Grindex Bravo submersible pumps were selected by a mineral sands operation on the West Coast of South Africa and according to JD Nel, Key Account Manager at Integrated Pump Technology, these will be used across various areas on this minerals processing plant.

Integrated Pump Technology is the official distributor for the world class range of Grindex pumps for Southern Africa. Nel says that the company has previously supplied pump solutions to this particular mineral sands operation and was called upon to propose a solution for a range of pumping applications where the plant had been experiencing premature failure on competitor pumps it had installed.

Nel says that often the incorrect pump is specified for an application, and that when it comes to pumping in harsh applications such as this it is vital that the operating parameters are assessed to ensure the high levels of performance and reliability. The Integrated Pump Technology team did a complete on-site assessment at the mine before proposing an effective and cost efficient solution that would achieve the required flow and head.

“Pumping in a mineral sands operation requires robust pumps constructed of the correct materials to deal with the abrasive nature of the material being transported. Further, in all applications at the plant the pumps are required to move fluids with high solids concentrations which is more complex than just pumping water,” Nel says.

In the first application, 20 Grindex Bravo 600 pumps featuring a 25,5% chrome content wet end will be pumping excess water overflow or spillage back into the system. These pumps offer a flow rate of 35 litres per second at a head of 25 metres, and are capable of handling particles sizes from 8mm all the way up to 40mm with an SG from 1.2 to 1.6. An agitator beneath the pump intake ensures effective material suspension and transfer, making these pumps ideal for the challenging conditions.

Because of the high solids concentration the pumps are all equipped with an agitator beneath the pump intake which will bring the material into suspension facilitating effective transfer. Nel says these pumps are considered the most suitable for this harsh application.

In addition to this, six Grindex Bravo 200 slurry pumps were provided to the customer for pumping spillage from the thickeners. These pumps, while smaller, has the same features of the larger Bravo 600 units and will handle large particles with ease.

Several Grindex Bravo Salvador sludge pumps have also been put to work at this mineral sands plant. Designed for continuous unattended operation, these robust pumps will handle drainage in various areas of the plant.

“Significantly, as a result of the performance of the Grindex pump this customer has chosen to purchase additional units and keep these in stock at the plant.” Nel concludes.