How SANDPIPER Pump is Doubling Down on Sustainability

Sustainability is a major focus for most modern manufacturers. At SANDPIPER, we're committed to manufacturing not just functional and durable pumps, but also sustainable pumps. We go beyond simply using the term as a buzzword, and instead focus on putting substance and meaning behind our sustainability efforts.

There’s a reason SANDPIPER is a market leader that produces best-in-class air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps. We focus on long-term growth, innovation, and continuous improvement. Being environmentally conscious goes hand in hand with these priorities.

Read on to understand how we're driving sustainability externally and internally by:

• Helping end-users become more efficient with our new EvolutionX pumps, and
• Pursuing energy- and material-saving measures in our facilities.

External Sustainability: Better Performance & Serviceability

For more than 50 years, everything we’ve done at SANDPIPER in terms of AODD pump development begins with a voice-of-the-customer approach. As our engineers designed our newest AODD pump, the EvolutionX, they listened to pump users’ concerns and leveraged concepts like computational fluid dynamics and failure effects analysis to ensure they were creating a pump with superior air efficiency, ultimately reducing energy use.

The result is a lighter-weight pump with a higher flow rate and fewer parts that are safer and more efficient to operate — all attributes that improve sustainability. Specifically, the SANDPIPER EvolutionX boasts a 20 percent gain in air efficiency over competitive pumps.

The EvolutionX launched in the nonmetallic 1” model, but the design and technology are being expanded throughout the product line. As these pumps proliferate in the marketplace, they will equate to countless efficiency gains and energy savings in the future.

Whether clients are installing the EvolutionX or any other SANDPIPER pump, our focus on continuous improvement has created pumps known for their durability and longevity. In the long run, the longer a pump and its components last, and the less they have to be repaired or replaced, the better they are for our environment.

Internal Sustainability: Investments & Facility Improvements

Much of SANDPIPER’s focus on sustainability can be attributed to parent company Warren Rupp Inc., which is part of IDEX Corp.

“Make a positive impact” is a component of Warren Rupp’s core value of “excellence.” SANDPIPER, Warren Rupp, and IDEX are all committed to conducting business in an environmentally responsible manner.

The companies’ leaders have responded to its sustainability commitment by making operational improvements that create a big impact. Many of these moves come from the “green team,” a group of employees who lead the company down the path toward sustainability in operations, packaging, and other business areas.

For instance, one energy-conserving change SANDPIPER has made is replacing traditional incandescent overhead lighting with zone-controlled, motion-activated LED lighting.

Another example is the adoption of an in-house 3D printer, which engineers use in the early product design phase to speed up the time it takes to develop and validate prototypes, eliminating the time-intensive and resource-consuming process of going back and forth with hard tooling suppliers. Plus, most of the 3D printed material can be reused or recycled, eliminating waste.

Last year SANDPIPER hit a major energy-reduction milestone with its endurance testing laboratory, which accounted for three-quarters of the facility’s total electricity consumption. The team set out to reduce the lab’s air compressor energy use through better monitoring and reducing air pressure when possible. SANDPIPER saved 830,000 kilowatt-hours in one year — far surpassing the goal to save 30,000 kilowatt-hours per month.

Other sustainability efforts on the horizon include investigating solar panels for the manufacturing facility and investing in new equipment for lifecycle testing to better validate components like check balls, both of which will conserve energy.

Similar to car makers and the advent of electric vehicles, pump manufacturers like SANDPIPER are evaluating alternative energy sources. For example, are electric-drive diaphragm pumps — so-called EODDs — the future? Stay tuned. With the goals to improve efficiency, performance, and sustainability, all options are on the table.

Do you have more questions about SANDPIPER’s sustainability efforts or how we can help you achieve your pumping goals? To learn more, contact us today or locate a distributor.