Pumps solutions specialist Integrated Pump Rental is celebrating being the Sykes diesel-driven pump sets distributor for over three years.

Integrated Pump Rental rental development manager Ruaan Venter says the Sykes distributorship has exposed the company to a broader market enabling it to offer mines a pumping solution in areas where there is no electricity.

“The diesel-driven Sykes pumps meet that challenge. They are available for short-term or long-term rental and also for outright purchase, an option typically chosen for longer-term fixed applications. Our reputation for responsive customer support has played a major role in our gaining market share with these dewatering pumps,” he adds.

In the three-year-plus period since Integrated Pump Rental was appointed as the Sykes diesel-driven pump sets distributor, it has managed “to put Sykes back on the map in the Southern African pumps sector”, says Venter.

He attributes this to the high levels of service delivery provided by the company.

Integrated Pump Rental maintains a rental fleet commensurate with a range of dewatering applications which ensures ready access to pump sets, Venter points out.

“We are able to cater for various applications requiring heads from as low as 10 m up to 250 m, and with flow rates from as low as 50 m3/h to 350 m3/h. The range is available for rental as well as purchase.”

Integrated Pump Rental rental development manager Steven du Toit tells Mining Weekly that, apart from being able to supply a comprehensive range of Sykes pumps, the company also provides customers with technical input in terms of selecting the most appropriate pump for a given dewatering application.

“We can cover any duty, solving challenges ranging from low heads with high flows to high head applications. The range is comprehensive and includes stainless steel units suitable for highly corrosive applications at mine sites. The Sykes pumps are engineered for harsh operating conditions and perform well in difficult environments,” he adds.

Integrated Pump Rental has vast knowledge of pumping systems and it selects pumps according to application requirements, Du Toit highlights.

“It is one thing to have a brand, but a different thing altogether to know what that brand can do and how it works. Knowledge is a big part of our success.”

Further, to succeed in the extremely competitive local pumps sector requires a combination of quality products, technical expertise and applications know-how.

The company’s commitment to offering quality products ensures that there is minimal downtime. Through continuous efforts to communicate with customers, Integrated Pump Rental identifies challenges quicker and, subsequently, possible solutions.

The company is committed to educating its customers regarding the advantages of using the Sykes pumps.

Du Toit stresses that the company’s knowledge and expertise allows for the selection of a pump that is most suited to a particular application, ensuring optimum performance and uptime. “In any pumping application, if you do not use a pump that is correctly sized for the application, you will encounter numerous challenges, including excessive wear, which could result in unscheduled downtime and even pump failure.

“We conduct a complete on-site assessment which enables us to propose an optimal solution,” he suggests.

Integrated Pump Rental is committed to reassessing its product and service offering, introducing new technologies and products to the mining sector as well as for the other industries in which the company operates.

Subsequently, Du Toit advances that having access to appropriate pump ranges is also important as this provides options for the customer.

“We supply a turnkey dewatering pumps solution to mine sites and we find that this approach has resulted in a lot of repeat business from the mining sector,” he states.

Operating such an extensive fleet of Sykes rental units allows Integrated Pump Rental to respond rapidly.

“The call for dewatering pumps is often at short notice and most mines do not have ready access to the correct pumping equipment. We do find that customers who have had positive experience with our rental units often buy the Sykes units and we foresee a significant growth in sales of these diesel-driven pumps in the future,” Du Toit concludes.