PUMPS AND PIPELINES
Metso Outotec ’ s 800 mm , metal-lined inlet slurry pump , the MDM800 , is now the largest metal pump within the company ’ s portfolio
around how the pumps business can leverage this expertise .
Slurry pumps , slurry hoses & pipelines , and slurry valves are all covered in the Metso Outotec remit , according to Timo Torvinen , Vice President of Pumps Business & Product Management .
“ The offering includes state-of-art MD ( mill discharge ) series pumps in metal and rubber versions , to mill discharge and cyclone feed applications , all the way to Vertical Froth ( VF ), Vertical Tank ( VT ) and Vertical Sump ( VS ) series pumps ,” he told IM .
The merger has also had a positive impact on the pump business ’ after-market segment , according to Tiago Oliveira , Vice President of Pumps Services .
“ I believe the previous Outotec service focus was well aligned with the Metso Lifecycle Services ( LCS ) concept , and the combination of the two streams and its synergies has helped us further strengthen this model ,” he said .
This synergy has resulted in a “ good number ” of new LCS contracts having been signed since the merger completed close to a year ago , with contracts ranging from rotable programs , to inspections and inventory services , up to complete packages of equipment maintenance services including third-party pumps and auxiliary systems , Oliveira said .
The customer base has also benefitted from an increase in the Metso Outotec pump offering over the last few months , with the most recent addition to this line-up being the MDM800 for mill discharge applications .
This 800 mm , metal-lined inlet slurry pump is now the largest metal pump within the company ’ s portfolio , trumping the MDM700 , providing Metso Outotec with the potential to service even higher capacity projects across the mining space .
Like the rest of the MD range , the MDM800 comes with a hydraulic design that reduces wear on components and has a bearing assembly frame that fits into existing concentrator footprints , the company says .
Lessing said there had been “ healthy levels of enquiries ” for this new pump , especially with the copper price hovering above the
$ 10,000 / t mark as of mid-May . And there could be more additions to the MD range in the future too . “ There has been plenty of activity in developing and
broadening our pump range offering for mill discharge duties , and we will be making some announcements later in the year ,” Lessing said .
“ It is also very pleasing to report that some of our installed large-size pumps are competing very favourably against the competition , which is validating our unique design features and giving the market an opportunity to invest in some newer technology .”
KSB ’ s worldwide expertise
It is the use of newer pumping technology that has KSB competing in a range of fields across the mining space .
KSB ’ s involvement in the iron ore industries in Brazil and Australia , for example , demonstrates two different approaches to dewatering , both employing vertical multi-stage pumps .
In the open-pit iron ore mines of Minas Gerais , excess ground water , monsoons and underground lakes are common occurrences . To maintain continuous production , water must be pumped to a dewatering lake with a dynamic water level raised two or three times a year .
KSB Brazil ’ s solution for tackling rising water levels is a floating station fitted with KSB vertical turbine B pumps positioned over a pontoon . The pontoon rises and falls with changes in the water level , alleviating the need for the pumps to be repositioned , which provides cost savings to the customer .
In the Pilbara ’ s Chichester Hub , meanwhile , the iron ore deposits sit 90-117 m below the surface . With the ground water and water table regularly replenished in wet seasons – added to with seasonal cyclones – more than 75 % of the iron ore can end up being below the water table .
This excess water causes a problem , diluting iron ore concentrates and making them unsuitable for export , KSB says .
Surface dewatering is one option to get around this , but the accepted dewatering process of pumping water out through boreholes comes with challenges .
High water temperatures and high salinity result in excess corrosion , while iron bacteria can grow on motors , preventing efficient motor cooling . The presence of gas is also a constant threat in some areas as this causes gas lock on the impellers , resulting in heavy vibrations that place a strain on the motor , loss of flow rate and motor failure .
This means standard off-the-shelf products are not always suitable , and the incidence of failures is high . Typically , most bore pumps fail within 12 months , and sometimes only after a few weeks , according to KSB .
KSB , and its Hope Valley facility in Western Australia , provides mine operators with its UPA multi-stage borehole pump , customised to withstand such site conditions .
“ Although a more expensive product than its competitors , the UPA has been shown to deliver a significantly longer working life and reduced costs of ownership ,” the company said . “ KSB ’ s proprietary technology that inhibits the growth of iron bacteria makes the UPA a winner .”
In the Democratic Republic of Congo ’ s Katanga Province , which is home to some of the world ’ s highest-grade copper and cobalt mines , rainy seasons can also wreak havoc .
Here , KSB is delivering several different pumping solutions involving both UPA Z borehole pumps and surface-mounted Omega pumps .
To respond quickly to potential flooding , KSB has been mounting these pumps on rough terrain trailers , providing a complete package made up of the pump , engine / motor , couplings , gearbox , hydraulic drives , and auxiliary equipment to deliver high head pumping , Rob Bond , Area Manager Mining-Sub-Saharan Africa , said .
A similar solution is also provided for the open-pit Moatize coal mine in Mozambique where the water levels must remain low for continuous and consistent production . It is KSB SA skid-mounted Omega units that help the mine operator cope with wet seasons , with 152 units supplied to date .
At the silver mines of Zacatecas , Mexico , KSB is transporting underground water flows – and the solid particles that they come with – with robust high pressure encapsulated UPA borehole pumps .
Because these dewatering pumps work at a high speed , the impellers and the wear ring can suffer from premature wear , but the use of Multitec horizontal multistage pumps , with KSB ’ s C6 standard chrome coating , greatly minimises wear , according to the company .
“ We have had pumps running in this mine for over two years without the impellers being changed ,” Roberto Valenzuela , Sales Manager Mining KSB Mexico , said . “ It is a solution that
50 International Mining | JUNE 2021