As a global company serving customers in more than 120 markets worldwide, we work with partners who share our ambitions for water reuse and energy efficiency.
Julius Blum GmbH (Blum) is a family-owned company specialising in the manufacture and distribution of furniture fittings. When they recently built an extension to their maintenance facility in Poland, they turned to Grundfos to extend their pump installations as well. The cooperation between the two companies is well established and has intensified recently, not least because of the proven quality, reliability and efficiency of Grundfos products.
“For the facility extension, Grundfos delivered quality products that met our requirements for the longest possible operation without failures and downtime, including a guaranteed ‘return to reliability’ extended warranty for our external pump speed drives.”
The situation
The extension to the Blum maintenance facility in Jasin, Poland required the installation of water supply pumps run on CUE external variable frequency drives.
The new installation was to develop further the use of large standard pumps with external speed control in the current installation, which had been developed and optimised in cooperation with Grundfos over the years. Blum’s ambition in each new project is to realise and extend their focus on water management and energy efficiency by using intelligent pump solutions.
We also use Grundfos E-pumps with built-in drives and controls, but for this project, we wanted to develop further our existing dedicated cabinet solution, where our external pump speed drives were located.
Intelligent TPE E-pumps and standard TP pumps controlled from an external CUE variable frequency drive for temperature-controlled flow and pressure.
Grundfos helped develop this solution, where the requirement was for continuous operation without failures and downtime: “Recognising Blum’s requirements for safe and uninterrupted operation, we ensured optimal conditions for external pump-speed control,” says Witold Prusinski, Business Development, Grundfos. “Our cooperation extended to discussing key issues around service, reliability and warranty”.
The solution
Blum works with larger pumps in their installations with external variable frequency drives and controls in a dedicated cabinet. Grundfos supplied high-efficiency pumps to meet heating, cooling and ventilation requirements in the facility extension as part of a complete package:
- Precision TP vertical in-line pumps for temperature-controlled flow and pressure
- Powerful NB end-suction pumps for reliable and effective supply
- CUE variable frequency drives, for speed control of the TP and NB pumps
- High efficiency MAGNA3 circulators
- An extended warranty agreement for the CUEs
The CUE external variable frequency drives were supplied in a cabinet solution and provide maximum convenience, energy cost savings and safety first for equipment and operators.
When all pumps and equipment were delivered and installed in 2023, we had a complete solution from one supplier who could guarantee reliable operation for years to come.
Powerful NB end-suction pumps for reliable and effective water supply.
“The 5-year extended warranty we offered Blum is pretty much in line with what we offer selected partners today,” says Tomasz Graclik, Sales Engineer Industry, Grundfos. “But in 2023, when the order with Blum was completed, this was not usual. Blum was effectively the forerunner of the extended warranty for CUE.”
The outcome
Grundfos delivered high quality and reliable pumps with external pump-speed control. The ability to adapt the extended warranty to match the project’s expected outcomes went a long way to satisfy Blum’s requirements for safe and uninterrupted operation.
The Grundfos CUE is not the only external variable speed drive on the market; but for Blum the extended warranty with the ‘return to reliability’ guarantee made the difference, as well as the trust and support they have come to expect from Grundfos. At the end of the day, Grundfos is continuing to work with a satisfied partner:
There are also considerable advantages for us working with one supplier for the pumps, drives and controls, and Grundfos delivered on all fronts.
A typical view of a dedicated cabinet for CUE variable frequency drives, controlling the large standard NB and TP pumps.
and concludes: “The experience we already have from a long-term partnership lead to Grundfos being chosen as a full-line supplier for our facility extension. We are always happy and willing to talk to Grundfos – and we see potential for more business in the future!”