Behind every good Rockstar is a crew that builds the stage, prepares the pyrotechnics, sets up the lights, and does all the sound checks. It’s no different when the Rockstar is an AODD (air-operated double-diaphragm) pump. In fact, our team is so good that every pump in the Versamatic lineup benefits from the work they do.

 Setting the Stage for Savings 

As a business there are key metrics we look at to tell the story of how well we are meeting the needs of our customers. One of the ways we keep tabs is through voice of customer research to make sure our AODD pump improvements and new designs “give the people what they want”. Our long-term relationships with end users and distributors around the world have greatly informed our engineering team on what projects to prioritize, how to improve pump performance, and where to focus our efforts.

The challenge we’ve always faced was timeliness of projects, further exacerbated by the wild world of 2020 logistics management. The pain brought on by events of the time was actually some of the best motivators for us to change the way we look at new product development and product improvement.

Prototyping parts with 3^rd parties worked wonderfully when shipping lanes were open and raw materials were available. But we needed a better way. Our customers deserved it. The only logical thing to do was invest heavily in the present to get the job done and work to realize the potential cost savings in the future. This is where the 3D printer in-house enters the stage as the main event.

 The Lead Act of the Show 

We invested in 3D printing capabilities internally to speed up product improvement and development. What took several weeks, if not months, of prototyping, refinement, and testing can now be done under one roof by the same Versamatic experts in as little as a few days.

Now we can try on some of the more innovative ideas without breaking the bank or pushing out a project timeline for 36 months. That translates to some unique developments in pump technology that add value to our customers. Since installation in August of 2022 we’ve printed nearly 3,500 parts contributing impressive cost savings.

We don’t look at that money as a better bottom line. That money represents a quicker go-to-market for game changing products to help our customers do their job better. This improvement in our prototyping process has helped us get revolutionary pumps like the Valor in the hands of customers who need a more efficient pump with a much simpler way to approach maintenance and replacement parts. It’s also allowed us to refine pumps with new components like the metallic flap in the Rockstar.

 The Cutting Edge 

We’ve hyped you up enough that now we must give you some real-world examples, just to drive home the point. A leading manufacturer of cleaning and disinfecting products has heavily invested in Valor as part of an improvement project within their manufacturing facilities. All of the features we laid out above were considered against other pump options, and, in the end, they had no choice.

Valor was installed to handle chemical transfer from bulk storage tanks to mix tanks in their blending area. The base chemicals used in Cleaners and disinfectants of all sorts, get pumped through Valor pumps in these operations. Now Valor is a trusted team member they know they can count on.

The harsh chemicals inside the holding tanks can cause major problems to not only the liquid side of pumps but the air side in this environment. These chemicals must be blended, to the right ratio in a consistent and timely manner, to avoid costly downtime. Using unreliable equipment can frustrate the end result and make a nightmare scenario from a quality control perspective. Other pumps would erode from the outside, risking chemical spills and environmental hazards for the manufacturer, employees, and local community. Costly repairs and high-volume inventory of replacement parts on hand to keep the operation running were just too cumbersome.

Valor solved all these problems. This cleaner and disinfectant manufacturer can now rest easy, knowing they have the right pump on the job. Maintenance personnel can be freed up to do other necessary tasks in the facility. Money saved on air consumption can be dedicated to other efforts. Space required for parts inventory to repair pumps can now be utilized for other things. All told, it’s a tremendous achievement, all because Valor is ready and willing to get in the trenches and get to work.

With our in-house capabilities utilizing the 3D printer, innovation like the game changing metallic flap valve can be concepted, designed, prototyped, and tested in house in record time. Rockstar is at the cutting edge of solids-handling applications delivering chart-topping max flow rates of up to 170 gallons per minute. It can also handle solids up to 1.8” in diameter, near line-size solids.

Rockstar is the ideal choice for an environment requiring a lightweight, adaptable, durable air operated pump capable of handling large solids, slurries, and corrosive fluids. It’s been engineered to reduce downtime, working harder for longer. The removable end cap translates to super simple flap valve maintenance and repairs, capable of being done in just a couple minutes.

Solutions-based pump innovations like Rockstar are made possible by 3D printing prototypes. That in-house capability has dramatically changed our approach to new product development and testing, allowing us to bring pumps to market faster, with more efficient and effective technology for customers just like you.

Learn More About Rockstar and Other Pumps

If you’re in need of a revolutionary pump like Rockstar, reach out to our team of experts today. You can also find a distributor near you, learn about our pumping success stories, and find the right pump for your application by visiting our website.