Efficiency, productivity and profitability are important words for dairy farmers. Over the last decade, improvements in dairy management and milking equipment have helped maximize efficiencies in the dairy industry and helped make dairy herds more productive than ever. However, one piece of equipment in the milking process has lagged behind and remained the same since the 1950s. The centrifugal pump that moves from the receiver to the chiller bulk tank or transfer tank has remained virtually unchanged.

However, recent news from McFinn Technologies located in Kenosha, Wisconsin, is changing the way centrifugal pumps work. McFinn Technologies, formed by John McGinn and LeRoy Finnigan, is changing the milking industry with its innovative gentle handling Bowpeller^® model B15154 and US-FIP 15030 Flexible Impeller Pump, both of which are patented low shear pumps.

According to McGinn, there is a big difference between the way the standard pump and the Bowpeller^® works. Standard centrifugal milk pumps have radial impellers that pull liquid into center of impeller and force a dramatic 90-degree turn of the liquid by accelerating it with flat blades that slap it outward. McGinn says, “Just a look at a standard centrifugal pump and it is pretty obvious that it imparts damaging forces to milk fat globules.”

The patented Bowpeller^® impeller is a huge departure from standard radial impellers. McGinn drescribes the process. “Bowpeller^® does not force or slap the milk into a 90-degree turn and accelerate it dramatically across a flat blade impeller. Instead, the helical or screw design gently pulls milk toward the back of pump while accelerating the milk outward across its helix at much less than a 90-degree angle. “ McGinn continues, “This longer and less severe acceleration path provides less shear force to the milk fat globule and provides much gentler product handling. The improved hydraulic design of the casing ensures efficiencies and adherence to all dairy industry standards. The Bowpeller^® is a dramatic improvement over standard pump designs and it is focused on maximizing milk quality.”

The Bowpeller’s^® design is over 70 percent hydraulically efficient, which is the highest of any sanitary milk receiver pump on the market. The design also has a low net positive suction head so that the pump will not cavitate. Finally, the design does not agitate or emulsify air into the milk.

Meanwhile, US-FIP^® flexible impeller milk tanker pump is the leader in high capacity flexible impeller pumps for the milk hauling industry. US-FIP^® introduced the first 3" x 3" flexible impeller pump with MILKMAX remote control loading system. McFinn Technologies also utilizes Bowpeller^® model B3258 in the California milk hauling market. This Bowpeller^® model centrifugal delivers 350 gal/min and utilizes only 5hp. McFinn’s programmed variable frequency pump drives ensure no overloading and long motor and pump component life. When McFinn Technologies started manufacturing pumps for the milk hauling business, the average time to fill a milk tanker was 46 minutes. McFinn reduced loading time to 26 minutes with the 3" x 3" US-FIP^® 30080 MILKMAX system and to 19 minutes with Bowpeller^® B3258 system.

For both Finnigan and McGinn, McFinn Technologies is about quality and providing its customers with the best cutting edge products in the dairy industry. Bowpeller pumps are American made and designed for gentle, low shear product handling. The integration of remote controlled drives that maximize capability is a hallmark of McFinn Technologies.