Hale Products, which produces firefighting pumps and equipment, collaborated with IDEX Fire & Safety sister company Godiva to create a new line of Hale “FLEX Series” pumps, which were launched in November.
Adding to the non-manifold pump portfolio, this new line provides OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and fire departments with much more “FLEXibility.”
The team demonstrated all aspects of the IDEX Difference, starting with “Great Teams” that collaborated across time zones. Through “Customer Obsession,” they understood the difficulties fire departments had in configuring and maintaining Hale’s current pumps. And using 8020, they sought to take complexity out of the product line, resulting in a more focused offering.
Prior to the development of the Flex Series, Hale’s “Booster Series” offered nine gearboxes with 24 gear sets, making it difficult for users to configure brackets to their ratio needs. With the development of the “FLEX Series,” Hale and Godiva engineering teams developed standardized installation practices, reducing their offering to just one Gearbox with eight gear sets.
“Our engineering efforts focused on enhancing the overall durability of the pump and seal designs to add increased efficiency, while making them easier to perform routine maintenance and service when in the field,” said Jeff Van Meter, Product Manager for pumps at Hale.
Along with standardized installation, Hale team members made several improvements to address “pain points” for fire truck manufacturers and fire departments. These improvements include:
o More gearbox orientations and mounting surfaces;
o Stainless Steel Pump Shafts for corrosion resistance;
o Sight glass for oil level management;
o Secondary seals for redundancy and safety;
o Aluminum Gearboxes for reduced weight; and
o Helical gears for quieter pumps.
Hale has already started to accept orders and began shipping on January 7, 2019
