The new action plan announces initiatives along the entire life cycle of products. It targets how products are designed and encourages sustainable consumption. It aims to ensure that waste is minimised, and the resources used are kept in circulation within an optimised eco-system for as long as possible.
First, pump applications and operational conditions can vary, and therefore the lifetime of a pump varies significantly; for example, a few weeks for a slurry pump, and up to decades for clean water pumps. The key to a long lifetime of a pump is the proper selection of the operating point, close to its best efficiency point (BEP) or within the recommended range of operation.
The correct and regular maintenance of pumps prolongs their lifetime and reduces the risk of serious failure. Maintenance and repair of larger industrial pumps is common practice. However further investigation is required on the smaller and domestic pumps.
RECYCLED CONTENT
Use of recycled materials is already customary in the pump industry; for example, cast iron is already a mixture of new iron and scrap metal. Such processes could be challenged by substance regulations – lead in non-ferrous alloys, for example, as specified by REACH regulation. Use of industrial-grade non-recycled plastic parts in some circumstances can be more eco-friendly.
Plastics can enable the reliable pumping of hazardous fluids and can last the lifetime of a pump (on average more than 10 years). However, there may not be an effective recycled substitute for such technical plastics. As soon as they become more readily recyclable, Europump can investigate whether they can be integrated more into new pump products.
PUMP RECYCLABILITY
In general, all metals used in pumps are already recycled today. Pump manufacturers as well as users are well aware of the value of scrap material. This ensures that virtually all metal is recycled. Substances listed under the REACH directive may prevent or limit the recycling of materials in the future. Improvements in actual recycling are ongoing thanks to the application of the WEEE directive. The use of recycled plastic is increasing. Packaging material such as cardboard, plastic foils and strapping are currently recycled. Euro pallets that are made from timber can be recycled through a deposit system.
Pumps are made primarily of metals. A 2018 estimate of the composition of pumps and packaging ranges from a minimum of 78% to a maximum of 96% of metals; plastics and elastomer content ranged from 1% to 14%. (These figures are averages of 28 base cases described in the EcoDesign Pump Review study prepared by VMAS/VHK for the EC, December 2018. Metals include the final recycling components of electronics.)
System components such as motors, VSDs and sensors are covered under the WEEE directive and recycled through the proper channels. The responsibility of this is with the pump manufacturer, but the process varies across Europe. Packaging material such as cardboard, plastic foils and strapping is currently recycled. Plastics used in packaging have an increasing recycled content. Ongoing transition in the industry is away from plastic-based packaging and a move towards renewable materials.
REUSE AND REFURBISHMENT
Some pump companies have experience in reusing parts, usually within their service centres. For example, rotating or wear components might be replaced, but the pump housing and base plate might be reused. Or a new pump head might be fitted to an existing pump housing. Due to legal and safety aspects, this can only be done in agreement with the customer.
Refurbishment service is already well-established within the pump industry. In general, the larger the pump unit, the more actions are taken to increase lifetime of that pump unit. The assessment of resource efficiency versus energy efficiency influences the decision whether to refurbish or replace a pump unit. Examples include:
repairs to the motor: Assessment of the total cost of ownership (TCO) of a new motor versus that of a rewound motor refurbishment or replacement of worn parts: pump housings, impellers, shafts, restoration of internal coatings refurbishment or replacement of bearings and/or mechanical seals. This is generally undertaken upon service inspection, during pump dismantling, or after the recommended running hours.The decision to refurbish or replace may also be influenced by possible increases in efficiency of the new replacement pump.
(For example, in a recent job, Sulzer overhauled stormwater motors and pumps at a wastewater treatment plant, pictured above. It removed the pumps from the dry well and disassembled them, inspecting all of their parts to determine whether to replace or re-engineer them. Having discovered corrosion on the impeller and suction sleeves, Sulzer also applied specialist coatings on some parts to extend their operational life.)
Digitalisation
Digitalisation will positively affect the circular economy. Pump monitoring and controls enable customers to run pump units at optimum efficiency and determine possible pump failures ahead of time. Europump supports the idea of a digital product passport. This must be limited by intellectual property (IP) concerns. The growth of digitalisation and the acquisition of pump performance data will help to improve life cycle analysis.
BOX: About Europump
Thirty years ago, Europump, the European association of pump manufacturers established in 1960 by French politician Robert Proton de la Chapelle and German industrialistRuprecht Weise moved to Brussels to be closer to the institutions and stakeholders of the EU. Today, Europump is located in the offices of Orgalim, the liaison group for the European engineering industry.
As highlighted in the map, it represents 16 national associations in 12 EU member states, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, as well as the UK, through the BPMA.
The work of Europump is structured around four commissions (broken down below). Most of these commissions have created further working groups to deal with specific topics and dossiers. This not only enables better streaming of the workflow, but it also allows for a concentration of expertise where and when it counts.
It should be noted that all commissions are open to all Europump members (national associations and their company members), and participation is always welcome. For more information,interested parties should contact secretariat@europump.org.
Europump structure
There are four main commissions.
1.Standards commission
Core group for EU discussions and meetings on EcoDesignJWG on EcoDesign:-Submersible multistage pumps special group (MS-S group) -Multistage pumps
-Circulators
-Boosters
SBTi (environment impact use phase)Submerged motor testing specificationDigitalisationIPSC – cooperation with HI and ISO TC 115 2.Technical commission
Circular economy Environmental product declaration/product environmental footprint PFAS Material in contact with drinking water 3.Marketing commission
Annual global market outlook/world pump report (Oxford Economics) PR through relevant magazines/industry pressMarketing strategy including website, trade fairs and annual conference 4.SME commission
The aim is to support the direct communication between small- and medium-size European and North American pump manufacturers looking for qualified potential partners and to solve common issues. Meetings and visits to pump manufacturers’ facilities as well as those of suppliers and downstream users of pumps are regularly organised.