{"id":31376,"date":"2023-11-22T15:30:29","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T15:30:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hpp-pressurepumps.com\/cosa-sono-le-pompe-a-pistoni-e-a-cosa-servono\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T09:04:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T09:04:24","slug":"what-are-piston-pumps-and-what-are-they-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hpp-pressurepumps.com\/en\/what-are-piston-pumps-and-what-are-they-for\/","title":{"rendered":"What are piston pumps and what are they for?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Piston pumps are considered the \u201cheart\u201d of many industrial systems, fundamental elements for various high pressure technologies.<\/p>\n

In this article we will discover how piston pumps are made, how they work and for which professional applications they are used.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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How piston pumps work<\/strong><\/h2><\/span>
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A piston pump is an instrument capable of\u00a0pumping large quantities of liquids and fluids<\/strong>\u00a0within circuits and pipes. Its action, therefore, allows the operation of various professional tools: for example, by producing a\u00a0high-power jet<\/strong>\u00a0of water it can power a\u00a0high-pressure washer<\/strong>\u00a0and thus be used in the\u00a0cleaning sector<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This principle, by varying the fluid, flow rate and pressure to be pumped, allows its use in\u00a0various industrial sectors<\/strong>. Before seeing which ones, let\u2019s find out how a piston pump is made and how it works.<\/p>\n

DISCOVER THE RANGE OF HPP HIGH PRESSURE PUMPS<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>

Le pompe a pistoni fanno parte delle pompe volumetriche alternative<\/strong>, composte da una camera a tenuta ad alta pressione fissa e da uno stantuffo cilindrico<\/strong> liscio che scorre attraverso la tenuta<\/strong> azionato da un motore endotermico, idraulico o elettrico.<\/p>\n

Lo spostamento del pistone crea un movimento alternativo lungo un asse, che quindi crea la pressione nel cilindro<\/strong> necessaria per spingere il fluido attraverso tutto il circuito. La pressione viene generata nella camera, azionando delle valvole, sia nel punto di aspirazione che in quello di mandata, e raggiunge valori che variano da 10 a 2800 bar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

La camera di tenuta presenta un\u00a0ingresso<\/strong>, tramite il quale viene aspirato il materiale nella pompa, e un’uscita<\/strong>\u00a0attraverso la quale il materiale viene spinto nel sistema di erogazione: ingresso e uscita sono dotati di valvole che assicurano\u00a0il movimento del materiale in una sola direzione.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Quando il pistone si allontana dall’ingresso, crea un vuoto, quindi un’aspirazione<\/strong>: la\u00a0valvola si apre automaticamente\u00a0e il materiale viene aspirato\u00a0nella camera del cilindro. Quando il pistone viene spinto nella direzione opposta, cio\u00e8 verso l’uscita, la pressione solleva l’elemento di chiusura della valvola di uscita e il\u00a0materiale alimentato viene pressurizzato per l\u2019erogazione.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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The materials of piston pumps<\/strong><\/h2><\/span>
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The choice of\u00a0materials<\/strong>\u00a0that make up the pumps is dictated by wear and contact with the type of fluid transferred: designed to withstand high stress and frequency of use, they are generally made of\u00a0bronze, brass, steel, iron, nickel alloy, etc.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The type of fluid that the pump must transfer, therefore, has a decisive impact on the materials, and there is no shortage of special cases. In high-power applications that require continuous duty piston pumps, however, it is possible to use\u00a0solid ceramic pistons<\/strong>\u00a0when in contact with water and oil; the same material, however, may not be compatible for use with highly acidic fluids.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Advantages and differences<\/strong><\/h2><\/span>
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Piston pumps have some similarities to\u00a0diaphragm pumps<\/strong>. They are both reciprocating pumps, although they differ because the latter are equipped with a flexible diaphragm, located at the end of the plunger, which flexes back and forth creating a temporary chamber that attracts and expels fluid through the pump.<\/p>\n

These flexible components can be the main disadvantage of the diaphragm pump, especially for applications requiring high pressures. The flexible diaphragm, in fact, can break over time if subjected to very high pressure.<\/p>\n

Unlike a diaphragm pump,\u00a0a piston pump is designed to withstand repeated use and high pressure<\/strong>, lasting with scheduled\u00a0maintenance<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Applications of piston pumps<\/strong><\/h2><\/span>
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As mentioned at the beginning of this article, piston pumps are used in various industrial sectors. Let\u2019s see in detail which sectors, in which processes and with which elements they are used.<\/p>\n