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I am writing to request some technical clarification regarding the Adafruit Industries LLC 3910 Peristaltic Liquid Pump, DigiKey Part Number 1528-2708-ND.
I am currently assessing this pump for a low-flow liquid dosing application and would appreciate clarification regarding the tubing requirements at different flow rates.
Based on the published technical information for the pump, could you please confirm the following:
What tubing size (inner diameter and outer diameter) is required to achieve the stated maximum flow rate of approximately 100 mL/min?
Is the tubing supplied with the pump the same tubing used to achieve the stated 100 mL/min flow rate?
If we require a lower flow rate of approximately 20–30 mL/min, what tubing size would you recommend?
Can the 20–30 mL/min flow range be achieved simply by changing the tubing size, or would adjustment of the motor speed/voltage also be required?
If different tubing is recommended for the 20–30 mL/min range, could you please provide the appropriate tubing specification or a compatible DigiKey part number?
We would appreciate any available flow-rate data, tubing recommendations, or technical documentation that could assist us in selecting the appropriate configuration.
Thank you for your assistance. I look forward to your response.
The silicon tube is available (for order) from DigiKey: Tube diameter: 2.5mm (internal diameter) / 4.7mm (external diameter)
Since this is a gearmotor, yes, the speed can be changed by changing the speed of the motor. In practice, the maximum speed is bounded by the manufacturers recommend voltage. The lower speed is bounded by the minimum speed required for reliable starting.
For reference, the motor specification are:
Motor voltage: 5 to 6 VDC
Motor current: 500mA
Flow rate: up to 100 mL/min
DigiKey has dozens of options for speed control of a DC motor. Please tell us more about your application so that we may narrow down the selection. As a starting point, consider this MIKROE option.
It should be understood that Adafruit operates primarily in service to hobby/educational markets, for which product consistency and strict conformity to specification are largely unimportant. Incorporation of any such items in a commercial product is strongly discouraged.
It would appear from one of the photos on the Adafruit product page that the drive mechanism relies on simple friction between a smooth motor shaft and a few plastic rollers in a planetary arrangement for function. An alteration to the tubing material would disturb the balance of forces in such an arrangement, and may lead to operation even more unreliable than what would be expected from an OEM design of this type.
