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The fully assembled impeller, fresh from the 3D metal printer for manufacturing Ovomaltine®)
4 min read

A new recirculation pump for the manufacturer of Ovomaltine®

A large recirculation pump of the type Ruetschi PRP 40 from 1976 was required at the plant of the Swiss food producer Wander AG in Neuenegg. The original manufacturer no longer makes this pump. In order to avoid having to significantly redesign the system, the company decided to have the existing pump reproduced by KSB using reverse engineering.

A large recirculation pump of the type Ruetschi PRP 40 from 1976 was required at the plant of the Swiss food producer Wander AG in Neuenegg. The original manufacturer no longer makes this pump. In order to avoid having to significantly redesign the system, the company decided to have the existing pump reproduced by KSB using reverse engineering.

The project:

Reproduction of an almost 50-year-old pump

The old pump in the Wander AG factory

The existing pump which needed to be replaced at the Wander AG factory

The customer:

Wander AG, located in Neuenegg near Bern, Switzerland

The portfolio of the food manufacturer which has been in operation for over 150 years includes the well-known brands Ovomaltine®, Caotina®, Twinings® and Isostar®. Besides breakfast cereals, its product range includes tea, spreads, chocolate, biscuits, snack bars and desserts as well as specialty foods for athletes. At the plant in Neuenegg near Bern, around 260 employees produce Ovomaltine® and Isostar® powder for the entire European market.
Wander AG's Ovomaltine® brand is over 110 years old and is known and loved in over 100 countries worldwide.

Wander AG's Ovomaltine® brand is 120 years old and is known and loved in over 100 countries worldwide.

The challenge:

 

Reproduction of an almost 50-year-old pump

Producing a new competitor pump that is no longer manufactured without making any changes to the system was a task that was not to be underestimated. Added to this were further requirement specifications that were presented by colleagues from KSB Switzerland to the Reverse Engineering department in Pegnitz:
  • Instead of cast iron, the new pump needed to be made of stainless steel
  • The pump had to be able to run at negative pressure and offer a high level of process reliability
  • Its enclosure had to be IP54 (splash guard) as a minimum
In addition to the technical challenges, the customer attached particular importance to close communication on site as the most important means of finding a solution. Given these requirements, it was a challenge that only KSB was able to master.
 
"We could not find any other manufacturer who was able to reproduce the old pump. The only solution was KSB."
Sophia Tran, Production Project Manager at Wander AG.
Reverse engineering at Wander AG in Switzerland

The reproduced pump after installation

The solution:

Reconstructing a pump using the additive manufacturing 3D printing procedure

When a system’s operation needs to be maintained even though essential parts or entire assemblies are no longer available, KSB’s Reverse Engineering team has the answer. At Wander AG, KSB’s experts were able to offer a cost-effective solution. First of all, exact design drawings of the pump were created, initially for each component and then as a complete drawing.
The new recirculation pump of Wander AG as a 3-page design drawing
The new recirculation pump of Wander AG as a 3-page design drawing

The design drawings show how the pump is integrated into the system.

This formed the basis for the pump set to be reproduced in stainless steel V4A 316L. The propeller was made using additive manufacturing, namely a 3D metal printing procedure.
The propeller from the 3D printer

The fully assembled impeller, fresh from the 3D metal printer

Once it had been assembled, the pump was tested on KSB’s own test stand and the values were verified against the original data sheet. After the pump set had been successfully integrated and installed in the customer’s system, it was promptly commissioned without any issues.
The service team of KSB Switzerland was in close contact with the customer throughout the entire process, ensuring exemplary communication and cooperation.
Today, the pump smoothly fulfils its predecessor’s tasks, handling different viscosities and ensuring reliable processes in the food manufacturing facility.
The project demonstrates that thanks to its extensive portfolio, KSB is a key partner to the food industry, offering successful solutions for both secondary and primary processes.
Reverse engineering at Wander AG: Pump with belt drive

The reproduced pump is driven by an easily accessible belt.

Figures | Data | Facts

Project: Reproduction of an old pump made by Ruetschi
Project duration: August 2020 to August 2021
Location: Neuenegg, Switzerland
Customer: Wander AG
Services: Sales/Service KSB Switzerland, KSB SupremeServ ReEngineering, Additive manufacturing
Technical data
  • Pump flow rate: 400 m³/h
  • Fluid viscosity: 3000 mPas max.

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