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I always see "gear pump" mentioned in industrial contexts, usually dealing with fluids. I saw an ELI5 explain it once, and the analogy that really stuck with me was thinking of two gears interlocking like fingers. As they rotate, they create a space that sucks in the fluid on one side, and then squeeze it out on the other. It's a really simple but effective design.
Thinking about it more, I wonder how precise those gears need to be to prevent leakage, especially with thinner liquids. Are there different tolerance standards for different types of gear pumps depending on what they're pumping? Also, is there a practical limit on how thick a fluid can be before it's too much for a gear pump to handle? I'm picturing something like concrete being an obvious no-go, but what about really viscous oils? Anyone have experience with this kind of equipment?