Founded in Freiburg in 1946, KNF began developing, manufacturing, and selling diaphragm pumps in 1962. The company continues to be an independent family business and has enjoyed steady growth while also broadening its experience and global reach. With 24 locations worldwide today, KNF aims to be close to its customers and continues to expand its multi-industry expertise and wide range of applications.
The Group consists of three production centres – one in Germany, specialised in large gas pumps, and two in Switzerland, of which the first makes small gas pumps and the other, today the largest of the three ‘KNF Flodos’, specialises in fluid pumps.
Michael Davies, Chief Marketing Officer for KNF Flodos, the production centre specialised in fluid pumps, reflects that being a family-owned company makes a big difference not only in terms of a positive working atmosphere but also in terms of having a long-term view, without the pressure of having to focus on short-term results and performance.
“KNF today employs about 900 people and ever since I joined the company 24 years ago, the business has continued to grow. Despite temporary challenges, there is faith in positive development, and a willingness to continue investing in R&D with patience.”
As a qualified engineer, Davies can combine his technical and marketing skills to place the right products exactly where they are needed, fully understanding the technical details of the pumps and how these can be perfectly matched to meet clients’ needs.
“Our portfolio is very diverse, and our pumps are used in demanding applications such as medical equipment, inkjet printing, 3D printing and fuel cells. So, you can find our pumps in blood analysers or dosing equipment for example, or in barcoding machines. The ability of our pumps to handle solvents and other demanding liquids further expands the range of applications.”
Smooth flow pumps
The company is a global leader in the small diaphragm pump market and with significant amounts invested in R&D is making sure of staying ahead of its competitors. Davies explains that in some applications, flow or pressure pump pulsation may pose fluid dynamic challenges. To address this issue the new KNF FP series of Smooth Flow Pumps was designed to provide a much more laminar flow delivery. The range is constantly being innovated and remains unsurpassed.
The smooth flow pumps have many additional advantages to the classic diaphragm pump design. Linear flow control, low vibration, no cavitation / air bubbles, higher efficiency, and of course low pulsation make these a great alternative to other technologies such as gear pumps and centrifugal pumps.
In November 2023, KNF expanded the Smooth Flow Series with the FP 7 and FP 25 Liquid Pumps.
The very low pulsation level of these two products means that we can enter into new markets and applications which we couldn’t fulfil yet such as flow cytometry, particle measurement, ink delivery directly to the print head.
Again, these latest additions, designed to meet the most demanding applications, are fully customizable to meet the specific needs of various applications. “Our new smooth flow pumps are unique, no one else can offer products with the same benefits. That is giving us a great advantage on a global scale,” says Davies.
The quality you can count on
He further explains that being ‘customised’ is KNF’s standard and 90% of the company’s turnover is project-based. “We try to build up long-term partnerships with customers to get a good understanding of their application, and then custom design a special pump that meets those needs perfectly – in terms of the lifetime, the chemical resistance, the flow rate, the vacuum and all the technical specifications.”
Such a customer-focused approach of course has its challenges. “A lot of our clients take five years to develop their product. So, we’re working with the customer for five years before we make any turnover, meaning a lot of investment on our side. But then with a bit of luck, the customer will be building their medical diagnostic device or their inkjet printer, equipped with our pumps, for the next 20 years.”
About 95% of KNF Flodos’ output is sold in export markets, aiming to achieve an even split of 30% each between Europe, North America, and Asia; Davies admits however that the biggest single market for the liquid pumps is China.
“Of course, there is copying going on, but it has its limits. Our product portfolio is very broad, and while someone may copy one or two of the simpler products, they can’t offer the range. Also, our products are designed to be long-lasting and highly chemical-resistant. That is technically too difficult to copy. Last but not least, expensive equipment for advanced markets cannot be compromised by a cheap pump that may fail. We guarantee perfect quality. All these factors make us successful around the world, and even in price sensitive market our ‘total cost of ownership’ value proposition is very attractive.”
In line with trends
The company is innovating not only its range but also its internal processes. “Digitisation is a big topic, and we have digitised the whole company structure, including R&D processes, so that customers get access to their drawings very quickly. And then we’re moving very strongly into digitised products. This means for example digitally controlled motors with interfaces to the customer’s system.”
Davies further points out that sustainability, another hot topic, is ingrained not only in the company’s operation but in the very product. “The whole of our business philosophy is completely sustainable, internally and externally. Our pumps are built to fit the customer’s needs, including the required working life. They don’t need to be serviced, maintained, or replaced, there is no waste. They may come at a higher cost, but they can last 10 years as opposed to six months of a cheap product. Anything that decreases the total cost of ownership is good for the environment.”
Reflecting on recent market developments, he acknowledges that while the company has enjoyed exceptional year-on-year growth since the pandemic, the pace has slowed down considerably due to market overstocking. “However, as we are not a listed company, we can afford to be patient and to continue investing. Not only in R&D but also in automation. Automation is the only way forward.”
He says that the company is also looking to further expand its focus into the upcoming sectors such as fuel cells and hydrogen. “Geographically, new opportunities are emerging everywhere. We can see a strong trend for these new technologies and KNF will remain at the forefront, striving to design pumps that perfectly meet the new demand.”
