A new system to reduce downtime on mines has been introduced in South Africa through German pump manufacturing and distributing company KSB.

Comprising a full line-up of pumps for every application on a mine, supported by a logistics and supply chain system, the company now provides end-to-end mine solutions which include full design, assessment and rapid response support systems in the event of failures.

A dedicated mining division has also been established in the country to manage the new multipronged system, allowing mines to use a single- source supplier throughout the duration of the mine – from design, through operation to the eventual closure of the facility. The mining division will also be able to collaborate with customers’ technical personnel to find solutions for their mine water supply, processing and slurry pumping requirements.

KSB South Africa MD Wolfgang Demmler notes that the company has a long and successful history in the mining industry in Southern Africa. The addition of slurry pumps to the range, followed by the implementation of new ultra-modern supply chain systems, was the final requirement to ensure customers receive a true one-stop-shop experience.

“We adopted a holistic plan based entirely on the requirements of our mines. It prioritises uptime and tackles the shortcomings currently being experienced by mining companies and project houses, such as poorly specified pumping systems, unreliability and slow parts supply in the event of a failure,” he adds.

He mentions that KSB has always been mindful of the fact that the failure of a single pump can – in some instances – result in operational losses of millions of rands. “Through the mining division, the company aims to address industry problems by implementing systems that ensure KSB can supply parts anywhere in the region within hours,” he assures.

However, the company’s approach is to first prevent failures from occurring and then provide a service to review the customer’s requirements, after which it designs a reliable system. This will allow KSB to specify the right pumps and valves from within the company’s engineered range to cater for the needs of the specific plant. In addition, KSB will compile the correct maintenance schedules, as well as stockholding requirements, to ensure the system is properly supported.

“As a focused pumps and valves company with global sales among the top five contenders worldwide, we have the ability to supply every type of pump required on a mine. This is unique and gives customers the chance to standardise on KSB’s high-quality engineered pumps throughout the entire operation, from water circulation to cooling, process and slurry pumping,” he points out.

Demmler notes that standardisation also enables companies to efficiently reduce stockholdings of spares and parts across the board, as there is a high degree of commonality among KSB’s entire range of pumps. Its strategy to manufacture products close to destination markets also means that customers in the sub-Saharan
Africa region are quickly supplied from the regional manu- facturing facility and head office in Germiston.

Efficient logistics further streamline parts supply as a just-in-time system ensures the right products are available in the right place, at the right time, to ensure a faster turnaround of parts and shorter lead times throughout the region.

“This robust system also enables after-sales support of a quality previously unheard of at all its eight sales and service centres throughout South Africa, as well as regional offices in Ghana and Kenya.

“Within the mining division, we have the technical know-how to control mines’ pumping systems and make the entire operation more energy efficient as well as more reliable,” concludes Demmler.