There are two methods to make pumps last longer in abrasive mining operations. One is to harden internal metal components to survive longer than softer metals. The second way is to utilize rubber, which is softer. Sharp or abrasive minerals bounce off elastic rubber surfaces with little damage.
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More advanced peristaltic pumps, such as a Flowrox peristaltic pump, have increased rubber hose lifetime and pumping availability and also significantly reduced operating costs. Since the s, peristaltic pumps have utilized either two rollers or two metal bumps (shoes) to compress the rubber hose twice every 360-degree revolution. A new design utilizes a crankshaft and a single heavy-duty roller to compress the rubber hose. This is important because the life of a rubber hose is determined by how many times the hose is compressed per revolution. In dual shoe designs, the hose is compressed twice as frequently. The eccentric shaft single roller design will thus produce at least double the hose lifetime.
Peristaltic pumps are ideal for thickener underflow, flocculant delivery, reagent delivery, filter feed and any application requiring a high solids content. In many cases, a mining operation will deliver 35% mineral slurry and 65% water to a pressure filter to separate the two fractions.
However, it may be in the mine&#;s best interest to significantly increase solids content to 60% mineral slurry and 40% water. Often, this is done with the thickener before delivery to the pressure filter. An increase to 60% solids will reduce the filtration retention time and increase filter performance, may help produce a dryer cake, and ultimately lead to more tonnage processed and a direct contribution to the bottom-line profitability of a mining operation. If the suction piping to a peristaltic pump becomes clogged, it is also possible to reverse the pumping direction and blow out the clog.
A thickener underflow Flowrox peristaltic pump can produce up to 80 percent solids for the pressure filter, reducing filter retention time, produce dryer cake and improve the mine&#;s overall profitability.
Unlike centrifugal pumps, peristaltic pumps do not lose pumping capacity when resistance and pressure increase. A peristaltic pump produces exactly the same flowrate per revolution and can be controlled extremely accurately simply by increasing or decreasing the pump&#;s rotational speed. In the pressure filter feed, the peristaltic pump can pack the filter chambers more tightly, producing uniform cake throughout each chamber.
Peristaltic pumps are ideal also in the delivery of flocculants and reagents to both the thickener and the flotation process. These chemicals are often shear-sensitive, and a pump that shears these chemicals is not ideal. A peristaltic pump is low-shear and does not agitate or damage the long polymer chains. The result is greater chemical effectiveness and lower consumption of expensive chemicals.
The second most devastating variable for rubber hose peristaltic pumps is extreme heat. A single eccentric roller design peristaltic pump can pump at temperatures up to 203°F (95°C) at the pump&#;s full rated pumping capacity. However, a dual-shoe-designed peristaltic pump will have to limit its pumping speed to approximately one tenth of its rated capacity due to the heat the rubbing action creates, to avoid destroying the rubber hose prematurely. Most shoe design pumps require a massive amount of glycerin in the pump housing which creates both extra costs and work. A single eccentric rolling design generates virtually no heat and thus utilizes approximately one tenth of the glycerin simply to lubricate the rubber hose. With heat and dual compressions, an eccentric single roller design can produce up to two to five times longer hose life, and often, the pump can be one to two sizes smaller, while still improving hose lifetime compared to the shoe design.
Text by Todd Loudin. For more information, contact via
Text originally published in World Pumps magazine May/June issue.
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In today&#;s fast-paced and competitive business environment, unplanned downtime is much more than just a nuisance. A pump that breaks down on a busy day causes missed deliveries, unhappy customers, a distraction to staff and contractors and sometimes causes flooding issues.
Costs related to pump downtime include the costs of missed production, water damage, keeping spare pumps and parts on site, diverted or idle labour, as well as the direct costs of repairing or replacing your pumps.
In our latest blog post, Bill Noakes of Atlantic Pumps looks at some of the simple things you can do to minimise pump downtime and keep your plant operating:
This is an effective way of keeping your pumps in good working order, but with many plants today running on minimal staff levels, pumps can often be forgotten about until they suddenly stop working. In industrial situations pumping large volumes and sometimes abrasive liquids, it is important to replace wear parts and keep to the service schedule. Some pump companies offer their customers a pump management system which records details of your pumps and reminds you to book a service.
New pumps are built with the latest technology and materials, will last longer and work more efficiently. This will have a direct impact on minimising downtime, and will also save you money in energy costs. Also, some suppliers will offer you a warranty, giving you extra peace of mind.
A simple but sometimes overlooked fact; buying a pump that can be repaired on site will save you time and money compared to one that has to be sent away for repair.
Sometimes we&#;re tempted to buy on price rather than suitability, however this can often be a false economy. Slurry pumps will cost you significantly more than a clean-water pump, but if you are pumping slurry, it will last far longer and require far less maintenance and repair, giving a much lower lifetime cost and significantly less downtime.
Some pumps have sensors built into them to detect seal failure and can activate a pump shut-down to save the motor from being damaged from contact with liquid. This minimises downtime as you only have to replace the seal, rather than having to rebuild the pump or order a replacement. Remote monitoring is a fast-evolving area of pump technology, allowing problems to be detected fast and accurately, even if you are off site.
Despite the importance we all attach to reducing down-time, one of the most frustrating scenarios faced by a plant operator is when a pump is down, but the pump supplier is slow to respond, quote and then to deliver the parts or replacement pump. Using a supplier dedicated to rapidly responding to your requirements will have a positive impact on the effective running of your plant.
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