Pumps for the sugar industry — molasses, syrup & cane juice
Select pumps for each process stage in the sugar mill: screw pumps & gear pumps for molasses and high-viscosity syrup, centrifugal pump for dilute cane juice and clarified juice — together with the filter mud separation & dewatering stage using a decanter centrifuge. Positive displacement pumps with steady flow, low shear, capable of handling viscous fluids with impurities.
The 2025–2026 processing season is projected to have 25 sugar mills operating with total designed capacity of ~124,000 tonnes of cane/day, with 2024–2025 season sugar output reaching over 1.266 million tonnes — each mill is a chain of pump application points from raw cane juice to molasses. (seasonal data — VSSA)
Where are pumps used in the sugar production line?
Each process stage has different fluids and requirements — from dilute cane juice to high-viscosity molasses. The diagram below maps the appropriate pump family (centrifugal / screw / gear) to each pump point, rather than selecting a single type for the entire mill.
Raw cane juice (raw juice)
Dilute, near-water liquid with cane fiber & sand → mildly abrasive.
Clarification & lime dosing
Liming + coagulation, heating, settling → filter mud separation.
Evaporation → syrup
Concentration, HOT syrup, high viscosity (per manufacturer 2,000–10,000 mPas @ 70–80°C).
Sugar boiling / massecuite
Crystals + mother liquor, very viscous, shear-sensitive (crystal breakage).
Centrifugal separation: sugar ↔ molasses
Separation of sugar crystals from mother liquor → molasses + finished sugar.
Molasses (final molasses)
High viscosity (per manufacturer 5,000–15,000 mPas @ 40–60°C), impurities, prone to hardening.
Filter mud & wastewater sludge
Dense filter mud (press mud) with solid particles; wastewater sludge requires dewatering.
9 pump application points in a sugar mill: raw cane juice · lime/coagulant dosing · clarified juice · filter mud · syrup · massecuite · magma/remelt · molasses · mud feed for solid–liquid separation. The mud separation/dewatering stage uses a decanter centrifuge (HAUS) — a solid–liquid separation machine, not a pump. Match the model to each actual operating point — contact for datasheet
Three challenges in sugar mills — and how to address them
High-viscosity molasses & syrup, shear-sensitive massecuite, and difficult-to-handle filter mud are three recurring problem groups. Each card below explains the mechanism causing the problem and the corresponding technical approach.
High-viscosity molasses & syrup
Very high-viscosity molasses (per manufacturer up to 5,000–15,000 mPas) causes conventional centrifugal pumps to lose efficiency and increase shear force; hot, concentrated syrup is difficult to circulate steadily.
Used for positive displacement pump: progressive cavity screw pump (Nova Rotors) for viscous fluids with solid particles, or internal gear pump (Tuthill) for relatively clean viscous syrup/molasses — steady flow, low pulsation.
Shear-sensitive massecuite & solid particles
Massecuite contains sugar crystals that break easily through high-speed pumps; dense filter mud with solid particles easily clogs conventional pumps.
Progressive cavity screw pump (Nova Rotors) delivers steady flow, low shear, capable of handling fluids with suspended solid particles (massecuite, filter mud), solid content up to ~28% (per Nova Rotors website).
Molasses hardening & difficult filter mud
High-viscosity molasses can harden and adhere inside pipelines when cooled; filter mud and plant wastewater sludge require dewatering to reduce volume and recover water.
Can be combined with a heating system (electric for tanks, steam for pipelines) to maintain temperature and reduce viscosity during pumping; AISI 316 pump body for corrosion resistance (per Nova manufacturer data). Filter mud is dewatered using HAUS decanter centrifuge.
Representative pumps for sugar mills
Select by fluid and process stage: Nova Rotors screw pump for molasses / massecuite / filter mud, Tuthill gear pump for viscous syrup & molasses, Salvatore Robuschi centrifugal pump for dilute cane juice. Per-duty data per verified manufacturer specifications; for exact operating point — contact for datasheet.
