FDS Twin Screw Pump Ensures Gentle Transfer of Dense, Fruit-Filled Cake Batter

Application Overview

A specialty food producer required a sanitary pumping solution for its high-viscosity fruit cake dough, a challenging application due to the combination of dense batter and suspended fruit particulates. The product was so thick it would not flow out of a container, making conventional transfer methods inefficient and labor intensive.

The goal was to move this product from the mixing area to the packaging line without compromising product integrity or production speed.

The Challenge

The processor’s existing piston pump system proved difficult to operate and maintain. While piston pumps can generate high pressure, they often struggle with very thick products containing particulates. In this case, the pump caused:

• Smearing and damage to the delicate fruit pieces, impacting product appearance and quality.
• Inconsistent flow rates and interruptions during transfer.
• Excessive cleanup time and inefficiencies due to equipment complexity.

To maintain output, the team had resorted to manually transporting dough in buckets—adding time, labor, and sanitation concerns.

The Solution

To address these challenges, the processor installed a Fristam FDS Twin Screw Pump (FDS2) on a portable cart, allowing it to be easily moved between production lines and seasonal applications.

The FDS Twin Screw Pump provided:

• Excellent suction capabilities to reliably pull the dense, sticky dough into the pump without bridging or manual intervention.
• Gentle product handling that preserved the shape and integrity of the fruit particulates.
• Sanitary design with CIP capability, minimizing disassembly and cleaning time.
• Flexible mobility, enabling the same pump to handle other challenging products, including gentle transfer of cheese spreads and viscous batters, during non-holiday production periods.

Why it Worked

Fristam’s twin screw pump technology was uniquely suited to this application because it combines positive displacement with the ability to handle high-viscosity, particulate-laden products gently and efficiently.

Key benefits included:

• Gentle, non-destructive transfer of fruit particulates.
• Strong NPSH performance ensuring smooth product flow without air pockets or cavitation.
• Operational flexibility for multiple products and production runs.
• Improved sanitation and reduced downtime, thanks to its clean-in-place design.
• Increased efficiency by eliminating manual bucket handling.

Results

The switch to the FDS Twin Screw Pump resulted in:

• A significant reduction in product damage during transfer.
• Smoother, more consistent flow, improving line efficiency.
• Faster changeovers and easier cleaning.
• A more versatile process line, capable of handling seasonal product variations with the same pump.
• Labor savings and improved employee ergonomics by removing the need to carry heavy dough manually.

Why Choose Fristam?

With decades of experience serving the food, dairy, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries, Fristam Pumps delivers engineered solutions built for performance, durability, and hygienic design. Our pumps are developed in close collaboration with process engineers to solve real-world challenges — from abrasive products to shear-sensitive or high-viscosity applications.

We don’t just sell pumps — we provide process solutions that maximize uptime, protect product integrity, and reduce total cost of ownership.

Are pump maintenance issues in your system affecting production capacity and costs?

Contact Fristam or one of our Authorized Distributors to learn how our FDS Twin Screw Pumps can transform your process!