Master's students from the Department of Mechanical and Energy Engineering at THM UniversityTHMTechnische Hochschule Mittelhessen . Two former THMstudents presented the company and their work there.
Herborner Pumpentechnik is internationally renowned for its swimming pool pumps and also plays a significant role in marine engineering, wastewater pumping, and industrial applications. To protect water-carrying components, primarily in pumps used in swimming pools, from corrosion, wear, and deposits, a special thick-film coating has been developed in two funded research projects at THM . This coating also improves the hydraulic efficiency of the pumps and eliminates the need for more expensive materials such as bronze or stainless steel.
Prof. Dr. Burkhard Ziegler, who collaborated on both research projects, organized the excursion to Herborn for the students. The two THMalumni, Tim Düding, Deputy Head of Development, and Tim Förster, who works in software development, presented current developments in pump technology to the guests.
To coincide with the start of Giessen a series of pump components in the company's own foundry, the factory tour began there. The molten metal is produced in modern induction furnaces, which are powered by an on-site photovoltaic system and two battery storage units. Electricity not used in the plant is fed into the Herborn power grid free of charge. After cooling, the cast components are deburred and stored in a high-bay warehouse for raw castings until further processing.
In another production hall is the mechanical manufacturing area, where essential pump components, such as the housing, back panel, impeller, and cover, are machined fully automatically in modern machining centers. The integration of these centers with a pallet storage system enables night shifts without human intervention. Industrial robots are also used to machine pump components in a way that increases the pump's efficiency. Before shipping, each manufactured pump is tested on a hydraulic test bench and optimized for its specific application.
Another highlight of the factory tour was the development pump test bench, where a special centrifugal pump was being tested. After gaining insights into pump production and pump hardware, the THMalumni presented various software programmes that were specially developed to enable economical and sustainable operation of the pump systems, as well as remote maintenance and access.
For the students, the excursion was a successful example of bridging the gap between theory and practice.