PUMPS & PIPELINES
April 1, 2026 marked Cornell Pump Company’ s 80th anniversary
had a front-row seat to the most common causes of pump failure: pressure surges, motor bearing breakdowns, and capacity overloads.
By 1949, it transitioned from servicing others’ equipment to manufacturing our own, launching the Rain-O-Flow irrigation line. This period also saw the birth of Cornell Pump School, which started as travelling lectures to help operators understand hydraulics; a tradition of education that remains a cornerstone of the company today.
In the 1960s & 1970s, Cornell became a trusted name in heavy construction, providing massive pumps for the building of bridges and dams. One of its most unique early innovations came during dam production: concrete would often become too hot and weaken while setting. Cornell engineers adapted water pumps to circulate liquid ammonia to cool the concrete.
The last decade has seen a rapid acceleration in its technological capabilities and its commitment to system-wide integration.“ We’ ve evolved from being a premier equipment manufacturer to a provider of intelligent, integrated systems that solve the world’ s most complex fluidhandling challenges.”
Cornell adds that it has moved beyond the pump itself to the data behind it.“ With the launch of Co-Pilot ®, Pulse ®, and RPM2 ®, we have led the charge in IoT( Internet of Things) innovations. These tools allow operators to monitor pump health, location, and performance in real-time, preventing downtime before it happens- a far cry from the manual monitoring of 1946.”
With its MX Series it says it continues to redefine the physical limits of centrifugal design.“ Our MX lines represent the pinnacle of high-head technology, achieving heads of up to 825 ft or 251 m. These pumps are designed specifically for the most demanding dewatering and high-pressure applications where standard pumps simply can’ t compete.”
The introduction of the SM and MP Hard Metal lines brought Cornell’ s signature reliability to the mining and slurry industries. Built with high-chrome white iron, these pumps are engineered to withstand the abrasive environments that would chew through standard equipment.
True to the Cornell legacy of performance, the STX self-priming line was engineered to offer superior efficiency in a category where it says performance is often sacrificed for convenience.“ It remains a testament to our belief that a pump should not only work, it should work better than anything else on the market.”
Schurco Slurry’ s DW Series
Developed to bridge the gap between clearwater dewatering pumps and heavy duty mining pumps, pumps manufacturer Schurco Slurry’ s DW Series it says offers a purposebuilt solution capable of handling abrasive, solids-laden fluids on a continuous basis.
Ideally suited to open pit and underground mining, quarrying operations, tailings dams, flood control, process water and dirty-water handling, the DW Series is particularly effective in pit dewatering, sump drainage and infrastructure protection against water at a mine, says Schurco Slurry External Sales Representative Jonathan Fourie.
The series is specifically designed to tolerate variable slurry properties. The pumps feature robust bearing arrangements, high-chrome wear parts and conservative operating limits, enabling the pumps to maintain a stable performance even when the conditions deviate from design parameters, he explains.
“ Unlike many dewatering pumps that struggle with abrasive solids, the DW Series is built with suitable wear resistant materials and a design philosophy focused on maintainability,” adds Fourie.
He further notes that the elimination of routine liner adjustments, combined with modular wet-end components, significantly reduces maintenance time and unplanned downtime.
Because mining operations often face challenges with variable slurry densities, abrasive particles, harsh operating conditions and limited maintenance windows, the DW Series has been designed with features such as a double-volute casing, reducing radial thrusts, and fully replaceable high-chrome wear components.
The twin-volute reduces shaft deflection and bearing loads, while the wear resistant interchangeable impellers and liners extend wear life.
The series may be fitted with an impeller release collar for faster replacement, bearing frames designed for either grease or oil lubrication, and an eight position discharge orientation that allows for variable discharge pipe configurations.
“ While Schurco’ s slurry pumps are optimised for high-solids process duties, the DW Series pumps are engineered for continuous operation, offering higher efficiencies and simplified maintenance in these duties,” states Fourie.
To achieve a balance of robustness and efficiency, the series features an International Mining | JUNE 2026 59