Diaphragm Liquid Pump Technology for Reliable Ink Supply
At KNF, the development of a new diaphragm liquid pump starts with looking at the end of the value chain. The inkjet market is a good example. What began several decades ago with digitally printing ink on paper, gradually evolved into an innovative and expanding industry. The advantages of digital inkjet printing combined with diaphragm liquid pumps are also being used in different areas of application: textile and packaging industry, printing on ceramics and glass products, electronics industry and, more recently, additive manufacturing.

All of these applications have one thing in common: they require fluids such as primers, inks, varnishes, resins, coatings or even electrically conductive liquids to be available at the print head in the right quantity, at the right time - and without compromising the quality of the fluid. KNF diaphragm liquid pumps are ideal for these applications for two reasons: Firstly, they handle fluids very gently, ensuring that their specific characteristics do not change. Secondly, they can handle chemically aggressive or abrasive media such as ink containing particles with ease. This is important in terms of service life and reliability of a printing system using ink pumps.
One of the few arguments which might be used against the typical diaphragm pump is the relatively high pump pulsation due to its mode of operation. This causes resistance in the hoses, some of which are only a few millimeters thick and several meters long - reducing the efficiency of the pumping process of a diaphragm liquid pump. In the worst case, pressure peaks in the ink pump system also affect the quality of the print because they can disrupt the precisely controlled pressure conditions in the print head. In connection with the increasing demand for larger quantities of ink and liquids with higher viscosities, pulsation is becoming increasingly noticeable as an efficiency killer. But KNF has developed a new generation of products to address these inherent issues without compromising the fundamental benefits of the typical KNF diaphragm pump.
Our KNF Smooth Flow Promise
Following the trend towards higher ink volumes, KNF started the development of smooth flow pumps several years ago. Some of these ink pump models, including ink pumps, have been successfully established in the printing markets. Thanks to very low pump pulsation, they enable an efficient and gentle flow of high liquid volumes. Learn more about the KNF smooth flow pumps. The exploded view image shows the features of the KNF FP 150 as part of the smooth flow pump series.

Overview
Benefits
Applications
- Our lowest pump pulsation products
- Flow rates up to 5 l/min
- KNF's highest flow products
- Liquid flow rates over 12 l/min
- External pulsation dampeners
- Pressure control valves
- Filters
- Compact
- High performance to size ratio
- Long life
- Maintenance-free
- Self-priming
- Can run dry
- Versions available for agressive media
- NSF-certified options for food grade requirements
- Excellent flow controllability
- Lightweight
- High IP protection class options available (up to 65)
- UV, water-based, solvent ink recirculation to prevent pigment settling
- Ink temperature management
- Glaze, varnish, binder and hot-melt recirculation
- Precise and flexible transfer of reagents with excellent linearity and turn-down ratio
- Delivering of solvents during sample preparation
- Dispensing cleaning agents for needle washing
- Patient temperature management
- Aesthetic laser cooling systems
Get To Know the KNF Smooth Flow Pump Series
Would you like to know more about smooth flow pumps? Visit our product overview and find the pump to meet your specifications and requirements.
