PUMPS AND PIPELINES to handle varying flow rates in the plant , optimising gland design to minimise the usage of water – but he is also cognisant of what site personnel require to sign off on such changes .
“ The site people will only drive change if it makes sense from a cost perspective ,” he said . “ It has to lower their cost per tonne . We , therefore , have to prove to customers that our environmentally friendly changes also lower the
bottom line .” Again , access to data will help provide this . “ Through our soon-to-be-launched SmartPump initiative and SiteConnect app , we can show those on site where they are losing efficiency points because their pumps are oversized , where they could avoid having to shut down flotation cells because of chunks of rock that have passed through the cyclones and pumps , or where they could schedule maintenance of pumps at the same time as other equipment in the plant ,” Don said .
“ We just need access to the data to show them . With that data , we can change the world .”
New era of equipment performance
A quick glance over Weir Minerals ’ pumps offering emphasises just how important this equipment is to the success of an integrated mining operation .
Covering applications such as dewatering , mill discharge , froth pumping and filtered tailings , among others , the company touches the industry flowsheet on several occasions .
A considerable portion of Weir Minerals ’ total R & D investment – which sees 1.3 % of its total global sales being ploughed back into product improvement – is directed toward Warman ® pumps for applications such as mill discharge , slurry and froth pumping , with Marcus Lane , Weir Minerals , Director , Slurry Pumping Technology Group , explaining this investment has resulted in many developments over the years .
“ In recent years , we ’ ve seen the development of our patented Warman Wear Reduction Technology ( WRT ), which provides a simple , inexpensive upgrade to all Warman AH , M and L series slurry pumps ,” he said .
This technology , a series of impellers and throatbushes with a unique vanelet on the back shroud , is standard on all the company ’ s latest pump launches .
“ For the most arduous pumping applications , such as mill discharge / cyclone feed , we continuously push the boundaries with hydraulic enhancements finely tuned to resolve specific customer needs ,” Lane said . “ For example , our patented pre-swirl technology can be added to the suction area of the pumps to reduce impact wear caused by the larger heavier particles in the slurry .”
It has also led to the development of the Warman MCR ® 760 pump ( 900 mm / 36 in
suction ), which Elias Aho , Weir Minerals Director , Centrifugal Pump Product Management , explains , “ is the biggest capacity mill discharge / cyclone feed pump in the world that has been successfully operating for more than five years in some of the largest hard-rock mines – with more to be delivered soon ”. He added : “ We ’ re always proactively expanding our portfolio with new technologies as well as constantly evaluating new pump sizes .”
When it comes to materials technology – increasingly important for providing improved total cost of ownership ( TCO ) and sustainable operations – one development Weir Minerals is increasingly using in mill circuit applications is Armachrome ® coating technology . This technology provides a highly wear-resistant overlay material , which is one of the most wearresistant materials commercially available , according to Lane . It can be added to pump throatbushes , volute liners and , most recently , impellers .
On froth pumping , Weir Minerals has offered the “ scooping froth impeller ” for many years , but all Warman froth pumps now have the optional benefit of retrofitting the company ’ s patented CARS ( Continuous Air Removal System ) technology .
Designed with the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis , CARS uses a flow inducer behind the main impeller to vent gas from the
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JUNE 2022 | International Mining 19