Espresso machine pumps and motors
A modern espresso/coffee machine uses a pump and a motor to get the correct coffee brewing pressure. On espresso machine you will find 2 types of pump. The Vibration pumps and the pump and motor combinations. The main difference is mainly if you have a commercial or a domestic espresso machine, seen they do use different types of pumps. But that is not always the case
Vibration pumps
The first model is a Vibration pump. This type of pump is the “motor” and pump part in one, so there is no additional motor required for this pump. These pumps have 2 important tasks(when you have a water tank). The first one is to generate pressure for brewing coffee. In the case that you have a water tank at the back it is also used to pump the water from the water tank into the steam/water boiler. Seen the pressure needs to be higher then the boiler pressure to get the water inside. You place this pump in a front and back damper, so that there is no contact between the pump and the body of the espresso machine.
Ulka
These vibration pumps are mainly made by the company Ulka, but they are also made by other companies such as Olab and Fluid O tech. They can be powered by 220/230V, but there are also versions of 110V. The disadvantage is that they can’t run for longer periods of time, they do need to cool down. How long depends on the specifics of the Manufacturer. The disadvantage of this type of pump is that you can’t adjust the pump pressure.
These vibration pumps do also have a variety of additions such as thermal fuses, installation fittings
The vibration pumps are mainly used on domestic espresso machines, partially because of the size but also the price of the pump. This is easily 1/5th of the price of a motor pump combination. But there where some brands in the past which used vibration pumps on commercial espresso machines such as Cimbali
Rotary vane pump
The other type of pump is a rotation pump, this type of pump needs to work in combination with a separate motor. These pumps are mainly used on Commercial espresso machines, in some more expensive pro-sumer espresso machines they can also be found. But this is less often.
These pumps are mainly made from low lead brass, but in some cases they are also made from stainless steel with various brands. There are various manufacturers such as Fluid O Tech(Rotoflow), Procon and Nuert.
The most common type is the clamp on pump, these pumps are held in place with a stainless steel clamp to the motor. But a other type is a bolt on version, this can be found on brands such as Faema, Cimbali and Casadio (Cimbali group). All these pumps are made to pump a certain amount of Liters an hour, this range is between 50 L/H and 200 L/h.
Espresso machine pump motors
The rotation pump is powered by a separate motor. The types of motor used mainly depends on the brand of espresso machine. Most espresso machines are powered with a motor made by the Italian company RPM, but there are also other brands such as IPC, Sisme, Ulka and Elettromeccanica In. F Arduini in Milano.
Most motors on espresso machines are of the type Clamp on motor, but you do also have bolt on flanges. These are for espresso machines of the La Cimbali Group. But you do also have motors which have a application outside the espresso machine, seen not all of them are installed in the coffee machine due to lack of space.
One of the most unique espresso machine motors is made by RPM and used on espresso machines of the Astoria CMA group. These motors are cooled with the water coming into the espresso machine. You don’t see this with any other espresso machine brand.
Pump and motor spare parts from Brooks
If you have any questions regarding espresso machine motors, pumps or their accessories. Don’t hesitate to contact us at Brooks-Parts and we will try to help you finding the right solution for your setup.