Pumps for the animal feed industry — molasses, fat & liquid additives
High-viscosity molasses and fat require positive displacement pump slow speed, smooth flow: internal gear pump (Tuthill) or progressive-cavity screw pump (Nova Rotors). Liquid additives per formula require precision metering; additives in drums/IBCs require a dedicated drum pump (Jessberger). We match pumps to each process stage of the feed plant.
Vietnam's industrial animal feed output in 2025 is estimated at approximately 22.12 million tonnes (+2.9%) — every plant is a chain of liquid pump application points, from molasses intake to additive metering. (industry data — nhachannuoi.vn)
Where are pumps used in an animal feed plant?
Feed plant flow: intake → grinding → mixing → pelleting → additive/molasses coating → cooling → bagging. Each stage has its own fluid and requirements. The diagram below matches pump families and brands to each pump application point — select pumps by process stage rather than generically.
Loading & transferring molasses
High-viscosity cane molasses; transferred from tanker → day tank → process line.
Molasses coating spray on bran / pellets
Heated molasses; requires smooth, low-pulsation flow for even coating.
Grease / oil pump
Animal fat, vegetable/fish oil; medium–high viscosity, usually heated.
Liquid additive metering
Enzymes, vitamins, organic acids, flavoring — low flow rate, precise metering.
Drum / IBC dispensing
Dilute liquid additives in 200L drums / IBC 1000L (acid, oil, solvent).
5 pump application points in the feed plant: loading & transferring molasses · spraying molasses onto bran/pellet coating · pumping grease/oil · metering liquid additives · dispensing from drum/IBC. High-viscosity molasses & grease use Tuthill (gear) or Nova (PC); metering uses Nova dosing; dilute additive drums use Jessberger. Actual operating points depend on plant/formula — contact for datasheet
Three challenges in feed plants — and how to address them
High-viscosity molasses & grease, precise additive metering, and drum additive dispensing are the three recurring problem groups. Each card below explains the mechanism causing the problem and the corresponding technical approach.
High-viscosity molasses & grease
Molasses has high viscosity (approximately 5,000–10,000 cP per industry sources) and varies with temperature → centrifugal pumps suffer significant efficiency loss and cannot handle viscous fluid.
Used for positive displacement pump run slowly (approximately 100–200 rpm) with large-diameter pipes: internal gear pump (Tuthill) for steady flow, or PC screw pump (Nova) for viscous fluid with particles/fibers.
Heating & minimum viscosity threshold
Heating molasses/grease makes pumping and spraying easier, but if viscosity drops below the gear pump minimum threshold, slippage and gear wear increase.
Temperature control and select the appropriate clearance configuration. PC screw pump delivers steady flow regardless of viscosity & discharge pressure, less sensitive to viscosity threshold — suitable when temperature varies.
Additive metering & dispensing
Enzymes, vitamins, liquid acids require small flow rates, precisely repeatable per batch; many additives arrive in 200L drums/IBC 1000L, some are flammable or corrosive.
Metering pump / PC dosing (Nova DM/MX) for small, adjustable flow rates. Drum/IBC dispensing uses Jessberger JP with immersion tube material selected by fluid type, electric or explosion-proof pneumatic motor (Ex).
Pumps by process stage in the feed industry
One pump family per process stage: high-viscosity molasses & grease use Tuthill (gear) or Nova (PC screw); additive metering uses Nova dosing; drum/IBC dispensing uses Jessberger. Flow/pressure data sourced from manufacturer datasheets; unit conversions noted as "(converted)".
Tuthill GlobalGear gear pump
Suitable stage: molasses transfer & spraying, high-viscosity grease/oil pumping. GG015 ~57, GG030 ~114, GG080 ~303 L/min (converted).
View productsDN-JN Diamond Progressive-Cavity Pump — Nova Rotors
Suitable stage: molasses transfer / viscous feed liquid with particles. Steady flow regardless of viscosity & discharge pressure.
View productsDM Progressive-Cavity Metering Pump — Nova Rotors
Suitable stage: liquid additive metering by formula — steady flow proportional to speed, low pulsation.
View productsMX Sanitary Metering Pump — Nova Rotors
Suitable stage: food-contact additive metering — sanitary flow path, compatible materials.
View productsJessberger JP-280 ALU Drum Pump
Suitable stage: dispensing liquid additives from drum/IBC. ~112 L/min (rotor), viscosity up to 1,000 mPa·s, Universal electric motor.
View productsJessberger JP-480 SS Drum Pump
Suitable stage: dispensing flammable additives/solvents. ~112 L/min (rotor), explosion-proof motor Ex db IIC T6.
View productsPump selection table by process stage & fluid
Tuthill GlobalGear and Jessberger JP data sourced from verified manufacturer datasheets (US units converted to L/min, noted as "(converted)"). Nova Rotors range sourced from Thái Khương Pump brand page. Unverified values for specific operating points are noted as "contact datasheet".
| Process stage | Fluid | Pump type | Brands | Flow rate / range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading & transferring molasses | High-viscosity molasses | Gear / PC screw | Tuthill / Nova | ~57–303 L/min (converted) |
| Molasses spraying for bran/pellet coating | Molasses (heated) | Gear / PC screw | Tuthill / Nova | contact for datasheet |
| Grease / oil pump | Grease, vegetable/fish oil | Gear / PC screw | Tuthill / Nova | contact for datasheet |
| Liquid additive metering | Enzyme/acid/vitamin | Metering / PC dosing | Nova DM / MX | contact for datasheet |
| Drum / IBC dispensing | Dilute liquid additives | Drum Pumps | Jessberger JP | 112 L/min (rotor) |
Verified manufacturer data — Tuthill GlobalGear
| Model | Q max | Converted (≈ L/min) | Max pressure | Max speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GG015 | 15 USGPM | ~57 L/min (converted) | 200 PSI (~13.8 bar, converted) | 1.800 rpm |
| GG030 | 30 USGPM | ~114 L/min (converted) | 200 PSI (~13.8 bar, converted) | 1.800 rpm |
| GG080 | 80 USGPM | ~303 L/min (converted) | 75 PSI (~5.2 bar, converted) | 1.500 rpm |
Pump selection guide by process stage
- Molasses transfer & spraying, grease/oil pumping: Tuthill GlobalGear (internal gear) for steady flow, or Nova DN-JN (PC) when fluid contains particles/fibers.
