They direct flow in a straight line parallel to the impeller shaft rather than radially (perpendicular to the shaft). Pump impeller is shaped like a propeller and contains only a few (typically three or four) vanes. The impeller is driven by a motor that is either sealed directly in the pump body or by a drive shaft that enters the pump tube from the side. The impeller looks and operates similar to a boat propeller, which is the reason why axial flow pumps are also called propeller pumps.

Axial flow pump is the converse of axial flow turbine and is very similar to it in appearance. The impeller consists of a central boss with a number of blades mounted on it. The impeller rotates within a cylindrical casing with fine clearance between the blade tips and the casing walls. Fluid particles, in course of their flow through the pump, do not change their radial locations. The inlet guide vanes are provided to properly direct the fluid to the rotor. The outlet guide vanes are provided to eliminate the whirling component of velocity at discharge.

JEC axial flow pumps available in a wide range of materials, including stainless steels, monel, and super duplex.