After a two-year trial at various mine sites, a new version of pumps manufacturer RNE Pumps’ vertical spindle pump is available. First developed in 2014, the pump features a specialised material on the working end to prevent wear in acidic slurry.

RNE Pumps sales manager Mark Enell explains that the pump was originally developed for a long-standing client who found that traditional pump materials were either being corroded or proving too soft to handle slurry mixed with acidic water. “Our new pump, however, handled this with ease, providing the mine with a far lower total cost of ownership, as it no longer has to replace its pumps every few weeks.”

Originally developed nearly 40 years ago, the RNE vertical spindle pump is used in mining, chemicals, plant and slurry applications. Enell highlights that it is manufactured to perform in the harshest of environments and that its low-maintenance design allows for maximum return on investment, thereby helping to reduce operational costs.

“The RNE vertical spindle pump truly adds value to pumping systems for underground dewatering, owing to its ease of use, the agitation system inside the inlet and being built to run dry. Further, coupled with the RNE all-steel motor, the pump is one of the most robust, hard-working and trusted pumps available worldwide.”

Enell notes that by changing the material used to manufacture the pump, without changing its robust and easy-to-use design for this particular application, RNE Pumps has been able to add another success story to its growing portfolio.

Despite the adverse economic climate currently facing companies in the mining industry, he points out that RNE’s research and development department remains committed to finding solutions to dewatering challenges. He adds that RNE Pumps is constantly developing new products to suit the rigorous applications encountered in underground and surface mining operations.

Having achieved ISO 9001 accreditation for quality, ISO 14001 for environmental compliance and OHSAS 18001 for health and safety, RNE is committed to ensuring a safe working and operating environment for all its projects.

The company has been involved in projects in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia, as well as Indonesia. Enell says RNE aims to offer its expertise on installations at projects from start to finish to ensure that the maximum life is achieved on each of its pump installation.

In 2015, RNE offered its expertise on a pumps installation at a platinum mine near Rustenburg. Information on heads and flows, pipe size, distance to pump, the number of bends in each pipe line, specific gravity of pumped material, the pH level of pumped material, and the medium being pumped, are extremely important when determining the most suitable pump for each application, he explains.

“It is as a result of this information that RNE Pumps has been able to assist with the successful completion of the platinum mine project,” Enell concludes.