Local pipes manufacturer Marley Pipe Systems sold several of its newly launched MegaTuff co-extruded flame retardant high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and ventilation pipes for underground mining at this year’s Electra Mining Africa exhibition, where the products were introduced to the market for the first time.

Marley Pipe Systems national sales manager Jason Tannous tells Mining Weekly that the MegaTuff HDPE pipes range is used in applications that include slurry transportation, the supply of air and drinking water to underground workers, transportation of chemicals in plant environments, backfill operations and dust suppression projects.

“Gold miner Sibanye Gold purchased 3 km of 110 mm-diametre co-extruded flame retardant HDPE pipe recently for one of its backfill projects and has also identified this as a product for the future for underground mining.”

Tannous says this is one of the first projects where this specific pipe has been supplied by Marley Pipe Systems. “We believe there is great potential in the provision of equipment for the underground mining industry.”

He adds that, as the company focuses on manufacturing and supplying high-quality products, it embarked on an ongoing campaign, dubbed Quality Without Compromise, at various mine and industry sites to inform clients about the importance of its products.

Tannous further highlights that Marley Pipe Systems is working on advancing its range of MegaFlex polyvinyl chloride (PVC) hose products. The company acquired pipes manufacturer Petzetakis last year. Petzetakis supplied MegaFlex hoses, which he says makes the company a key component in Marley Pipe Systems’ strategy of expanding its product offering to the mining and industrial markets. With the acquisition, Marley Pipe Systems is the sole Southern Africa distributor and manufacturer of MegaFlex hoses and MegaTuff polyethylene pipes.

The company has supplied piping systems to various mining projects, including a R40-million mine piping project at the Mumi copper mine and the Kansuki copper mine, both in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and the Bulyanhulu gold mine, in Tanzania. In all these projects, Marley Pipe Systems’ scope of work included full-scope solutions, which incorporated the creation of pipe specifications and the supply of all HDPE and PVC pipes for processing plant pipelines, acid plant pipelines, water lines and tailings lines.

About Marley Pipes
Marley Pipe Systems was established in 1963 as part of the Marley SA group. It manufactures and distributes plumbing, mining, industrial and irrigation products. In 2013, Marley Pipe Systems acquired the assets of plastic pipes manufacturer Petzetakis.

The company offers value-added support services, including delivery, on-site support and technical assistance to ensure that best practice is implemented. Marley Pipe Systems implements the ISO 9001 Quality Management System and bears various South African Bureau of Standards marks of quality for products manufactured under this system.

Marley Pipe Systems has a manufacturing facility in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, and a mining and industrial manufacturing facility in Rosslyn, Pretoria. The company’s distribution network encompasses multiple branches and depots in South Africa, as well as offices in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana, coupled with an export division that sells product to Africa, Europe and Australasia.