During the drier months of the year, it is easy to forget that the pumping equipment at mining sites or process plants might not be up to the demands that the rainy season brings.
In fact, 90% of pump failures are from putting the wrong pump into the application. This is the view of Justin Bawden, Key Account Manager at Integrated Pump Technology, local distributors of Grindex submersible pumps. Being aware of the factors and influences of each application is vital to providing a suitable and lasting solution – which will mitigate the risk of flooding and consequent loss of life, equipment and production.
“Where dewatering activity is conducted, it is imperative that monitoring and forecasting of water inflows is done – whether on opencast or underground mines,” says Bawden. “This will allow for the necessary planning and specification of the correct capacity of pumping equipment, as well as hose sizes and materials.”
On one site, he says, a customer was able to meet dewatering requirements with just two 37kW pumps for most of the year. With the rainy season, they had to add another four of these units, based on their previous experience. He points out that Integrated Pump Technology understands these changing needs, and keeps the right pumps and quantities in stock.