- Very high viscosity molasses, temperature variation: Nova PC screw pump for steady flow regardless of viscosity & discharge pressure.
- Liquid additive metering: Nova DM (industrial) / MX (sanitary, food-grade) — steady flow proportional to speed.
- Drum/IBC dispensing of dilute additives: Jessberger JP-280 (electric) / JP-480 (Ex, explosion-proof).
- Exact model match for each actual operating point — contact for datasheet
Gear pump or PC screw pump?
Steady, smooth, controllable flow; suitable for viscous fluids such as molasses, honey, syrup, cooking oil. Requires a minimum viscosity threshold; not suitable for fluids with high abrasive particle content.
Steady flow regardless of viscosity & discharge pressure, including at low flow rates; handles viscous fluid with particles/fibers (solids up to ~28%, funnel flow up to ~40% per Nova manufacturer data).
Material & configuration selector by fluid type
Pump body material
- Gang
- 316 stainless steel
- Inox 316Ti
- PP
- PVDF
- Aluminum (Alu)
Molasses/grease typically use gang / inox (Tuthill, Nova). For corrosive additives, select inox 316Ti / PP / PVDF; confirm based on specific fluid.
Drum pump tube & motor
- Alu tube
- 316Ti SS tube
- PP tube
- PVDF tube
- Electric motor
- Pneumatic motor (Ex)
Additives flammable / solvent select explosion-proof pneumatic motor (Ex, JP-480); standard additives use Universal electric motor (JP-280).
Viscosity note by pump type
The immersion tube drum pump (JP-280/480) handles viscosity up to approximately 1.000 mPa·s — much lower than molasses. Therefore molasses uses Tuthill/Nova; drum pump is suitable for dilute liquid additives in drums, not for molasses.
Precise material matching for each additive (acid/enzyme/solvent) — contact for datasheet
Steady flow for viscous fluids
Positive displacement pumps (gear / screw) deliver stable, low-pulsation flow — uniform molasses coating, precise repeatable metering, unlike centrifugal pumps which lose efficiency with viscous fluids.
Formula-based metering
Metering pump / PC dosing (Nova DM/MX) for small, adjustable, repeatable flow rates — suitable for enzymes, vitamins, liquid acids added to each batch by formula.
Safe & hygienic drum dispensing
Immersion tube drum pump fits 200L drums/IBC 1000L, quick-release for easy cleaning, tube material selected by fluid type; electric or explosion-proof pneumatic motor for flammable fluids.
Three brands, three roles in the feed plant
Tuthill (gear) and Nova Rotors (PC screw) transfer & spray molasses, grease, and meter additives; Jessberger dispenses liquid additives from drums/IBC — clearly defined roles by fluid type, drum pumps are not marketed as molasses pumps.
Internal gear pump for molasses, grease, oil, viscous syrup — steady, smooth, low-pulsation flow; suitable for transfer & coating spray. Requires minimum viscosity threshold; not suitable for fluids with high abrasive particle content. Cast iron/stainless steel, origin USA.
View Tuthill brandProgressive-cavity screw pump for viscous feed liquid with particles/fibers, and additive metering (DM/MX). Handles solids up to 28–40%, very high viscosity; sanitary line (DX/MX) available for food-grade additives. Range up to 420 m³/h · 48 bar (per TKT page).
View Nova Rotors brandDispenses liquid additives (acid, oil, solvent) from 200L drums/IBC 1000L — not the main process pump for molasses as molasses viscosity exceeds the drum pump range. 316Ti SS/PP/PVDF/Alu tube, electric or Ex pneumatic motor. Made in Germany.
View Jessberger brandDispensing additives from drum / IBC — right material, right motor
Liquid additives (enzymes, organic acids, oil, solvent, flavoring) are typically supplied in phuy 200L / IBC 1000L. Jessberger JP drum pump has an immersion tube fitting drums/IBC, quick-release for easy cleaning; tube material selected by fluid type and electric or explosion-proof pneumatic motor (Ex) for flammable fluids. Note: JP viscosity range approximately 1,000 mPa·s — suitable for dilute additives, not for molasses.
Learn about Jessberger — drum pump / IBCPlant segments served
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Q&A on pumps for the animal feed industry
Which pump is suitable for transferring and spraying molasses in a livestock feed plant?
Why not use a centrifugal pump for molasses?
What are the benefits and risks of heating molasses before pumping?
Which pump is used for formula-based metering of liquid additives (enzymes, vitamins, acids)?
Which equipment is used for dispensing liquid additives from 200L drums or IBC 1000L?
Can a drum pump handle molasses?
What is the approximate flow rate of the Tuthill GlobalGear pump?
Which pump type should be selected for viscous feed liquid containing particles/fibres?
Get technical consultation on pump selection for feed processing plants
Provide your process stage, fluid, flow rate, and wetted materials — enough for us to recommend the right model and configuration. Call us directly, message via Zalo, or submit your request using the form.
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