Tag Archives: Grindex

Integrated Pump Technology helps platinum mine dewater decline

Equipment maintenance, Mine operation news, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, Water management, ,

Employees of Integrated Pump Technology have come to the  rescue of a platinum mining customer who urgently needed to dewater its decline shaft.

Alfred Kelsey, Key Account Manager at Integrated Pump Technology, explains that the company, as the official Grindex pump distributor for southern Africa, maintains a comprehensive stockholding of dewatering pumps. This, he says, is key to allowing its extensive distributor network to react quickly to customer needs.

“The strength of our stockholding allowed us to effect a same day delivery of two Grindex Maxi pumps to our distributor in Steelpoort, Babata Pumps, allowing them to provide an efficient service to their end customer, a platinum mine in that area,” Kelsey said.

The two Grindex Maxi pumps have been installed in the mine’s decline shaft to ensure effective dewatering. The pumps are capable of achieving a flow rate of 30 litres per second at a head of 80 m and being of robust construction are well suited to this type of heavy-duty drainage application.

Equipped with a SMART™ motor protector and an air valve that enables continuous unattended operation, the Grindex Maxi pumps have found favour in the mining environment as this feature allows the pumps to run dry without operational interruptions.

The hydraulic design facilitates re-adjustment of the impeller-suction-cover-clearance allowing performance to be regained after wear. Kelsey says this is a significant feature for customers assisting in keeping life cycle costs low. Further, reliable operation is, as always, one of the most important considerations when it comes to drainage and dewatering applications, and the Grindex Maxi pump is simple and easy to maintain.

Kelsey says installation of the pump was done by the end customer and Babata Pump will provide any support required.

Integrated Pump Technology is the sole importer and principal distributor for the Grindex range of dewatering, slurry and sludge pumps for southern Africa. A network of nine strategically located, specialised pump distributors supported by dedicated account managers ensures effective service and customer support.

Headquartered in Johannesburg, the company operates a comprehensive service facility which supports this distribution structure. The facility includes a state-of-the-art automated pump test facility.

Weighing up the total cost of ownership in mine slurry pump applications

Equipment maintenance, Mining equipment, Mining services, Water management, , , , , , ,

Integrated Pump Technology is stressing to Africa-based mining companies the need to ensure high-quality OEM products are specified in any slurry pumping applications on mine sites.

If incorrect pump choices are made in these demanding applications, it can lead to high maintenance and repair costs and even catastrophic failures, according to the company.

Colin Adams, Managing Director of the distributor, says the company often receives enquiries from clients that have already made the mistake of trying to cut corners by using non-OEM, low-quality products.

“Slurry pumps need to be up to the task of handling high volumes of abrasive material, and when this is not the case these failures lead to costly production downtime with the obvious knock-on effects,” he said. “For a number of years, we have been cautioning the market and urging mine operators to carefully consider the overall total cost of operating slurry pumps when making decisions on which units to install.”

Integrated Pump Technology is the authorised distributor for Grindex submersible pumps. Included in its product lineup is the Grindex Bravo range, which Adams says, offer a good return on investment as the units are engineered to achieve lower operating and maintenance costs.

Commenting on why a submersible slurry pump is a better option for slurry pumping, Adams says submersibles offer several benefits over dry-mounted pumps. They do not require any support structure, need less space for operation and are very easy to install.

The Grindex Bravo range (pictured here) is produced to operate over the complete pump curve, not just one specific duty point, according to Integrated Pump Technology. This means the pump can be used in numerous applications within its range; not a case of “one pump – one application”.

Grindex Bravo pumps are fitted with a cooling jacket and agitator for effective slurry pumping. Pumps in the range can handle slurry and fluids with a high content of highly abrasive solids in sizes up to 50 mm at maximum heads from 17-45 m. Wear is reduced by using NiHard 4 for all hydraulic components, and these pumps can handle liquids with pH values from 4-10.

Adams also points to the high level of support available to customers across Africa through Integrated Pump Technology’s distributor network, which is underpinned by the company’s experienced technically competent African team. Ready access to parts also forms part of the support system, ensuring optimum uptime for customers.