generally , is not adequate or up to the standard to fulfil the task for which it was bought ,” he adds .
Schwaecke emphasises that the companies he is referring to are not insignificant players , but “ big , big companies , big mining companies ” that are widely known and respected as major players in the sector . “ Maybe even the biggest ones in South Africa ,” he adds enigmatically . According to Schwaecke , it ’ s not only a case of buying a cheaper product , but also a case of buying the wrong product for the required application , thereby significantly increasing the replacement cycle of the part .
The problem is further compounded by the person directing the purchase of the equipment , who is often not an expert themselves , lacking technical know-how and relying on the [ supposed ] knowledge and experience of the person selling the
product , who is not an OEM ( original equipment manufacturer ).
He reiterates , “ My job is to sell pumps ; I am not talking about anything else ,” and continues : “ What is happening is that the [ incorrectly selected ] pumps are mostly installed without the end user understanding volume and pressure ,” he stresses . He explains that this means that the pump is manufactured to work within a certain specification “ and if it runs out of its curve , either the pump cavitates [ creating water hammering ] or it doesn ’ t move enough water and the motor overheats through lack of cooling ”. In both cases , the product will fail . Schwaecke states that he has first-hand exposure to this .
Schwaecke reiterates his initial observation : “ The engineers are book engineers ( theoretical ), they have little to no practical knowledge about pumps and electric motors . Also , the engineers don ’ t take advice from us , as we are not seen as ‘ qualified ’ to advise an ‘ engineer ’, as we know nothing ,” he adds , with growing irritation . “ Despite our 43 years of experience . It ’ s arrogance ,” he fumes . What they are not considering , he points out , is the knock-on effect of their poor decisions , namely the downtime while the pump is replaced , the labour involved in re-installing the new pump , “ and the actual unnecessary waste of time , generally ”.
Schwaecke believes that another problem is “ name branding ” and comments , “ We have big European companies represented in South Africa that , while they have a reasonably good product , get the job because of their name , and smother any opposition .” These big companies have the disadvantage of long lead times for their supply on spares , “ which stifles productivity while you wait ”, he comments .
He adds interestingly : “ My philosophy is : The most economical pump is the one that lasts the longest . It ’ s dependent on operating cost and lifespan . If it lasts 20 years , that ’ s a good , economical pump , no matter what you paid for it ,” Schwaecke concludes with a knowing grin .
Ernest Electro Engineering only supplies quality pumps and electric motors from certified European OEMs for which it is the sole agent in southern Africa . u
“ They bribe the big boys and , while they are the biggest pump company in the world , they don ’ t even manufacture pumps !”
Gert Schwaecke is the owner of Ernest Electro Engineering , a South African pump supplier .
Kim Kemp
networking contributor innovations industry debate environment infrastructure municipalities
Water Sewage & Effluent July / August 2018 27