer-length gear), DA (longer length and larger module gear), and modifiers M6, M8, M9, M12 per gear module. This matrix enables specifying the exact pump for each application — from distributor diesel to bunker-ship BPF, Dowtherm thermal oil to SBS polymer-modified asphalt.

The FBEI series is FB Bombas's complementary internal-gear line. It applies when FBE is not the technically correct choice: sustained viscosities above 1,000-2,000 cSt, pulsation-below-5% requirement (fine filtration lines, precision dosing, spray-nozzle feeding), very low shear (resins with sensitive polymers, SBS-modified CAP, pure PU) or silent operation (cosmetics, pharma, hospital equipment). The FBEI technical manual (MAN001-10, Rev 00) describes 10 official models with complete dimensions, distributed across three casing configurations: compact (Fig. 11), with-relief-valve (Fig. 8) and heavy-duty-3in (Fig. 12). SKUs range from GG1 (1") to AL3 (3") in nominal sizes 1", 1½", 2", 2½" and 3". For sizes above 3", dimensioning is custom with specific design. FBEI is applied in Brazilian paint and resin manufacturers, two-component epoxy resin production, high-grade chocolate and confectionery, vegetable oil refineries, blown-asphalt-based waterproofing, SBS polymer-modified CAP in asphalt plants, asphalt emulsion (CAE) on 316 stainless base, and lubrication applications with high-viscosity synthetic oils. Typical volumetric efficiency is 90-97% at nominal viscosity, with discharge pulsation typically below 5% of mean value.

The breadth of applications covered by FBE and FBEI lines reflects the diversity of Brazilian industry. In chemical and petrochemical, gear pumps are used for viscous acids, solvents, resins, petroleum derivatives, bitumen, fuel oils, BPF and thermal oil. In steel and metallurgy, they operate in rolling systems (rolling oils, cutting fluids), forced planetary-gearbox lubrication, quenching circuits and hydraulic press systems. In pulp and paper, they serve pumping of black liquor, starch, glue and pulp. In mining, they lubricate crushers, ball mills, conveyor-belt reducers and hydraulic systems of large equipment. In food industry, they pump chocolate, molasses, vegetable oils, glycerin and industrial syrups in 316 stainless with sanitary finish. In textile, they transfer dyes, gums and waxes; in pharma, viscous bases and creams. In sanitation and water treatment, they handle polymer and viscous-chemical dosing. In asphalt and bitumen, they are the standard technology for CAP, emulsions, polymer-modified CAP and coal-tar pitch. In biofuels, they transfer biodiesel, ethanol and HVO. In fossil fuels, they operate in diesel, gasoline, kerosene and BPF in terminals, refineries and distribution bases. This application portfolio is served by a single manufacturer in Cabreúva, Brazil — no import dependency, no 6-9 month lead times and with application engineering speaking Portuguese directly.

• Oils — lubricants, hydraulic, dielectric, vegetable, residual
• Asphalt — CAP, blown bitumen, SBS-modified CAP, emulsion, pitch
• Resins and paints — epoxy, polyester, alkyd, PU, varnishes, pigments
• Foods — chocolate, honey, syrups, vegetable oils, glycerin
• Fuels — diesel, gasoline, kerosene, BPF, biodiesel, HVO
• Industrial hydraulics — HPU, presses, steel, mining, cement
• Chemical and petrochemical — viscous acids, solvents, thermal oils
• Pulp and paper — black liquor, starch, pulp
• Steel — rolling oils, cutting fluids, quenching

FB Bombas is the original Brazilian industrial-scale gear-pump manufacturer since 1944. The real advantages versus imported competitors (Viking, Netzsch, Maag, Hidex, RZR, Edral) and versus smaller Brazilian competitors are four: application engineering in Portuguese directly with the people who design the pump, 4-8× shorter lead time than the imported equivalent (25-50 days versus 4-8 months), permanent spare-parts availability in Cabreúva, Brazil, with no import dependency, and direct compliance with API 676 3rd edition plus active Petrobras CRCC Family 6. In total-cost-of-ownership (TCO) terms, FBE and FBEI deliver accumulated savings over service life of 30-50% compared to imports, considering initial purchase price, 15-year parts cost, emergency lead time and local technical-support availability. For industries in 24/7 production regime (refineries, asphalt plants, steelmakers, food factories), these factors are generally more decisive than isolated unit price. To start a quotation, send process data (fluid, flow, pressure, temperature, viscosity, classified area if applicable, desired material) to comercial@fbbombas.com.br. Application engineering responds in 48-72 business hours with complete technical specification. For factory inspection visits in Cabreúva, Brazil, or witnessing hydrostatic testing, scheduling via +55 11 4898-9200 or WhatsApp +55 11 97287-4837.