10th Anniversary of the Pump Engineer Study Programme

In 2005 the first study programme started, and since then more than 200 pump experts – manufacturers, operators and planers – have been trained to become pump engineers and pump technicians. Since 2012 the pump.ing study programme is also offered as an English language study course for participants from across the globe.

The programme of the celebration event provided a fabulous day which started with the visit of the Vorarlberger Illwerke and in the course of the day merged into a great evening party on the occasion of two magnificent events – the 10th anniversary of the ‘Pump engineer programme’ and the festive conclusion of the German ‘Pump engineer’ study course 2013/14 by awarding the recent 28 graduates with their ‘Pump engineer’ and ‘Pump technician’ certificates.

Peter Meusburger, head of the mechanical engineering at the Vorarlberger Illwerke AG, guided through the two giant pump storage plants Kopswerk II and Rodundwerk whereas he particularly impressed the guests: the bottleneck performance of the Kopswerk II in turbine operation mode amounts to 525 MW, the power output in pump operation mode to approximately 450 MW.

The evening event at the Felbermayer Vitalzentrum in Gaschurn was opened by Helmut Jaberg, managing director of the Pumpenfachingenieur GmbH, who in his speech pointed out the uniqueness of the pump engineer study programme and explained, that the realisation of the idea to establish a special training course for pump experts is based on the joint initiative of the pump section of the ‘German Association of the Chemical Industry’ – VCI – with its then president, Dr. Hennecke, long-term head of the BASF pump centre, and Mr. Jaberg. During the ‘Conference for Pump Practitioners’ in Graz, organised every year one week after the Easter holidays, the conference participants were asked for their opinion regarding the project envisaged. The idea to create such a study programme was heavily acclaimed: manufacturers were enthusiastic about it as operators would have the opportunity to acquire special knowledge on pumps whereas operators were highly delighted as future pump sales persons would be specially qualified. Additionally, Prof. Thamsen, Berlin University of Technology, and Dr. Schicketanz, former head of a planning unit in the engineering department at BASF, came on board and the Pumpenfachingenieur GmbH had been founded.

Around the world

Helmut Jaberg, also head of the Institute for Hydraulic Fluidmachinery at the Graz University of Technology expressed his delight that the two major pump.ing. clients – Sulzer AG and Munsch Chemie-Pumpen GmbH – over all those years repeatedly delegate employees to attend the study programme for further qualification and training. Actually, 11 participants of the third international English language pump engineer course are employees of Netzsch’s affiliates in Australia, Brazil, Dubai, Italy, Thailand, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.

Pump virus

“We lecturers hope, that we successfully infected you with the pump virus. Just one request: Please, don’t seek medical treatment. I have been infected 23 years ago and since then I have been living very happily” states Josef Lehner, lecturer of the ‘Pump engineer’ study programme and VCI representative.

One pump per employee

Friedrich-Wilhelm Hennecke drew a comparison in order to illustrate the important role of pumps in industries: the number of employees at BASF SE Ludwigshafen amounts to 50.000 – which corresponds exactly to the number of pumps operated in this plant of the world’s largest chemical group BASF.

Kerstin Bündgen, working in the Export Sales Department at Munsch Chemie Pumpen GmbH, has been particularly honoured during the award ceremony by Helmut Jaberg, as she managed to brilliantly pass the programme although having no technical but a business management background. Mrs. Bündgen said, that the time requirements of this distance learning study programme are remarkable. However, she confirmed that she would start the programme again at any time.

For his significant assistance during the realisation and implementation of the Pump engineer study programme, Peter Meusburger was awarded the title “Pump engineer h.c.”

About the ‘Pump engineer’ study programme

The distance learning study courses with eighth attendance events (on Fridays/Saturdays) offered within this programme provide expert knowledge on the perfect design and operation of pumps and pump systems. Depending on previous qualifications of the participants, their expert knowledge and skills acquired are documented by the certificates ‘Pump engineer’ or ‘Pump technician’. The knowledge and skills for energy consulting are evidenced by the certificate ‘Certified energy consultant for pumps and pump systems’. The German ‘Pump engineer’ course starts in July each year, the English course starts in March each year.