By investing in training two of its team members, Werner Pumps, leading South African design, manufacture, supply and maintenance specialist in high-pressure jetting equipment, is able to offer better technical service and repairs than ever before.
Sebastian Werner, MD at Werner Pumps, noticed that two of his employees demonstrated great technical aptitude and made the opportunity available to them to undergo training in pneumatics and PLC programming. “We want everybody on this team to have the opportunity to grow and to fulfil their potential, but it’s also about making sure we offer better service to our clients,” he says. “We now have two capable in-house auto technicians who are not only able to wire all our 100% locally manufactured equipment, but also to go out to our customers in the field for repairs when needed.”
Werner Pumps has sent both men on various training courses, including EcoSTRUXURE™ Control Expert Level 1 and Introduction to PLC courses, as well as basic pneumatic training, which covers installing, testing and maintaining a basic pneumatic system.
Wouter Swanepoel has been working at Werner Pumps for about four years. He started out working in the stores and as a driver, and then began doing the company’s IT work. “I did all the access controls, and then when an opportunity became available for an auto electrician, they asked me if I would be interested in doing that,” he says. “For the last two years, I’ve been working more on that side of the business.”
Waynne McCarter followed a similar path. “I basically took over Wouter’s old driving job, working in the stores, and then Sebastian found out that I have some electrical experience because I had worked for about a year as a technician on helicopters and airplanes. In 2019, I started to go out to do repairs and then I told Sebastian I wanted to completely wire one of the trucks myself – just to see if I could do it. And I did. It’s been an interesting ride, from starting out in the stores and learning all the parts and then working in the workshop to understand all the processes and then going out to do repairs.”
McCarter is currently studying a BSc in Applied Mathematics and Physics and hopes to complete his qualification in 2021. Both he and Swanepoel are hoping to undertake Red Seal electrical certification with Werner Pumps in future.
With the skills that they have already learned, they are able to solve most electrical faults in the field. The most common of these include damaged wiring, corroded connections and blown fuses. They are also able to wire each Werner Pumps truck unit, including the new PLC system, which allows for remote fault-finding.
“They can even run complete computer simulations on new systems to see whether or not they will fail before doing the wiring,” says Werner. “They are also helping us to improve our manuals and training for our customers and making suggestions that help us to improve the business.”
Swanepoel and McCarter say they appreciate the opportunities Werner Pumps provides for personal and career development, and that they enjoy the challenge of seeing whether an electrical system will work as planned when setting it up for the first time.
“I also love seeing the trucks out in the field, working at their full capacity, and knowing I was a part of that,” says McCarter.
About Werner Pumps
For over 30 years, Werner South Africa Pumps & Equipment (Pty) Ltd. has been designing, manufacturing, supplying and maintaining specialist high-pressure jetting equipment.
The company has built a reputation as a local industry leader through its focus on delivering high-quality, low-maintenance, 100% South African manufactured products that last, all while considering clients’ budgets.
Aside from its in-house manufacturing capabilities, Werner Pumps specialises in the supply and maintenance of high-pressure jetting equipment, German high-pressure pumps, high-pressure sewer cleaning hoses, Swiss-engineered Nozzles by ENZ, and high-pressure guns, lances and cleaning equipment.