- TypeProgressive cavity (PC) screw pump
- Molasses5.000–15.000 mPas @ 40–60°C (per manufacturer)
- Solidsup to ~28% (per Nova website)
Suitable process stages: molasses, massecuite, filter mud, syrup.
View products- TypeProgressive cavity with hopper, for high-solids fluid feed
- Syrup2.000–10.000 mPas @ 70–80°C (per manufacturer)
- BodyAISI 316 (per manufacturer data)
Suitable process stages: dense filter mud, molasses, high-solids material feed.
View products- TypeInternal gear pump
- Flow rate15–550 gpm (~57–2,082 L/min, converted)
- Viscosityup to 1,000,000 ssu (~220,000 cst, converted)
Suitable process stages: relatively clean viscous syrup & molasses, smooth extraction/metering.
View products- TypeInternal gear pump
- TechnologyORBIS™ (metal-to-metal contact-free)
- Flow ratecontact for datasheet
Suitable process stages: syrup circulation, transfer of high-viscosity molasses.
View products- TypeVortex centrifugal pump
- Flow rateup to 800 m³/h
- Head / temperatureup to 60 mwc · up to 180°C
Suitable stage: raw cane juice with solids/fiber, dilute juice with suspended solids.
View products- TypeChannel impeller centrifugal pump
- Flow rateup to 2.400 m³/h
- Head / temperatureup to 70 mwc · up to 220°C
Suitable stage: high-flow raw cane juice, process water.
View productsNova Rotors, Tuthill & Salvatore Robuschi model range
Range data sourced from verified manufacturer data (TKT website + manufacturer website). Tuthill original values in imperial units are converted and noted as "converted". Unverified values for specific operating points are noted as "contact for datasheet".
| Brands | Series / Model | Pump type | Typical range | Suitable stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nova Rotors | DIAMOND (DN/DH/DV/DX/HE/XF) | PC screw pump | Q up to 420 m³/h · pressure up to 48 bar · solids ~28% | molasses, massecuite, filter cake, syrup |
| Nova Rotors | RAPTOR (HTS) | Twin-screw sanitary pump | viscosity ≤1,000,000 cps | viscous sanitary fluid |
| Nova Rotors | DOSING (DM / MX) | PC metering pump | contact for datasheet | additive / liquor metering |
| Tuthill | GlobalGear® | Internal gear | 15–550 gpm (~57–2,082 L/min, converted); viscosity up to ~220,000 cst (converted) | syrup, clean viscous molasses |
| Tuthill | Process (T / D / HD / 4000 / L) | Internal gear | contact for datasheet | circulation / transfer of syrup, molasses |
| Salvatore Robuschi | RC (vortex) | Centrifugal | Q up to 800 m³/h · H up to 60 mwc | raw cane juice with solids/fiber |
| Salvatore Robuschi | RB (channel) | Centrifugal | Q up to 2,400 m³/h · H up to 70 mwc | high-flow raw cane juice |
| Salvatore Robuschi | RD (process) | Closed-impeller centrifugal pump | Q up to 500 m³/h · H up to 140 mwc · 16 bar | clarified cane juice, process water |
Pump type selection guide by process stage
- Raw cane juice / clarified juice / process water: Salvatore Robuschi centrifugal pump (RC vortex, RB channel for juice with solids/fiber; RD for clarified juice).
- Syrup & viscous molasses (relatively clean fluid): Tuthill internal gear pump — steady flow, smooth transfer/metering.
- Massecuite / molasses / filter cake (with solid particles): Nova Rotors PC screw pump — low shear, crystal-safe.
- Filter cake separation / dewatering: HAUS decanter centrifuge (solid–liquid separation, not a pump).
- Exact model match for each actual operating point — contact for datasheet
PC screw pump or gear pump for molasses?
Handles viscous fluid WITH suspended solids (massecuite with crystals, filter cake); low shear preserves crystal structure. Complements gear pumps, does not replace them.
