Living Innovations.
Living Innovations.
Wilo’s long tradition allows us to draw conclusions for the future from our own history and to evaluate upcoming developments. Having both great foresight and an ambitious pioneering spirit, means that products, systems and services are created to form a future-orientated and environmentally sound portfolio.
1872
When Caspar Ludwig Opländer – better known as Louis – founded the company in 1872 as the "copper- and brassware factory Louis Opländer" in Dortmund, the company was still producing distillation equipment for the drinks industry.
That was the foundation on which Wilo was established. This was followed by exceptional development that led to its position as a leader in innovation.
Wilo now looks back on 150 years of company history, in which the company has left its mark worldwide. One thing has always remained the same over the years: Wilo´s innovative strength and joy: from steam heaters and hot-water heating systems to smart solutions, from the brass factory “Louis Opländer” to Wilo, the digital pioneer of the pump industry.
1928
Achieving the best possible heat distribution in centrally fired hot-water heating systems represented a real challenge for 19th century engineers.
At that time, the widely used steam heatings were replaced by the so-called gravity heatings. The circulation of the heating water was exclusively based on temperature differences and gravity.
The inventive Wilhelm Opländer solved this problem and developed the world's first circulation accelerator as a professional engineer in 1928. This forerunner of the heating pump increased above all the comfort, as the heat now reached the radiator faster and the heating water temperature was reduced.
1953
The Wilo-Perfecta was the first glandless heating circulator on the market. The Perfecta initiated the transition from glanded to glandless technology. In 1952 Wilhelm Opländer took over the license for the construction of a glandless circulator, which was first delivered in 1953.
The pump was a real innovation: not only did the Wilo-Perfecta convince with its high performance despite its small size, it was also the first maintenance-free heating pump. Wilo found examples of this series from 1956 as part of a competition in 2009, which at that time had already been in failure-free operation for 53 years.
1988
In 1988 the world's first electronically-controlled heating circulator was released: theWilo-Star. In contrast to conventional heating circulators, the Wilo-Star had an integrated differential pressure control for infinitely variable output adjustment and, compared to unregulated standard pumps, the speed control did not cause any additional noise in the engine. Hot-water heating systems were part of the Wilo-Star field of application.
1995
The first three-blade, slow-running, high-efficiency mixer came from Hof in 1995. Wilo submersible mixers have the task of optimally supporting the microbiological processes in the biological cleaning process. They ensure the necessary basin flow, deposit-free operation and a homogeneous distribution of the activated sludge even under unfavourable inflow conditions.
In 1996, the large wastewater treatment plants in Bottrop were equipped with EMU mixers from Hof. In 2016, the activated sludge treatment plant was completely retrofitted using the latest generation of highly efficient Wilo submersible mixers.
2001
In 2001, the world's first high-efficiency pump for heating, air conditioning and cooling applications was introduced by Wilo. The “Wilo-Stratos” consumes up to 80% less electricity than uncontrolled circulators. When the European energy label for heating pumps was introduced in 2005, this pump series as the reference for Class A energy efficiency.
Classic meets modern. With the Wilo-Stratos high-efficiency pump, we succeeded in equipping the historic walls of Freiburg's old town hall with the latest, innovative pump technology. This is mainly thanks to the high flexibility of the Wilo-Stratos, which, without any problems, could be adapted to the conditions of the old open heating system from 1949 with its large pipe cross-sections. Today, the system supplies both town halls and the adjacent Wallgraben Theatre.
2001
In 2001, the Wilo-EMU FA with HC motor was equipped with the world's first submersible sewage motor with hermetically sealed cooling system. The coolant is circulated by an impeller which is driven via a magnetic coupling. This material is designed in such a way that the drive torque of the driver is transmitted synchronously and asynchronously, which ensures the permanent drive of the cooling impeller. The application areas of the Wilo-EMU FA are pumping of wastewater, wastewater with solids and pre-treated wastewater.
2009
In 2009, the Wilo-Stratos PICO is the first high-efficiency pump with better consumption figures than required for a Class A energy label, achieving a power saving of up to 90%.
Since then, the Wilo-Stratos PICO series has been continuously developed and its highly efficient performance is regularly certified by TÜV SÜD. In 2020, the high-efficiency pump was awarded the Plus X Award 2020. Decisive factors were the high quality, ease of operation and functionality. The Wilo-Stratos PICO is especially suitable for detached and semi-detached houses, but also for small apartment buildings.
2017
In 2017, the Wilo-Stratos MAXO marked Wilo's entry into the future of pump technology – with the first Smart pump* in the world. With innovative energy-saving functions and control modes, it achieves maximum system efficiency. Maximum compatibility and direct pump networking with existing systems is also a matter of course for the world's first Smart pump.
For years, the Signal Iduna Park relies on green pump technology. From the water supply for the VIP rooms to heating the changing rooms and the football pitch heating system: Wilo ensures a green environment. Since 2019, models of the Wilo-Stratos MAXO have been supplying the largest standing tribune in Europe - the "Yellow Wall".
*By a smart-pump we mean a new category of pumps that goes far beyond our high-efficiency pumps or pumps with pump intelligence. The combination of the latest sensor technology and innovative control functions (e.g. Dynamic Adapt plus and Multi-Flow Adaptation), bi-directional connectivity (e.g. Bluetooth, integrated analogue inputs, binary inputs and outputs, interface to the Wilo Net), updating through software updates and excellent user-friendliness (e.g. thanks to the Setup Guide, preview principle for anticipatory navigation and the proven Green Button Technology) make this pump a smart-pump.
2018
By introducing the Wilo-Rexa SOLID-Q in 2018, Wilo offers an intelligent system solution for a smart sewage pumping station. The integrated Nexos Intelligence accommodates digitalisation and automation by detecting blockages and automatically starting flushing cycles.
With the Ethernet interface built into the pump for the first time, the system can communicate with the other components of the smart wastewater pumping station and forward the data to a control system or cloud for further analysis.
The energy efficiency and new possibilities of remote monitoring have also convinced HAMBURG WASSER. Meanwhile, the wastewater pumping station in Hamburg-Billstedt works intelligent: An existing pump was replaced by a Wilo-Rexa SOLID-Q with Nexos Intelligence.
2020
Tradition is just as important for us as innovation. This is the reason why we decided to build our new headquarters – the Wilopark – exactly where it all started in 1872: in Dortmund, Germany.
The groundbreakig, state-of-the-art building complex in the south of the city not only underlines Wilo’s role as a digital pioneer but by applying the latest technology also reduces annual energy consumption by 40 per cent as well as CO2 emissions by 3,500 tons. Wilo has always been future-oriented, developing resource-friendly and sustainable products. Today, more than ever, environment and climate protection are a firm part of Wilo’s corporate strategy.
Through the election as one of the world’s “50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders” by the United Nations as well as winning the German Sustainability Award, we find ourselves to be confirmed in the strive for Global climate protection. Sustainability has always been a part of our DNA.
