When called upon to refurbish two diesel powered mobile dewatering trailers, pumps supplier Mechanical Rotating Solution (MRS) made sure that it put its own personal seal of quality on the product by not only refurbishing the units but also improving on the original design aspects.

The two C7 200 kW CAT diesel driven engines powering a PS Plus heavy-duty processing pump were delivered separately, each with its own set of requirements.

“On the first unit, we had to not only refurbish the PS Plus pump but also had to overhaul the CAT diesel engine. All items on the two units had to be replaced with original-equipment manufacturer parts and completed within the MRS quality specification,” says MRS CEO Franscois Steenkamp.

He adds that mine dewatering, or groundwater control, as the name suggests, is a tough job executed in harsh environments. Often excavations may flood because of groundwater inflows from water-bearing layers of soil or rocks and with so much at stake its clients cannot afford to have profits washed away.

If a company’s pumps offer no resistance to abrasion or corrosion, it will ultimately result in a high turnover of equipment and spare parts, and consequently high operating costs. With this in mind, MRS also tackled the high wear that was visible on the suction manifold.

Steenkamp mentions that the unit originally was designed using a stainless steel suction manifold. The wear on the stainless steel part was high and offered the client an improved solution whereby MRS replaced the stainless steel manifold with a mild steel manifold capable of withstanding suction hose weight and vibration stress.

The new mild steel manifold was then coated with Belzona 1341, which is a 2-part epoxy coating designed to improve efficiency of pumps, pipes, valves and other fluid handling equipment. This high-performance product has proven to reduce energy consumption, provide excellent chemical resistance and lower maintenance costs owing to its unique erosion and corrosion protection formulation.

Apart from refurbishing mobile dewatering units for its clients, MRS launched its own mobile dewatering unit in 2017, which was designed using the best pump selection as per its customer’s needs and incorporating a heavy-duty double axle with agricultural wheels, which significantly reduces the risk of power hopping and soil compaction.

The MRS Mobile pumpset is not only capable of controlling the in-pit water levels for mining activities to proceed, but can also be stored in close proximity to operations, increasing productivity while drastically reducing water management transport costs.

o be optimally productive while also keeping an eye on the cost of a dewatering solution, mines need to not only constantly monitor the water level but also need a solution that can be rapidly deployed, stored on site and be as cost effective as possible.

Other Projects

MRS recently installed a DAB 2-NKVE MCE series pump and constant pressure booster set at a change house in Mpumalanga for a coal mine able to supply constant pressure to 55 showers, 40 toilets, 30 basins and three industrial washing machines.

The DAB NKVE 32 MCE/P series of pumps have been designed and manufactured to meet the constant pressure requirements of modern system engineering solutions. “Being able to supply a change room of this size with pressure stability holds many advantages for our client,” Steenkamp notes.

He mentions that one of the biggest problems supplying water under pressure to such a large area is “water hammering” whereby the flow rate of fluid in the pipe changes drastically. It can cause high pressures in pipes, high forces on pipe supports, and even sudden reversals of flow leading to burst pipes, damaged supports and leakage at joints.

Not only does the DAB system address this issue but also incorporates energy savings up to 60%, less maintenance, reduced pump wear and a substantial saving in water use.

The NKVE series of vertical multistage centrifugal pumps are suitable for medium to large user water systems that can be used for hot water and cooling water circulation, firefighting and washing systems, drinking water supply and filling of pressure vessels, sprinkler and watering systems and water purification systems.