APE Pumps has appointed Willem van der Westhuizen as pump specialist, bringing 44 years of experience in the selection, design, manufacture, testing, commissioning and troubleshooting of critical pumps and pumping systems to the South African original equipment manufacturer.

Over the course of his career, Van der Westhuizen spent 39 years at Eskom and five years at Sulzer. His experience extends across power generation, petrochemicals, pulp and paper, water boards and municipalities.

At Eskom, he ultimately served as a corporate specialist for pump technology, with responsibility for critical pumps installed across the utility’s power station fleet.

He holds an MSc in mechanical engineering and has conducted numerous independent pump and pumping-system investigations. He has also authored 20 international and 10 South African technical papers covering different aspects of pumps and pumping systems.

A relationship built around installed equipment

Although Van der Westhuizen had known APE Pumps for many years, the relationship deepened as Eskom and the manufacturer began working more closely on the substantial installed base of APE Pumps and Mather+Platt equipment at the utility’s power stations.

“Under general manager John Montgomery, we started visiting APE Pumps manufacturing facilities. The relationship initially developed around the repair of, and supply of spares for, large cooling-water pumps,” he explains.

These interactions gave Van der Westhuizen direct insight into APE Pumps’ engineering and manufacturing capabilities. He points to the company’s broad pump range and investment in additional vertical milling capacity to machine large impellers and other components for power-station cooling-water pumps. He was also impressed by the quality of castings supplied by the company’s foundry partners.

His experience on both sides of the industry gives him an unusual perspective. As an asset owner, his focus was on understanding operational problems and finding practical solutions. His OEM experience added detailed exposure to hydraulic design, pump selection, manufacturing and application engineering.

Solving problems and strengthening testing

Van der Westhuizen will support APE Pumps in investigating and resolving pump-related problems, analysing the hydraulics of water-supply pump stations and developing practical solutions for customers.

He will also contribute to new projects through pump selection, station layouts and assessments of net positive suction head requirements. Another priority will be assisting with the development and design of a new test bed for horizontal and vertical pumps at APE Pumps’ premises.

For customers, the appointment adds further specialist capability at both the selection and troubleshooting stages of a project. Van der Westhuizen will help customers define what they need from new equipment, investigate challenges affecting installed pumps and assess operating conditions to keep pumps as close as possible to their best efficiency point.

“Customers need reliable pumps. They also need manufacturers to understand that equipment may sometimes have to operate away from its best efficiency point,” he says. “My role is to help analyse the pump and system together so that we can find the most appropriate solution.”

Passing experience to the next generation

Knowledge transfer will form a central part of Van der Westhuizen’s role. He plans to work closely with APE Pumps’ young engineers, draughtsmen, artisans and technical sales personnel, sharing the practical knowledge gained during more than four decades in the industry.

“As a young engineer, I had the opportunity to learn from experienced pump specialists. I now want to give that same opportunity to the next generation,” he says.

This mentoring will span the full pump lifecycle, from hydraulic and impeller design to manufacturing, assembly, installation and commissioning. It will also cover practical considerations such as impeller trimming and matching the correct pump to the required duty for optimum efficiency.

Van der Westhuizen developed a two-day pump course accredited by the Engineering Council of South Africa and has presented it to industry for many years. He intends to present the course annually to APE Pumps candidates while continuing to offer it to the wider industry through the South African Pump Manufacturers Association.

He believes that practical pump knowledge cannot be transferred through manuals or software alone. Experienced specialists must involve younger professionals directly in design, manufacture, assembly, installation and commissioning, allowing them to observe both how decisions are made and how problems are solved.

Over the next few years, Van der Westhuizen wants to strengthen pump knowledge across every department within APE Pumps. For him, the appointment offers an opportunity to remain active in the industry he is passionate about while helping to build the expertise it will need in the future.

“I want to share my knowledge with everyone I work with at APE Pumps and help uplift pump expertise throughout the organisation.”