IN FOCUS

Eaton Corporation announced that its aerospace business was selected by Air France to supply engine-driven hydraulic pumps and AC motor pumps for its new fleet of 13 Boeing 777-300s.

Sulzer Pumps is to invest a further £1.87 million at their plant in Leeds (UK) to upgrade the existing gas turbine driven equipment test bed to be capable of running units up to 30 MW at full load.

ASF Thomas, the pump specialist from Puchheim, is now launching an extremely competitive version of the proven 7006 Z diaphragm pump: the 7006 Z with a shaded pole motor. This pump features the same performance characteristics as its counterpart with a capacitor motor – but is about 50 % less expensive. Thus it sports an outstanding price/performance ratio.

Bell & Gossett, a unit of ITT Industries, has opened a manufacturing plant in Shenyang, China. The 17,000 square foot assembly center adds local manufacturing to improve flexibility and decrease lead times for the company’s centrifugal pumps that are sold throughout the Asia Pacific region.

ITT Industries has appointed new sales and marketing directors in its Fluid Handling Division at the Morton Grove, IL facility.

(Radolfzell) The ALLMAG-Series of the Allweiler AG is specially aimed at the chemical industry. All pumps have been ATEX- certified from the middle of this year. Hence they comply with the EC-Regulations that are demanded from 1.7.2003 on when installed for the first time and for initial operation. The certification applies to the categories 2 and 3 and all temperature classes of the new standard.

Roper Industries reports that the net sales of the Fluid Handling segment declined 16% to $105 million in 2002, primarily resulting from the collapse of the semiconductor market.

Wilo Salmson Pumps has launched a new sewage lifting system capable of servicing multi-family dwellings and providing both reliable and safe pump operation. The Drainlift M, which is available in both single and double-pump configurations, incorporates a number of features that provide continuous sewage movement and intrinsically safe sanitation.

As announced at a company staff meeting Wilo plans to reduce the 98-strong workforce in the factory of Limerick (Ireland) by 85 workers.

The KSB Group is in the process of producing its biggest-ever symmetric butterfly valves, with an inside diameter of 3500 mm. The valves are destined for Ras Laffan, Qatar, where they will be installed in the world’s biggest cooling system and have to handle some 300,000 m³ of water every hour.