Rokflo (Pty) Ltd is the exclusive distributor for the Southern Cross Pentair SX Solids pumps range and equipment in Africa.

Darryl Macdougall, managing director of Rokflo (Pty) Ltd, says: 'There are numerous pumping problems and site conditions that require a reliable, robust, efficient and cost-effective pumping solution, which is able to be deployed quickly. Examples of these are cleaning up of spillages under process plants, clearing out of choked sumps and desilting of underground dams'.

'SX Solids pumps are pneumatic conveying units which are capable of transferring up to 60m≥/h of any material that is able to flow with solids sizes up to 65% of the diameter of the suction pipe. SX Solids Pumps are not a competitor for conventional pumps, they come into their own when traditional pumps fail due to the high solids nature of the material being conveyed,' Macdougall explains.

'SX Solids pumps are self-priming and are fully sealed with zero discharge, allowing for the safe transfer of hazardous materials for environmental compliance'.

He adds that: 'The units are 100% air operated, relying on compressed air to create a vacuum and high airflow allowing the recovery of material up to 25 m with a maximum of 50 m and discharge distance of up to a 1 000 m horizontally. With no rotating parts and no moving parts in contact with the pumped material, they are not susceptible to clogging and wear that occurs in centrifugal and submersible pumps. One of the cost saving factors is that the pump units do not suffer from cavitation and can be run dry indefinitely with no overheating or damage.'

With easy access to air supply and suction and discharge pipelines, SX Solids pump units can be deployed in less than 10 minutes. Deployment is a simple process involving the connection of suction and discharge pipes (Camlock, Victaulic or BSP), air hoses and then turning on the air supply. Deployment time is shortened due to the fact that there are no electrical connections to be made at all as the pump is 100% air operated.

Once running, units are controlled by simply varying the suction and discharge timers to suit the material being conveyed, the distance being recovered from and the transfer distance. This allows for fully automatic operation.

As SX Solids pumps require no electricity supply to operate and have been designed to safely operate in hazardous environments, they are deemed to be intrinsically safe.

SX Solids pumps have been used in numerous applications globally, below are some examples.

• Coal and other mining slurries
• Thickener sludge
• Sump, shaft and pipeline cleaning
• Tank and drain cleaning
• Tailings and ash pond cleaning
• Oil spill capture and transfer
• Hazardous waste recovery
• Drilling mud and cuttings
• Agricultural product and waste
• Dam desilting
• Bentonite, sand
• Effluent and processing waste
• Pulp and paper mill waste
• Tunnelling and pneumatic excavation
• Barge, ballast tank and ship cleaning
• Wash plant and under belt cleaning

Alongside the solution offered by Rokflo is the availability of rental units should any customer need to clean up spills or conduct plant clean ups at short notice.

Rokflo has a full demonstration unit available for clients wishing to see the equipment in action or to test a unit prior to purchase or rental.