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Air-powered pump suitable for mines

MAGNETIC DRIVE PUMP
Innomag magnetically driven pumps are sealless and capable of handling hazardous materials

MAGNETIC DRIVE PUMP Innomag magnetically driven pumps are sealless and capable of handling hazardous materials

13th June 2014

By: Donna Slater

Features Deputy Editor and Chief Photographer

  

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Local pumps supplier Aquapump’s ARO series of air-operated diaphragm pumps, manufactured by diversified industrial company Ingersoll Rand, is suitable for use in mines owing to the pump’s lightweight construction and ability to be used in a dusty environment, which is often the case with mines, reports the company.

Aquapump MD Cliff Topper notes that these pumps are used in two areas of mines, namely chemical processing plants and mine shafts, to pump water away from the working face.

He adds that the ARO pump features a patented unbalanced air-valve design that prevents stalling, an issue often associated with other air-operated pumps.

Further, the pump’s quick-dump exhaust valves prevent ice-prone components from freezing, which diverts cold exhaust air bypassing critical components.

Topper also highlights the ARO pump’s ability to run dry, without any fluid flowing through it, its explosionproof, sealless design, as well as its ease of maintenance, portability and self-priming capability, as some of the other benefits of using an air-operated diaphragm pump.

“The ARO pump is simple to overhaul, using an inexpensive kit supplied by ARO. Unlike competitors’ pumps, the ARO pump’s air valve is repairable, making expensive replacements unnecessary,” he says.

ARO pumps operate using compressed air, supplied by a compressor. “This makes these pumps ideal for mining as there is usually compressed air available for the rock drills,” states Topper.

The ARO series is backed by a five-year warranty from Aquapump.

Magnetic-Drive Pumps
Meanwhile, Aquapump’s Innomag series of magnetically driven pumps is sealless and capable of handling hazardous materials, while reducing the risk of contamination or leakage.

The Innomag pump uses a thrust balancing (TB) design. This patented technology enables the TB mag to regulate pressures inside the pump through a thrust balancing bush, enabling the handling of pump-system upsets and adverse operating conditions that other magnetic-drive pumps cannot cope with, especially old, thrust-forward designs.

Topper says the Innomag pump can handle toxic fluids and other hazardous substances like xanthate, acids, caustics and cyanide, as well as various liquors associated with minerals processing.

Innomag pumps are lined with ethylene tetrafluoroethylene to resist corrosion, and are capable of processing at a rate of 1 m3/h to 350 m3/h.

In late 2013, Aquapump supplied a six-inch TB pump to a Malawi-based uranium mine, which previously used costly alloy pumps certified by the American National Standards Institute. “The mine suffered regular breakdowns with these pumps owing to mechanical seal failures,” says Topper, adding that the pumps were handling solutions comprising 98% sulphuric acid at temperatures of 96 ºC, with a flow rate of 240 m3/h to a 20 m head.

“Since our Innomag pumps were installed at the mine about eight months ago, they have been operating without any complications, saving our client thousands of dollars and countless production hours,” he boasts.

The mine is in the process of ordering another two Innomag pumps, which will be delivered later this year.

Technical Support
With a large inventory of pumps and parts, Aquapump is able to evaluate  and recommend pumps to meet any requirement, and offers a repair service for all its products.

“We also provide training for pump operators and technicians who maintain our pumps on site,” says Topper, adding that the company is able to inspect installations and assist with the commissioning of new pumps.

Edited by Samantha Herbst
Creamer Media Deputy Editor

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