Sewage treatment plant in Friesenheim: Gear unit

Is it beneficial to modernise gear units in a sewage treatment plant?

In Germany, there are about 10 000 sewage treatment plants. Around 4000 sewage treatment companies ensure that plant processes run smoothly. They really are multitalented. Technical failures cannot always be avoided, however they can be minimised through anticipatory action. The following article illustrates just how important it is to be forward-thinking and respond in good time.

Inlet works with pumping station in the sewage treatment plant.
Inlet works with pumping station in the sewage treatment plant in Friesenhe

A sewage treatment plant continuously processes the inflowing waste water. In order to achieve continuous motion, drives must run reliably around the clock. Intake is a crucial process step, but one that is also susceptible to problems. There are usually screw pumps for lifting the inflowing water. Although all screw pumps are very rarely used simultaneously, the failure of a pumping system in heavy rain can be a problem. In such a case, the large amount of inflowing water cannot be raised fast enough to the level of the primary clarifier. As a result, the waste water accumulates before reaching the sewage treatment plant.

A similar incident almost occurred in the sewage treatment plant in Friesenheim, located in the Ortenau district near the town of Lahr. One of the two large pumping stations situated directly at the inlet works was no longer operational. This was due to damaged teeth on the gear wheel in the gear unit. Our service experts were on site at the time carrying out other work and were thus able to act immediately.

Would you like to discover the solution that led to success in the Friesenheim sewage treatment plant? Then request our user report "New driving force for screw pump drives" as a free PDF file.

Fill in the form below and receive your PDF copy (availabe in German only) free of charge by e-mail:

Other exciting links:

  • Do you want to know where and how we can support you in your plant? Our "Sewage treatment plant" infographic gives you an overview.
  • Would you like a concise overview of possible failures in your drives, their causes, and what you can do in these situations? If so, our "Failure management" infographic should be among your key tools.