Suitable for VISCOUS syrup / molasses that is relatively CLEAN (low abrasive solids — gear pumps are sensitive to abrasive particles); smooth flow for transfer/metering.
Pump type selector by process fluid
Thin fluid
- raw cane juice
- clarified cane juice
- process water
- wash water
Centrifugal pump efficient at low viscosity, high flow rate. The RC vortex / RB channel (free passage up to 150 mm) handles solids/fiber better than closed impellers.
Viscous & clean fluid
- syrup
- molasses (clean)
- viscous sugar liquor
Internal gear pump for steady, low-pulsation, smooth operation — suitable for high-viscosity syrup / molasses with low abrasive solids content.
Viscous fluid WITH solid particles
- massecuite
- magma
- filter cake
- molasses
Progressive cavity screw pump: steady low-pulsation flow, low shear, handles high-viscosity fluid with suspended solids without breaking massecuite crystal structure.
Exact model & material match for each operating point (flow rate × head × fluid × temperature) — contact for datasheet
Steady, low-pulsation flow for viscous fluids
Positive displacement pump (screw / gear) for steady, low-pulsation flow — suitable for high-viscosity syrup and molasses where centrifugal pumps lose efficiency.
Low shear for massecuite
Screw pump generates low shear, minimizing massecuite crystal breakage compared to high-speed pumps — select configuration by grade A/B/C.
Handling solid particles & impurities
PC screw pump handles fluid with suspended solids (filter cake, massecuite), solids content up to ~28% (per Nova Rotors website); AISI 316 body for corrosion resistance (per manufacturer).
Three pump brands, three roles in the sugar factory
Three pump brands handle process fluid transfer by viscosity and solids content, and one solid–liquid separation centrifuge covers the filter cake & wastewater sludge stages — a complete solution range for the entire sugar factory.
Progressive cavity screw pump for high-viscosity fluid with solids: molasses, massecuite, filter cake, and syrup. Steady flow, low shear; per manufacturer, handles fluid up to 100,000 mPas, AISI 316 body.
View Nova Rotors brandInternal gear pump for high-viscosity syrup & molasses that is relatively clean — steady flow rate, smooth operation, suitable for transfer & metering. GlobalGear / Process range (including ORBIS™ contact-free abrasion resistance).
View Tuthill brandCentrifugal pump to ISO 2858/5199 for dilute cane juice, clarified juice, process water & wash water. RC vortex / RB channel range (free passage up to 150 mm) passes juice with solids/fiber; materials AISI 316 / Superduplex / 904L.
View Salvatore Robuschi brandSugar factory filter cake treatment with decanter centrifuge
Filter cake (press mud) and wastewater sludge from sugar factories contain solid particles and water. HAUS decanter centrifuge performs solid–liquid separation to dewater filter cake, producing a mud cake (usable as fertilizer or feed supplement). This is a solid–liquid separation centrifuge, NOT a fluid transfer pump — sludge feed pumping uses Nova Rotors screw pumps (which handle solid particles). HAUS manufactures decanters (DDE/DDF/DDI range), disk-stack separators, and turbo blowers.
Learn about HAUS — sludge separation decanter centrifugeFluid & pumping points served
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Q&A on pumps for the sugar industry
Which pump is suitable for high-viscosity molasses?
How does a screw pump differ from a gear pump when pumping syrup / molasses?
Why is a standard centrifugal pump not used for molasses?
Does pumping massecuite break sugar crystals?
Molasses tends to solidify and stick — how does the pump handle this?
Which pump to choose for raw cane juice containing sand / fiber?
What equipment is used to treat filter cake (press mud) and wastewater sludge in sugar factories?
Are pumps and spare parts for the sugar industry available in Vietnam?
Get pump selection consultation for your sugar factory
Provide the process stage, fluid, flow rate, viscosity, and temperature — enough for us to recommend the right pump type (screw / gear / centrifugal) and model. Call directly, message via Zalo, or submit a request through the form.
- Process stage
- Fluid
- Flow rate
- Viscosity
- Fluid temperature