German pumps company Netzsch Pumps & Sys-tems has improved the product life and power consumption of its Nemo pump for explosive emulsions.

Netzsch Southern Africa MD Gavin Bruggen tells Mining Weekly the company, together with its in-house research and development team, has developed new compounds for the pump’s elastomer stators, which improve stator life significantly.

He adds that various technical advancements in the pump design have resulted in an 8% reduction in its power consumption.

“Our pumps’ energy consumption is significantly lower than local manufacturers’ and our international competitors’,” Bruggen notes.

Along with further developments in rotor and stator geometries, these advancements enable improved product reliability and flexibility in terms of spare holdings, as one frame size can cover a range of applications.

He says the reduction in power use is in line with the increased global awareness of improving efficiencies. This awareness is evident among local explosives manufacturers, who are turning their focus to reducing their power consumption, owing to soaring electricity tariffs.

The pumps’ shear-sensitive pumping design makes them suitable for pumping emulsions.

Specifications

The Nemo pump’s stainless steel housing is equipped with inspection flaps for simple and quick inspection of the outer seals.

The stainless steel rotors are solid and chrome-plated to offer protection against the abrasive impact of some emulsions.

Bruggen says that, although nitrile rubber stators are generally installed, stators with constant wall thicknesses are often installed, as they are less prone to swelling under temperatures and help maintain the critical interference fit between the rotor and the stator.
Further, double-sealed gear joints are installed to prevent lubrication from entering the emulsion, the emulsion from entering the joint, and seal failure.

Synthetic gear oil is used for joint lubrication.

Standard pump inlets are used; however, where an emulsion is particularly viscous, a square inlet is supplied.

Owing to the potentially high viscosity of the emulsion and the requirement to handle it gently, the pump’s rotational speeds are generally low. He says it is not recommended that a pump for explosive emulsions be run at a rubbing velocity of above 1 m/s.

South African Gateway

Bruggen says Netzsch opened a South African branch two years ago, as “we recognised that, in South Africa and especially in Africa, there were limited options in terms of progressive cavity and industrial Rotary Lobe pumps”

He adds that the new branch, which is aimed at serving the whole of Africa, excluding the Arabic African countries, is a product of the company’s international growth strategy that operates according to its ‘in the region, for the region’ policy.

“By having a full-fledged office in South Africa, we are able to be in close contact with the local industry and understand its needs so that we are able to offer the required services. We hope to first establish a strong network in South Africa and carry this through into Africa,” he says.

Currently, about 80% of Netzsch’s business is in South Africa. However, Bruggen notes, it is a goal to capture the African market too.

He says the company is optimistic about progress made since the South African office opened and it is on track to achieving significant local and African market share.

“We have identified a number of key African countries where we want to establish a strong presence through agents or distributors,” Bruggen notes.

The company has already established its presence in nine African countries, where installations and the servicing of pumps are currently being undertaken. Similar contracts are also nearing finalisation in Nigeria.

“Our shear-sensitive pumping principle is widely used in the explosives industry, which means that the African explosives sector holds significant potential for our products,” he says.

Netzsch has manufacturing facilities in North America, South America, Europe, China, India and Japan, with about 32 additional strategically placed sales companies around the world.

Bruggen says these facilities and sales companies are accompanied by strategic product development to accommodate the different needs in the different regions.

“Netzsch continuously invests a significant amount of time and money in research and development (R&D) to ensure that these pumps bring value to the market,” he points out.

Challenges

Bruggen says that, in South Africa, the availability of pump spares poses a noteworthy challenge and suggests that this can only be countered if companies invest in expanding their manufacturing capa- city.

Meanwhile, the international turnover of Netzsch Pumps & Systems’ holding company, the Netzsch group, is currently about €290-million a year.

The company has already secured an estimated 25% share of the progressing cavity pumps world market.

He is optimistic that this percentage can be increased by further investments in R&D to ensure continued technical improvements of products and strategic investments into various regions.

“We will continue to invest in new technologies and new regions. “Investment in manufacturing facilities is also crucial.”

In the past year, Netzsch Pumps & Systems has made substantial investments in this regard. At its European plant, stator production was significantly increased, while a new factory in India was inaugurated in October.

Further, in China, where the company is experiencing the fastest growth, between 15% and 20% a year, its factory is also undergoing expansions.

To subscribe to Mining Weekly's print magazine email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or buy now.