To further enhance its pumps product portfolio for the mining industry, Johannesburg-based pumps manu- facturer Mather+Platt will this year sharpen its focus on several existing pumps ranges, particularly its newly launched range of split-case pumps.

The new range, launched at the Electra Mining Africa trade show in September last year, will be held in stock at the company’s 11 400 m2 expanded factory space, adjacent to its existing pumps factory, in Wadeville, Germiston, Mather+Platt divisional manager Dave Johnson tells Mining Weekly.

“This will eliminate the lead time on new orders, which currently vary from six to eight weeks,” he says, highlighting that accelerated manufacturing of the new range will result in ex-stock delivery.

“Ex-stock deliveries will also reinforce our competitive pricing policy to provide an almost unassailable competitive advantage for the new split-case pumps range,” Johnson adds.

The planned stockholding will also enable immediate delivery throughout Central and Southern Africa for several of the models across the range, which currently comprises more than 150 models, he says.

The new split-case range comprises single- stage and two-stage models that can deliver flow rates, or duties, of up to 15 000 m3/h. Mather+Platt’s two-stage U-series is designed for lower flow rates and features a single- suction, twin-volute casing design to transfer the flow medium at between 20 m3/h and 600 m3/h.

For the high-duty market, the single-stage double-suction-designed LR-series features a closed-type impeller to deliver duties of 10 m3/h to 2 200 m3/h in either horizontal or vertical execution, Johnson explains, adding that a sister single-stage series – the larger double-suction LN-range – delivers duties of between 400 m3/h and 15 000 m3/h.

Johnson adds that the pump casings can be manufactured in cast iron and stainless steel, as well as in exotic materials, such as super duplex, which is a higher-grade stainless steel, while the impellers can be supplied in cast iron, stainless steel or bronze.

Key advantages of horizontal split-case pumps include easy and fast maintenance without having to disconnect the pump or the motor and remove it from the pipeline, while other features are high efficiency, balanced axial loading, low noise and vibration, and the ability to operate at almost shut-off capacity without excessive deflection.

“Moreover, the pumps, with the standard gland packing changes and maintenance, should be able to achieve a longevity of at least 20 years,” Johnson emphasises.

In addition to their application in the mining industry, the pumps can also be applied in industrial and municipal water supply, water and wastewater treatment plants, cooling and hot water circulating systems, injection water, spray ponds, irrigation and general industry, as well as the power generation industry.

“Having received several enquiries about the new range, we expect an exponential growth for the new range this year,” Johnson says, adding that the range is expected to further enhance the Mather+Platt brand, which has had an industry footprint for more than a hundred years and has been “synonymous with pumps” in South Africa since 1954.

In light of this, Mather+Platt plans to install a pumps test bay on its expanded factory premises this year to streamline pumps testing on site, Johnson points out.

He further highlights other existing pumps ranges, which will receive additional focus for the mining industry. These include the Viking gear pump range and the Mather+Platt high-head multistage PJ and PL pumps ranges.