Wilo was a finalist in the manufacturer of the year category at the PIA and went one step further, winning the Technical Innovation of the Year award for its Ceram-Teflon coatings on its leading range of borehole pumps for the water extraction industry.

In the UK, we rely very heavily on water acquired via boreholes to ensure we have enough water to drink. Getting water out of the ground is far from simple; subterranean water sources carry a wide range of minerals and ferrous ground water can present a particular challenge to pump operation in the form of ‘ochre’ deposits or iron clogging.

Wilo metallurgists together with Teflon (Dupont), have successfully engineered a unique composite coating displaying the properties of both the Ceram-CT coating – (WRAS and KTW approved) and Teflon, with its excellent non-stick characteristics. 

The Ceram-Teflon outperforms non-coated and Ceram-coated pumps in troublesome applications. With a significant reduction in ochre deposits, pumps can continue to perform in line with design characteristics for significantly longer. Ceram-Teflon provides good chemical resistance, improved hydraulic efficiency, and illustrates thermoplastic behaviour between the temperatures of -40C to +260C. The coating is the familiar Teflon black and is KTW approved for drinking water. Comparison tests of pumps coated with Ceram-Teflon against Ceram and bronze show that after 455 days of operation, the Ceram-Teflon pump lost 0.6 per cent of its yield whilst Ceram lost 39.82 per cent and bronze lost 41.06 per cent. 

George Weber, chief technical officer for Wilo SE in Dortmund said: “The fact that our British colleagues have received the prestigious 2018 Pump Industry Award for the 'Technical Innovation of the Year - Products' is both an award and an incentive for us. It shows us that Wilo's enthusiasm for innovation is globally established. In addition, being awarded particularly for our Ceram-Teflon coating encourages us to always consider the entire system and not just individual components when developing our products.” 

Wilo also participated in the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) Exhibition in Dublin in April, coming away with the Best Innovative Product of the Show Award for the Wilo Stratos-Maxo, also winning Best Overall Product at the Show.

Morgan Warren-Ross, marketing manager at Wilo said: “We never tire of winning awards as they highlight the excellence of our products. We have some exceptional new products for our customer base and its great to see that independently assessed awards have decided they are outstanding products that deserve to win accolades.”