In late-May Scott and I traveled to Munich Germany to attend IFAT 2026. After a whirlwind 48 hours we made our way to Hidrostal's Swiss headquarters in Neunkirch in the North of Switzerland to attend the inaugural Hidrostal Pump Academy.
Like a Swiss clock, the tight 2 day agenda was strictly adhered but allowed attendees the most of the limited time. Day 1 provided us with a thorough overview of the Hidrostal product line, the production facility and foundry. Back-to-back theory sessions provided excellent coverage of the Hidrostal standard pumps, NEW Tuma series motors, PreroClean, Hidromix and the Hidrostal Mechanical Seal systems. We also covered forthcoming HidroSelect software, which promises (and delivers!) a cleaner and upgraded user experience for selecting Hidrostal pumps.
Day 2 was no less action packed; after a morning brief, we were treated to a factory tour as well as a visit to Hidrostal's own foundry which is located on the same property as the production facility. The foundry tour included viewing stocks of raw iron ingots as well as locally sourced recycled material used for stainless steel castings. Having experienced other foundry facilities, the difference was stark; Hidrostal's facility is very clean. We toured the semi-automated molding and demolding processes, the cutting edge pattern shop were advanced rapid prototyping and quality were all on display.
The afternoon concluded the sessions with an outdoor expo featuring the fabulous Superbetsy and AEONPUMP Raptor portable pumping units, a life-size PreroClean, a live demo of the HidroSmart pump controller with Hidroscope as well as a table featuring our friends at Bedford Pump UK.
Both days were capped by evenings that were thoughtfully arranged, keeping us well fed, socialized and providing us with valuable opportunities to network with Hidrostal's fantastic staff and the 35 other attendees from which represented nearly a dozen countries.
Scott bravely volunteered to be part of the overview video:
A heartfelt thank-you to everyone at Hidrostal AG for graciously hosting the event. We were pleased to meet everyone from the various Hidrostal business groups, Hidrostal Peru as well as the the other distributors who attended. We will look forward to the next opportunity!
Jason