Aussie Pumps has won a prestigious award for innovative product design for its big 150 lpm hydrostatic test rig. “With stiff competition from Liebherr, Hitachi & Komatsu in this category, Australian Pump Industry were delighted and surprised to win the prestigious award.” The machine was selected by a panel representing the Earthmovers & Civil Contractor Award.
Australian Pump is the country’s biggest manufacturer of hydrostatic testers building a complete range of machines from 20 bar to 500 bar and with flows up to 150 litres per minute. The machines are all fitted with a double valve, double gauge, system that enables them to operate safely in hydrostatic test applications for water and gas pipelines. For lower pressure applications the company uses Udor diaphragm pumps. These simple positive displacement pumps provide reliable pressure and flow combinations ideal for hydrostatic test applications. “The Aussie Kappa 150, the winning machine, delivers a whopping 150 litres a minute flow with the pump having the characteristics that make it capable of handling up to 50 bar pressure.”
The machines all offer integrated control systems with inline strainers as standard. The Kappa 150 is engine drive configuration with the pumps driven through a reduction gear box to prevent the possibility of over speeding. It comes mounted in a heavy duty galvanised steel frame with four heavy duty wheels. A Mine Boss version, designed specifically for Australia’s mining and oil and gas industries comes with a heavy duty 38 mm galvanised frame fitted with balanced lifting bar. Emergency stop, lockable battery isolation, a dry cell battery and an integrated fire extinguisher are part of the kit. Bunded trays are optional. Diesel drive versions are also available with a Hatz air cooled engine delivering loads of power.
“We are so pleased to have been selected as the winner of this important category in the annual Earthmover Awards’ said Aussie Chief Engineer John Hale. ‘We design machines with the operator’s safety and convenience uppermost. It’s nice is to see an Australian manufacturer win,” he said. “We believe that form does follow function. In the case of high pressure machines our functional innovation charter heavily emphasises the safety aspects of the machine,” said Hales.
