Peristaltic pump specialist Watson-Marlow Bredel South Africa has achieved a 93% increase in sales during the period March 2007 to July 2008.

Sales in the mining sector make up the bulk of the company’s order book, which translates into year-on-year real term growth of 54% in the mining industry.

“Mining markets account for about 65% of our turnover, but sales in the nonmining sector are also breaking records with more than R3-million worth of peristaltic pump orders being paced by water utility Rand Water alone in the past year,” says Watson-Marlow Bredel South Africa GM Nico van Schalkwyk.

He adds that the company is confident that its future sales will be more in line with its target ratio of 60% mining and 40% non-mining.

A R1-million order of 17 SPX pumps, ranging in capacity from SPX50 to SPX100, was supplied to Rand Water’s Suikerbos plant, near Johannesburg, in July this year. In August, Watson-Marlow delivered eight SPX50 pumps (R500 000 in value) to Rand Water, in Vereeniging. These pumps will all be used in lime slurry and silica dosing applications.

On the mining side, the Amandelbult platinum mine and Potgietersrus platinum mine upgrades led the charge with a combined R3-million in peristaltic pump orders, closely followed by Zimplats Ngezi with an order of R1,2-million, and Tati Nickel Botswana with an order of R800 000.

Van Schalkwyk says that the company has been pleased in that many instances the pumps it is supplying, both in the mining and nonmining sectors, are replacing its opposition’s equipment.

Watson-Marlow Bredel has been an international supplier of peristaltic pumps for more than 50 years, and has sold in excess of 85 000 Bredel SPX high-pressure hose pumps to solve tough pumping problems around the world.

The company points out that in a recent report by global growth consulting company Frost & Sullivan, Watson-Marlow Bredel was found to be Europe’s number one positive displacement pump brand.

Van Schalkwyk says that the peristaltic pump market is growing considerably, and says Watson-Marlow Bredel has been receiving business usually received by suppliers of progressive cavity, centrifugal and double diaphragm pumps.

“Unlike other pumps, the peristaltic pump has no valves, seals or glands. This reduces maintenance and the risk of breakdown. The only routine maintenance is changing the tube or hose, which can be done by the process operator, while a change of fluid simply requires cleaning or changing the tube or hose,” explains Van Schalkwyk.

Bredel’s patented SPX direct-coupled compact design combines the size and simplicity of a close-coupled pump with the reliability and ease of maintenance of a bareshaft design.

Bredel’s Brains, and Watson-Marlow’s Wise computerised hose pump sizing programmes accurately specify pump and pipe sizes, layouts, speeds, hose materials and all other factors needed to increase efficiency in each installation.

The company states that no other hose pump combines such a small footprint with a fully protected drive. The gearbox plugs directly into the pump head, creating an new buffer zone that provides additional protection to the pump bearings and gearbox. This design also allows for trouble-free alignment and fitting of the rotor.