--- title: How does a diaphragm pump work? description: Lorenzo Majno, President of Dynfalo, Inc., shows you how diaphragm pumps work for vacuum and compression applications in this 2.5-minute video. image: https://dynaflopumps.com/hubfs/blog%20posts/How%20does%20a%20diaphragm%20pump%20work-2.png --- [Skip to content](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/how-does-a-diaphragm-pump-work#main-content) [![Dynaflo Pumps Logo](https://dynaflopumps.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Dynaflo%20Pumps%20Logo.png?width=100&height=100&name=Dynaflo%20Pumps%20Logo.png "Dynaflo Pumps Logo")](https://dynaflopumps.com) - Diaphragm Pumps - [1000 Series Diaphragm Pump](https://dynaflopumps.com/diaphragm-pump/1000-series) - [2000 Series Micro Diaphragm Pump](https://dynaflopumps.com/diaphragm-pump/2000-series-micro-pump) - [3000 Series Smooth Flow Pump](https://dynaflopumps.com/diaphragm-pump/3000-series-smooth-flow) - [4000 Series Micro Diaphragm Pump](https://dynaflopumps.com/new-4000-series-micro-diaphragm-pump-dynaflos-smallest-pump) - [6000 Series Mini Diaphragm Pump](https://dynaflopumps.com/diaphragm-pump/6000-series-mini-pump) - Applications - [Drug Infusion Systems](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/iv-infusion-diaphragm-pumps) - [Mechanical Ventilators](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/mechanical-ventilator-diaphragm-pumps) - [Prosthetics](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/prosthetics-diaphragm-pump) - [Suction Machines](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/medical-suction-machine-pump) - [Vacuum Lifters](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/best-vacuum-lifter-diaphragm-pumps) - Resources - Case Studies - [Tisch Environmental Air Samplers](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/case-studies/tei-air-samplers) - [The Vacuum Lifting Company](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/how-the-vacuum-lifting-company-built-safer-vacuum-lifters) - [Suction-Based Prosthetics](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/case-studies/prosthetics-mini-diaphragm-pump) - [Ivenix Drug Infusion Systems](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/drug-infusion/ivenix-mini-diaphragm-pump) - [Autem Vacuum Lifters](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/case-studies/autem-diaphragm-pump) - [Blog](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog) - [About](https://dynaflopumps.com/about-dynaflo) - [Pump Selector](https://dynaflopumps.com/pump-selector) - [Contact](https://dynaflopumps.com/create-your-competitive-edge-dynaflo-inc) # How does a diaphragm pump work? September 19, 2022 Tags: [Diaphragm Pump Tips](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/tag/diaphragm-pump-tips) In today's Rapid Insight, we will review how diaphragm pumps work.  So, how does a diaphragm pump work?  It all starts with an electric motor used to generate up and down motion, and that's done with what we call an eccentric and a counterweight. The eccentric is the piece in the middle. It is used to attach the piston with the hole drilled off center - that's why it's called an eccentric.  The amount of eccentricity determines the stroke. So, what we want to do is we want to turn that up and down motion into a motion of a diaphragm so that we can drive the pump.   The way that's done is you put the piston inside the body, and you connect it to a diaphragm on the top. So, what happens now is every time this piston goes up and down it drives this diaphragm up and down. That’s why it's called a diaphragm pump, but that's only half the story. Now, we just got this thing pushing up and down. How does it create flow? The way it creates flow is with a valve plate, and the valve plate has two valves, one that's pointing in one direction and one that's pointing in the other direction.  Basically, air can flow one way but not through the other and vice versus. So, you have two one-way valves on opposite sides. What you do now is put that on top of the diaphragm. Now what happens is every time the diaphragm goes up and down, it sucks air in one way and pushes it out the other. Then, we put a directional head plate on it, and now you can see the air coming in through the intake valve and going out through the output valve. By doing it this way, you can see that diaphragm pumps can be used either for suction by using the inlet or compression using the output. Thank you for watching today's rapid insight. If you have any further questions, please leave us a comment, and we’d be happy to answer Spread the word: [Share this blog post on Twitter](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=I+found+this+interesting+blog+post&url=https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/how-does-a-diaphragm-pump-work) [Share this blog post on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/how-does-a-diaphragm-pump-work) [Share this blog post on LinkedIn](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/how-does-a-diaphragm-pump-work) #### Lorenzo Majno Follow me on LinkedIn Follow me on Twitter President-Dynaflo, Inc. ### Leave a comment: ## Related Articles #### Applications - [Drug Infusion Systems](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/iv-infusion-diaphragm-pumps) - [Mechanical Ventilators](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/mechanical-ventilator-diaphragm-pumps) - [Prosthetics](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/prosthetics-diaphragm-pump) - [Suction Machines](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/medical-suction-machine-pump) - [Vacuum Lifters](https://dynaflopumps.com/solutions/best-vacuum-lifter-diaphragm-pumps) #### Resources - [Micro Pump Blog](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog) - [Case Studies](https://dynaflopumps.com/blog/tag/case-study) - [ISO 9001:2015 Certificate](https://dynaflopumps.com/hubfs/PDFs/ISO9001%20Cert.pdf) #### Contact Dynaflo, Inc [10 Vanguard Dr, Suite 20 Reading, PA 19606](https://goo.gl/maps/nsqg54ChQtsmKWo18) [(610) 200-8017](tel:+16102008017) ©Copyright 2022 Dynaflo, Inc. All rights reserved - [Privacy](https://dynaflopumps.com/privacy-policy) - [Cookie Policy](https://dynaflopumps.com/cookie-policy) - [U.S.A. 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