COVER STORY
70 years of PUMP INNOVATION In a world of change, excellence remains constant. In the case of APE Pumps and sister entity Mather+Platt, that translates into decades of quality, innovation and product leadership, with the Group celebrating 70 years in business in 2022.
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s a Group, we’ve always invested in our people first and foremost, and this has paid major dividends for us over the years, resulting in the formation of long-term customer relationships and enabling us to progressively expand our footprint across South Africa, as well as further afield in Africa,” says John Montgomery, GM, APE Pumps and Mather+Platt. A key factor that defines the Group’s commitment to the industries it serves is that a blueprint exists for every pump model it has manufactured. “That includes legacy products we inherited as a Group prior to our formation in 1952. A classic example is an approximately 100-year-old pump – imported from the UK – that we remanufactured for Rand Water based on the original drawings,” Montgomery explains, adding that Mather+Platt’s original lineage can be traced back to Great Britain’s First
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IMIESA March 2022
Industrial Revolution in the late 18th century. Today, of course, APE Pumps and Mather+Platt have embraced the Fourth Industrial Revolution with cutting-edge technologies that include telematics for the remote monitoring and control of pump health and performance. Advancements in metallurgical research have also resulted in improved casting techniques, as well as the strength and durability of key components like bearings and impellers. “However, the principles of pump technology remain the same,” Montgomery continues. Dovetailing tried and tested techniques with modern technologies is a hallmark of APE Pumps and Mather+Platt’s success. Today, for example, the Group is one of the few OEMs that still has a pattern-making shop, headed by a master artisan. While the Group has embraced 3D printing as part of its research and development initiatives, Montgomery says that nothing replaces the age-old art of handcrafted wooden moulds painstakingly perfected to meet the exact design tolerances of the final casting elements. “Harnessing this capability, we can also replicate any pump where the original OEM is no longer trading, even where the drawings no longer exist,” he points out.
Going global, staying local APE Pumps and Mather+Platt were acquired by Indian multinational Worthington Pumps in
2012 and now form part of a group of leading pump OEMs. These include Sterling Pumps in Australia, Mathers Foundry in the UK, and Gruppo Aturia in Italy. In 2017, the APE Pumps and Mather+Platt production facilities were expanded by around 8 000 m2 to keep pace with market demand and the Group continues to modernise its machinery in line with evolving technologies. “A Proudly South African company, we are committed to and invested in South Africa, and APE Pumps and Mather+Platt products are 100% locally cast by South African foundries using local materials,” Montgomery explains. “That has major advantages for the market because we are not reliant on imports and can design and fabricate pump systems within remarkably short turnaround periods.” APE Pumps and Mather+Platt’s processes are ISO 9001 accredited to ensure strict adherence to quality assurance standards. Material certificates are issued as a guarantee. “High-pressure environments like bulk water transfer depend on exact tolerances and there’s no margin for error, which is why our Group has been a market leader since 1952,” Montgomery continues. As part of its commitment to inclusivity and transformation, the Group recently concluded a BBBEE equity deal with a 100% black-owned company, which has now acquired a minority stake in the business. “We’re very excited about this development and it marks a major milestone for our 70th anniversary celebrations,” says Montgomery.