PUMPS AND PIPELINES
“ We can … make sure we are at the optimum level for the cyclone selection , the pump selection to the ancillary equipment selection – up and down the stream [ of the pump ],” he said .
“ When you go through different suppliers [ for your plant ], every manufacturer and vendor applies a safety factor on their recommendation … Those safety factors add up and you may end up in the situation where your cyclones are too big for your mill pump , or your mill pump is too big for your cyclones .
“ That kind of mismatch can be avoided by using Metso Outotec as a one-stop-shop because we understand the full flowsheet .”
With pumps transporting increasingly abrasive slurries throughout the mine site , the wear of internal parts continues to be a focus for Metso
Outotec , and Aduri said there were some new developments in the pipeline that will improve the monitoring and maintenance of pumps .
“ To summarise them into a collective bucket , we are looking at developing and / or integrating the advances in today ’ s condition monitoring technology with our pumps to gather critical pump health metrics on demand ,” he said .
“ Knowing where the pump is operating in the customer ’ s system with respect to its own ideal design point allows for a host of finetuning options to increase uptime and reliability of our equipment . This uptime and reliability directly translate into the savings on TCO for the customer .”
Shattering barriers
Speaking of pumps getting bigger , KSB recently
The GIW ® MDX product line is specially engineered to handle the extreme conditions found in hard rock mining applications and operates at the core of your mill circuit .
GIW ® Slurry Pumps
The MDX matches operating cycle times with scheduled mill outages - meaning fewer production disruptions and increased operational efficiency .
Learn more at ksb . com / en-us
announced an expansion of the GIW ® MDX product line , with the launch of the MDX-850 .
KSB ’ s line of GIW slurry pumps is designed to ensure optimal wear performance in harsh conditions , with the GIW Mill Duty Extra Heavy ( MDX ) product line engineered to handle the extreme conditions found in hard-rock mining applications .
The larger MDX-850 is the solution for operators who need to reach higher production levels while maintaining a lower TCO , according to the company .
The MDX-850 comes with an 850 mm discharge , 950 mm suction and 2,600 mm impeller compared with the 750 mm discharge , 850 mm suction and 2,350 mm impeller 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 Gasite™ 28G and Endurasite™ , 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 , according to KSB .
The MDX-850 is also designed with high efficiency in mind , according to Amy Lewis , KSB ’ s MDX-850 Product Manager .
“ A significant amount of time and attention was devoted to the impeller hydraulics to ensure it would offer the best performance ,” she said . “ 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 .”
KSB estimates the MDX-850 has the highest BEPQ ( best efficiency point flow ) of any pump currently on the market for similar applications .
It said : “ With its unmatched capacity and wear performance in class four service , this pump sets a new standard for mill duty slurry pumps in hard-rock mining and boasts ideal hydraulic and casting designs . The sizing also contributes to the ease of pump maintenance – a source of pride in the design of KSB ’ s line of GIW pumps .” The MDX-850 is not the only large mining pump within KSB ’ s range ; the company , in 2020 , launched the TBC-92 , which comes with a 92-in
22 International Mining | JUNE 2022