Tag Archives: KSB

KSB slurry pump capabilities grows with completion of Georgia facility expansion

KSB says it has completed its multiphase, $44 million expansion at its Grovetown, Georgia, facility, with the expanded base now serving as the headquarters of GIW® Slurry Pumps.

In 2020, the KSB Group launched KSB Mining, a new market-driven organisation providing its leading expertise on centrifugal pumps — in slurry and non-slurry applications — to mining operations.

The first two phases of this expansion were approved in 2013 in response to growing market demand for larger equipment. Since then, the Grovetown facility has completed upgrades, added thousands of square metres to its foundry, increased furnace capacity, completed construction on a distribution centre and won approval for three additional phases of improvement. Now, with the project’s completion, KSB has quadrupled its capacity to mold castings over 9,000 kg,  increased its maximum pouring output by up to 30,000 kg, reduced the number of required shot blast runs by 50%, added special cleaning stations for large castings, implemented new technology and efficiency solutions and doubled employee locker room facilities.

Set to make its official debut in the December quarter of 2022, KSB’s expanded Grovetown facility is the culmination of over a decade of planning, construction, and improvement. The decision to forge ahead with the project’s completion, despite the pandemic and its economic fallout, is the latest example of KSB’s ongoing commitment to its founding purpose, it said.

As Wolfgang Demmler, President of KSB Mining, said: “Our customers in the mining industry are doing essential work to keep the economy afloat. KSB is more committed than ever to providing our partners with an uninterrupted supply of pumps and parts. Completing this expansion improves our ability to serve our customers, and we’ll stop at nothing to support the success of our clients’ operations.”

KSB ups the GIW slurry pump ante with release of MDX-850

KSB has announced what it says is a significant expansion of the GIW® MDX product line, with the the MDX-850.

KSB’s line of GIW slurry pumps is designed to ensure optimal wear performance in harsh conditions. The GIW Mill Duty Extra Heavy (MDX) product line is specially engineered to handle the extreme conditions found in hard-rock mining applications, the company said.

“Mining operators are seeing an increased demand for minerals and ores,” KSB explained. “Operators must now consider the costs of pump maintenance and replacement as well as the cost benefit of utilising fewer larger pumps versus several smaller pumps to perform the same work.”

The larger MDX-850 is the solution for operators who need to reach higher production levels while maintaining a lower total cost of ownership, according to the company.

It added: “The MDX is widely considered the best cyclone feed pump available for the mining industry, so extending the MDX product line was a natural choice.”

The MDX-850 is a major step up in size, with an 850 mm (34 in) discharge and 2,600 mm (102 in) impeller compared with 750 mm (30 in)/2,350 mm (92 in) of the MDX-750, previously the largest MDX pump. Design features of the MDX-850 also include a variety of improvements applied to the MDX range in recent years, such as an increased pump width to allow for improved diverter design, and a thickness increase in critical areas of the impeller to improve operation and wear life. Thickened impeller vanes, cast in proprietary GasiteTM 28G and EndurasiteTM, improve wear life, so the lifecycles of wet-end parts match scheduled downtime, KSB said.

The MDX-850 features an improved interface between the suction liner and the suction plate, which allows for the use of a wear ring and hydraulic features at the pump inlet. As with all GIW MDX pump assemblies, the MDX-850 has an adjustable suction liner. The MDX-850 is compatible with the GIW RAMSL (Remotely Adjusted Mechanical Suction Liner). RAMSL technology makes for faster and more accurate nose gap adjustments, KSB explained.

The MDX-850 is designed with high efficiency in mind.

Amy Lewis, KSB’s MDX-850 Product Manager, said: “A significant amount of time and attention was devoted to the impeller hydraulics to ensure it would offer the best performance. The MDX continues to be the top choice in mill circuit pumps and the 850 promises to shatter the barriers preventing customers from achieving maximum efficiency.”

GIW MDX-750 keeps slurry moving at Panama copper mine

GIW Industries says its recent success with a customer at a Panama copper mine bodes well for the future of copper mining in Central America and the pump manufacturer’s potential for business in this area and beyond.

The Panama copper mine customer needed to ensure continuous and efficient operation of its mine and, according to GIW, was looking for a dependable partner with experience in the market, a good track record in similar applications and excellent technical support.

Reliable parts supply was at the top of the priority list, GIW said, while it also needed a company that could help solve their system challenges and offer continuous improvements.

GIW said: “The customer was familiar with GIW’s success in Chile with the MDX-750 slurry pump and wanted to achieve the same performance.”

GIW supplied a customised MDX-750 pump – one of the world’s the largest mill pumps – featuring all the latest slurry handling technology, it said. In addition to GIW’s long-lasting wear materials, the company included technology to allow the company to monitor vibrations and check the temperature of the bearings.

The company added: “GIW design engineers converted our traditional imperial threads to metric, and all seal configurations have been customised to the customer’s specifications. In the future, the customer will have the capability to test the oil quality and assess parts’ wear life. They also have the ability to optimise their pump by adding GIW’s remotely adjusted mechanical suction liner (RAMSL) feature.”

The RAMSL function allows for efficient pump operation in aggressive wear applications, according to GIW.

Benefits of the MDX pump include increased output, reduced downtime and easier maintenance, the company says. This increased efficiency and a longer wear life results in a lower total cost of ownership.

This success is an example of GIW’s ability to provide reliable service around the world, it said, with GIW collaborating with its parent company’s (KSB) teams in Australia and Central America to coordinate the engineering and delivery of the pumps to site.

GIW pumped with Anglo American Quellaveco copper project order

GIW Industries says it is to deliver four MDX 600 cyclone feed pumps to Anglo American’s Quellaveco copper project in Peru.

GIW, a subsidiary of KSB, won the order based on the reputation of its centrifugal slurry pumps and the firm’s commitment to customer support, it said. “Decades of experience in slurry transport means GIW is in the perfect position to partner with Quellaveco.”

Anglo American plans on first copper production coming out of Quellaveco in 2022, which, with a reserve of 1,300 Mt at 0.58% Cu, is expected to have a 30-year mine life at an average production capacity of 127,500 t/d. This could see the mine produce around 300,000 t/y of copper.

The Quellaveco project marks a significant milestone for GIW as it continues to invest in the region, the company said. In 2018, it expanded its service capabilities in South America to meet the needs of current and future customers.

Local GIW technicians will be on-site to assist Quellaveco for the installation, commissioning, and start-up of the four MDX 600 cyclone feed pumps, according to the company.

“The MDX pump was selected for the Quellaveco project because of its success in copper and gold applications around the world,” GIW said. “The MDX product line has undergone extensive development; in fact, the latest technology features a remotely adjusted mechanical suction liner.

“The pumps for Quellaveco are specially designed to operate in the most extreme duty conditions. Critical wear parts are made of GIW’s proprietary white-iron alloy, Endurasite. This material extends wear life and optimises pump performance.

“These features combined have a direct impact on Quellaveco’s total cost of ownership – proving the MDX is the most reliable pump on the market.”

Hernan Palavecino, South America Region Manager for GIW, said economic stability and continuous growth in the country have facilitated the investment of new mining projects in Peru, with the country, over recent years, becoming a key player in the global market.

“GIW recognises the importance of the Quellaveco mine to the region,” he said. “The greenfield project solidifies Peru’s position as a substantial player in the South American and global mining markets. The award is a result of GIW’s drive for continuous improvements in slurry technologies. We are committed to offering high-quality service while building a long-term partnership with Quellaveco.”