Centrifugal pump product attributes

A centrifugal pump is sold against a duty point, not a maximum. Supplier price files tend to list the largest flow and the highest head the pump can reach, but those two values never occur together. What a buyer needs is the rated flow and head at a stated speed and impeller diameter, plus the NPSH required at that point, and these usually live on a performance curve rather than in any feed.

The size designation carries more information than it looks. A code such as 2x3-8 encodes discharge size, suction size and nominal impeller diameter, but conventions vary between manufacturers and some put suction first. Materials are another trap: casing and impeller can be different alloys, cast grades such as CF8M are listed interchangeably with wrought names, and flange ratings are written a dozen ways.

Scope of supply decides what a part number actually is. The same pump can be sold bare, with a coupling and baseplate, or as a complete pump and motor unit. A record that does not say which is being sold makes motor power, speed and energy data ambiguous, and leads to quotes that do not match what arrives on site.

The centrifugal pumps attribute template

18 candidate fields in 5 groups, ordered the way a record gets built: identify the item, capture its specifications, then record fit and the evidence behind any claim. 11 are marked Core: without them the item cannot be identified or filtered. Example values show the expected format only; they do not describe a real SKU.

Identity

Which exact item, variant and pack this record describes.

Check before use: Preserve leading zeros and punctuation, validate against the manufacturer record, and check the GTIN check digit and packaging level before linking.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Pump Size Designation pump_size_designation	Identifier	Core	2x3-8
Manufacturer Part Number manufacturer_part_number	Identifier	Core	ESP-2X3-8-SS-30

Technical specifications

Measured or rated values that must travel with their unit and test conditions.

Check before use: Store the number and unit separately. Convert only when the source unit and test conditions are known.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Rated Flow rated_flow	Number · gpm	Core	350 gpm
Rated Head rated_head	Number · ft	Core	150 ft
Nominal Speed nominal_speed	Controlled list · rpm	Core	3550 rpm
Motor Power motor_power	Number · hp	Core	30 hp
Impeller Diameter & Trim Range impeller_diameter_trim_range	Text · in	Buyer decision	6.5–8.0 in (rated 7.25 in)
NPSH Required at Rated Flow npsh_required_at_rated_flow	Number · ft	Buyer decision	12 ft
Maximum Allowable Working Pressure maximum_allowable_working_pressure	Number · psig	Buyer decision	275 psig at 100 °F
Maximum Liquid Temperature maximum_liquid_temperature	Number · °F	Buyer decision	350 °F

Selection attributes

The type, material and option choices buyers filter and compare on.

Check before use: Map supplier wording to a governed vocabulary only after checking the source text and which variant it applies to.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Pump Configuration pump_configuration	Controlled list	Core	End suction, frame-mounted (ESFM)
Casing Material casing_material	Controlled list	Core	316 SS (CF8M)
Impeller Material impeller_material	Controlled list	Core	316 SS (CF8M)
Shaft Sealing Arrangement shaft_sealing_arrangement	Controlled list	Buyer decision	Single cartridge mechanical seal

Fit & compatibility

What the item mounts to, mates with, replaces or works alongside.

Check before use: Keep model and series qualifiers. A similar-looking part is not a verified fit until a source says so.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Suction / Discharge Nozzle Size suction_discharge_nozzle_size	Text · in	Core	3 in suction x 2 in discharge
Nozzle Flange Rating & Facing nozzle_flange_rating_facing	Controlled list	Core	ASME Class 150, raised face

Evidence & compliance

Listings, standards, classifications and origin claims that need a document behind them.

Check before use: Link the manufacturer document or label with its edition or date. Never copy a certification from a neighboring SKU.

Attribute	Type	Priority	Example format
Design Standard design_standard	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	ASME B73.1
Country of Origin country_of_origin	Controlled list	Channel / evidence	United States

Normalize supplier values

The same value arrives in many spellings. Map each raw string to one governed value, and keep the raw text beside it so a reviewer can see what the supplier actually wrote.

Often missing from supplier files

These fields are commonly absent from price lists and basic feeds, even though the information usually exists in a datasheet, label or installation manual. Treat an empty value as a request for evidence, not as permission to fill it from a similar model.

• DOE Pump Energy Index (PEI) and equipment class
• Impeller trim range and rated impeller diameter
• NPSH required (NPSHr) at rated flow
• Seal flush plan and seal chamber type
• Scope of supply (bare pump vs pump-motor unit)

Questions the record must answer

Buyers and counter-sales reps choosing centrifugal pumps ask questions like these. Each one needs a specific field, sourced for the exact variant.

• Will this pump deliver 350 gpm at 150 ft of head with the impeller it ships with?
• Is the NPSH required low enough for our suction conditions?
• Does this part number include the motor and baseplate, or just the bare pump?
• Will it bolt up to our existing Class 150 piping without spool changes?

From supplier file to record

1. Resolve identity first. Link the supplier SKU, manufacturer part number and packaging identifiers without merging distinct variants or pack sizes.
2. Extract with the source attached. Pull values from rows, tables and datasheets, keeping the raw text, unit and page or row reference.
3. Map to your classification. Assign the ETIM, ECLASS, UNSPSC or internal class your company licenses, and keep the supplier's original terms.
4. Review, sync and watch. Hold conflicts and safety-related values for a category expert, write approved values to ERP or PIM, and recheck when the supplier sends a new file.

For the full method, see how to build a category attribute template and the category catalog gap audit.

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