Pumps solutions specialist Integrated Pump Rental recently completed the assembly of an electrically driven Sykes XH150 pump set, which it exhibited at this year’s Electra Mining Africa exhibition.

The pump set consists of a 315 kW motor with a 400 V drive capable of a maximum head of 180 m with a maximum flow rate of 140 ℓ/s, or 512 m3/h. The variable-frequency drive ensures the full spectrum for use on the curve and it is fully customisable for the client, says Integrated Pump Rental MD Lee Vine.

The pump set’s high efficiency motor and the panels were locally manufactured, with the pump being fully assembled on site at the company’s warehouse in Boksburg.

With its 316 stainless steel impeller and wear plate construction, the medium head pumps range was developed to combat harsh mining, construction and sewage by-pass environments, which feature high water flow and long pipe runs. The bearing bracket and coupling arrangement allows for close-coupling the pump end to the diesel engine, subsequently eliminating the possibility of coupling misalignment and unplanned maintenance costs.

Vine says the robust design and the hardened stainless steel internal components are a key factor in ensuring its high performance and low maintenance requirements.

He points out that Sykes also has the best shaft stiffness ratio of any auto-prime pump on the market. “The shaft is thicker and shorter with larger bearings, making it more robust to easily handle clean water, sewage, sludge, liquids loaded with solid particles and dirty water.”

The priming design is also user-friendly. The contractor pumps range feature fully automatic priming and can run dry for extended periods without damage.

“This is achieved by an innovative oil bath mechanical seal assembly that allows for priming using long suction hoses and suction lifts of up to 9 m.

“As fluid levels fluctuate, the pump will ‘snore’ until there is enough liquid for it to fully reprime itself automatically,” explains Vine.

The pump can, therefore, be run mainly operator-free, as the diesel-powered units come standard with a minimum of 27 hours of fuel supply. “This is much longer than the traditional refill intervals of about 12 hours,” he says.

The Sykes pump set is also characterised by high efficiency, with an average efficiency across the range of about 78%.

Meanwhile, Integrated Pump Rental also supplies full stainless steel builds for applications where pH is a problem.

Several optional extras, such as a 48-hour running capacity on an extended fuel tank, blast cages, heavy-duty site trailers and integrated flowmeters, can be included. These options are available on standard models for full plug-and-play automation, and in applications where automatic stop-and-start functions are required to regulate water levels.

Integrated Pump Rental’s Sykes product specialist Henru Strydom notes that there are several options available in fixed or mobile installations, and where a specific application needs a solution to be designed and managed, the company will conduct project work to client specifications.

The company is a fully authorised agent for Sykes, and offers both rental and buying options. The pumps can be coupled to either diesel engines or electric motors, with the company conducting in-house builds of electrically driven pumps in permanent installations with variable-speed drives for lower energy consumption. Adequate stockholdings at the Boksburg facility also significantly shorten lead times by up to a month.

“The construction sector specifically will find the rental units on trailers particularly versatile and easy to operate, since we can provide all the pipework for quick and easy setup as well as lay-flats, couplings and adaptors,” concludes Strydom.