Cradle to grave
Reduce downtime with high-
quality pumps
H
igh-quality slurry pumps are key
to enabling mining companies
to reduce maintenance costs and
prevent unforeseen failures. According
to Colin Adams, managing director
of Integrated Pump Technology,
inefficient slurry pumps can lead to costly
production downtime.
Adams says that submersible slurry
pumps offer several benefits over dry-
mounted pumps. “Submersible pumps do
not require any support structure, need
less space for operation, and are very easy
to install.
“The Grindex Bravo range of pumps
are produced to operate over the
complete pump curve, not just one
specific duty point. This means that
the pump can be used in numerous
applications within its range and it is not
a case of ‘one pump, one application’,”
says Adams.
Grindex Bravo pumps are fitted with a
cooling jacket and an 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 50mm at maximum heads from
17m to 45m. Wear is reduced by using
NiHard 4 for all hydraulic components,
and these pumps can handle liquids with
pH values from 4 up to 10.
Grindex Bravo slurry pumps on display at last year’s Electra Mining Africa exhibition.
Overlay plates improve wear life
C
hromium carbide (CrC) overlay
plates form the basis of an
engineered truck-bed liner system.
According to Sias Suurd, general manager
at engineering company Rio Carb, explains
that these plates feature a standard smooth
surface with relief cracks, a ductile and
workable backplate, a quality-controlled
fusion zone, and a hard CrC overlay. Its
range of applications include truck beds,
dozer blades, shovel buckets, front-end
loaders, and dragline buckets.
Suurd says the system improves the
wear life of truck beds as the plate wears
down at a uniform rate, which means it
is less maintenance-intensive, as well as
increasing productivity dramatically.
“Other advantages,” says Suurd, “are
that the system has been designed to
reduce welding and can be customised in
terms of its overall weight. No micro dead
boxes are required at the rear of the truck,
with no carry back either. In addition,
offloading material by means of tipping is
accelerated as a result, due to a reduced
friction coefficient,” he says.
For haul trucks, Rio-Carb has
designed liner packages with varying
thicknesses to match the wear pattern
on the load body. “The aim is to provide
a liner package that wears evenly, thereby
providing the longest possible life
between liner replacements. The ultimate
benefit for customers is a significantly
lower total cost of ownership,” Suurd
adds.
www.miningmirror.co.za
www.miningmirror.co.za
MARCH 2019 MINING MIRROR [39]