Editted from an article which originally appeared in Trailer Magazine
In a time-sensitive industry such as fuel distribution, it pays to have equipment that is not just competitively priced, but will actively speed up the discharge process. German brand Alfons Haar has made a name for itself in this highly specialised segment of the industry.
Alfons Haar had a long history fuelling the aviation and military sectors in Australia, which is why opening an office in Australia was a natural step to provide sales and support across the country, as well as in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The Alfons Haar business was founded in 1949 by engineer Alfons Haar in Hamburg, Germany. What began as a small machinery workshop has spawned a 60 year-old journey with the Alfons Haar business becoming a global brand for operators in the fuel, LPG and powder transport industries. Managed by the second and third generation of the Haar family, the Group has manufacturing and sales operations in 16 countries across Europe, South Africa, USA, Singapore and, most recently, Australia.
“A major challenge for any component business in the fuel industry is to supply lightweight equipment that will allow fleet operators to increase the payload per run,” said a Haar Australia spokesperson. “While reliability and longevity are also major considerations in Australia’s transport market, weight is a key driver. Because of that Alfons Haar’s pump range fits the bill perfectly.”
Every pump is constructed of a special grade of cast iron, offering fuel flow rates up to 4000 litres per minute (LPM) while maintaining a low overall weight. Each pump is specially designed for mobile transfer applications, with a slim profile, air controlled bypass valves and even a pump which mounts directly to the power take off (PTO). The pump efficiency and reduced size has been achieved from a re-design based on modern flow simulation techniques. Alfons Haar have also just released a mobile pump which can deliver up to 4,000 LPM.
“Most transport operators understand that carrying extra weight costs money, and many have sophisticated modeling tools that enable them to calculate the cost to carry each extra kilogram, both in fuel consumption and wear and tear. The iron’s strength allows us to remove excess material from the design. By putting the right amount of material in the right places and removing it from where it doesn’t serve any purpose, we achieve very strong designs that are very lightweight. In fact our cast iron pumps are 30 to 40 per cent lighter than other aluminium pumps of equivalent flow rates."
“Our clients generally come to us with a specific flow rate in mind based on what they achieved in the past with other pumps. Very often we’re able to completely change their approach around, with the technology to deliver higher flow rates, or a completely different pump drive method, which they did not know was previously possible. We’re also getting a lot of feedback that the system is much quieter than existing pumps in their fleets, which is a bonus for fuel operators. When you can provide a product that discharges fuel faster, at a reduced weight, people will listen.”
“The Haar business has a solid pedigree in building the most efficient fuel transfer solutions that are cost-effective and safe to operate.
“The philosophy of the Haar family is very straightforward. If it doesn’t provide users with tangible savings and benefits beyond what other brands provide, they wont make it. Everything in the Haar range is engineered to be either easier to install, last longer, weigh less, have less moving parts, need less maintenance, or even a combination of those and above all time efficient.”
Based in the Melbourne suburb of Sunshine West, Haar Australia not only supplies special pumps, but also mobile compressors for powder and chemical transfer, as well as meters and fuelling components for aviation refuelling and bulk fuel transfer.
In addition to its involvement in the commercial transport sector, Haar Australia has a strong presence in the defense industry and is also the Australian distributor of Swedish coupling manufacturer and supplier Mann Tek.