Global sustainable productivity solutions provider Atlas Copco is focused on the development and extension of its pumps in 2016 and 2017 to take advantage of the synergies within its compressors and generators offering.

As such, the company is concentrating more of its international resources to facilitate the process.

“This is an exciting growth area for us, as our pumps range is receiving the same focus and investment as our compressors and generators. The development will include how our pumps complement these products,” Atlas Copco South Africa business line manager David Stanford tells Mining Weekly.

“Current development is geared towards expanding the pressure and flow-rate capacities of our pumps. Extensions to our range can be expected in the next two to three years,” he notes.

Atlas Copco clients already buying into the relationship between the compressors and generators range will see the benefit of dealing with one company for their on-site mobile solutions, Stanford adds.

The company has been providing pumps, including small hydraulics and pneumatic and submersible pumps, to the market but has only recently made a strong strategic commitment to developing the pumps range within its construction technique solutions.

Atlas Copco will specifically focus on its new range of PAS diesel pumps, launched in South Africa in 2015.

The PAS range of diesel pumps is manufactured in the same Spain-based factory as the company’s QES range of mobile diesel generators to achieve synergy and consistent reliability through a controlled production process.

Stanford highlights that the company is considering the inclusion of some of the innovations achieved in its generators in its pumps range.

“We are happy with what the current range of PAS diesel driven pumps have achieved for us. Within the range there is the PAS 4 which is powered by a 25.7 kW motor and has a flow up to 182 m3/h,” he explains.

The range further comprises the PAS 6 powered by a 30.5 kW motor with a flow rate of up to 342 m3/h, as well as the range-topping PAS 8 with a 46.9 kW motor and a flow rate of up to 445 m3/h.

Stanford adds that there is indication that Atlas Copco is also looking at bringing its open frame pumps to the local market within the first two quarters of 2016. The open frame pumps have done well in the overseas markets and the company expects they will do equally well in this market.

Atlas Copco will also focus on the development of its range of WEDA electrical submersible pumps.

He also tells Mining Weekly that, as part of the company’s design philosophy, the WEDA pumps range has been moved from a factory situated in Germany to a facility in Spain to have all the pumps competencies and complete the entire development and manufacturing process at a central location.

The company has also identified aspects within the WEDA range that it will improve and subsequently strengthen based on the needs of customers and aims to improve its synergies with regard to aligning the sectors it services.

Stanford says the strategic focus of Atlas Copco’s pumps range is aimed at supplying mobile solutions for the construction and mining-related dewatering applications.

“As such, our compressors and generators are mobile to enable rental clients and construction companies that perform specific day-to-day on-site work to use them.”

He notes that for Atlas Copco South Africa, the dewatering segment is a very strong market and is as substantial as the compressors market, emphasising that the company’s customers buy into the high quality and performance of the company’s sustainable solutions.

Stanford further indicates that the pumps market is extremely large and diversified and encompasses pumps for various kinds of applications, however, Atlas Copco intends to maintain its focus on mining and construction-related dewatering pumps in line with its portable energy offerings.

The company is committed to the extension of the pumps range within its products offering, which is in line with its vision of delivering reliability and performance using a segmented approach.