The project, which was started at Xylem’s Flygt office in Sundbyberg, Stockholm, uses virtual simulations of 3D CAD models to take the customer through various pump station layouts. This enables more informed decisions to be made on the right solution for their requirements.

Xylem is now working on rolling-out the technology to other Xylem offices, including those in the UK & Ireland.

Xylem's concept of VR for pumping stations was initiated by Adam Sheehan, Pump Station Design Specialist at Xylem Flygt, after a colleague brought a VR headset into the office at Sundbyberg.

The team at Sundbyberg developed a virtual model of a pump station by transferring existing product data into gaming software to develop a VR scene. 

Sheehan says: “We were able to use specialist software to generate an accurate virtual 'tour' of a complex pumping station, which allowed our customers to understand how it would work in-situ. We were also able to present multiple options to the customer, so that they could compare the performance of different pump station simulations.”