Andritz Pump History

International technology group ANDRITZ looks back on a long tradition as a manufacturer of machinery and industrial plant. In 1852, the company was established by Josef Körösi in Graz, Austria, as an iron foundry. Just a few years later, the product range included cranes, pumps and water turbines, which were followed by bridges, steam boilers and steam engines, as well as mining equipment.

After the Second World War, ANDRITZ began its cooperation with the Swiss Escher Wyss Group in 1949. The company's product portfolio was reviewed and concentrated on manufacture of water turbines, pumps, cranes and steel structures.

In 1951, ANDRITZ took up production of complete paper machines together with Escher Wyss. As a result, part of the pumps department began specializing in the pulp and paper industry. Many different process pumps were developed over the years, and the pumps program is constantly expanding.

In 1954, the Anstalt für Strömungsmaschinen (Aströ Institute of Hydraulic Research) was established. This provided a modern research institute for hydraulic machines that was awarded state authorization in 1959 to issue test certificates recognized by the Austrian government. Today, hydraulic machines are developed and tested within the ANDRITZ GROUP at four locations in Austria and one in Switzerland.

In 1960, ANDRITZ supplied the first cooling water pumps that allowed the angle of the impeller blades to be adjusted while in operation to Korneuburg steam power station in Austria. Thus, it was possible for the first time to operate a pump at different flow rates and delivery heads. Thanks to ANDRITZ's long-term experience in turbine manufacture, it was able to draw on a broad technology base in this sector. The hydraulic adjusting mechanism that has been a standard component in Kaplan turbines for decades was transposed successfully to cooling water pumps. A large number of these pumps, with power ratings of up to 5,000 kW, have been built and supplied since 1960.

In 1997, ANDRITZ set up a joint venture with a local pump manufacturer in the Chinese province of Guangdong. Thanks to these activities, ANDRITZ centrifugal pumps were established as a market leader in the paper industry in China.

In 2000, ANDRITZ introduced a new double suction standard pump on the market with efficiencies of over 90%. ANDRITZ double suction pumps are used as drinking and raw water pumps or as cooling and circulating pumps in power stations, industrial plants and in district heating networks. They feature low pulsation and are thus also optimized for use as headbox and cleaner pumps in the paper industry.

In 2002, ANDRITZ established an affiliate in China, ANDRITZ Technologies Ltd.

In 2006, ANDRITZ was awarded a contract to develop and manufacture one of the world's largest horizontal, double suction split-case pumps for the water supply to the megacity of Beijing. The eight split-case pumps with a motor rating of 7,300 kW each have an approximate weight of 60 metric tons and pump 10 m³ of water per second.

In 2007, the existing series of medium-consistency pumps was revolutionized. For the first time it was possible to operate a medium-consistency pump without a vacuum pump. This resulted in a substantial drop in maintenance requirements. In addition, the new ANDRITZ medium-consistency pump with efficiencies of up to 70% helps save valuable energy in papermaking.

In the same year, ANDRITZ also started up a test stand in China. The pump test stand is dimensioned for test series up to 4 MW.

In 2008 the ANDRITZ-Wolfensberger Joint Venture began in China – giving ANDRITZ its own modern foundry for pump steel castings.

2009 will see delivery of the most powerful irrigation pumps ever built by ANDRITZ. This order comprises five single-stage, vertical split-case pumps, each with a motor rating of 30,000 kW.