Levitronix GmbH: Centrifugal Pump without Bearings or Seals

Abstract

By combining a canned-motor with a magnetically levitated pump impeller, Switzerland's Levitronix GmbH has achieved a centrifugal pump with neither shaft seals nor impeller bearings. This has many advantages for the handling of a range of sterile, shear-sensitive or delicate fluids. The feasibility concept was first demonstrated in 1995 by a group at Sulzer Electronics and ETH Zürich who went on to establish Levitronix in January 2001 in order to develop and commercialize the technology. The basics of the pump's design and its advantages for a number of medical and industrial applications is explained.