Power pumps

The huge demand for high performance, durable pumps has seen manufacturers expand their product lines, dealer networks and manufacturing facilities in recent months. In the US, for example, Flowserve has just opened its latest Quick Response Center (QRC) in California.

Twice the size of the old facility, also located in Florida, the 1500 m² QRC is designed to “support Flowserve's global strategy of moving closer to its customers”, according to operations manager Chuck Walter. Mr Walter told iC the new QRC is a fully equipped sales and service centre providing customer service, maintenance and repair as well as spare parts.

Also expanding its operations is Pumpex. In June this year it appointed EIM-Egyption International Motors as the distributor for its complete range of dewatering pumps in Egypt. The news follows the appointment of Interprima as its distributor in Romania, in March, and Vatroinvest in Croatia, in April.

Further a field and MultiQuip Construction Equipment PVT Ltd, the India-based distributor for Multiquip, signed a dealership agreement in June with Kuwait's Badar Almulla Bros. Co. The company will now sell Multiquip's dewatering pumps in Kuwait and neighbouring Iraq.

MultiQuip has also appointed three new dealers in South Africa. The company now has offices and dealers in the US, the UK, Canada, Mexico Brazil and China.

Opened in May this year MQ-Shanghai, China will serve primarily as a distribution centre, although light assembly of many products will also take place.

While MultiQuip pushes ahead with expansion into the Chinese market, other pump manufacturers are more reticent. Speaking to iC at April's Intermat Exhibition in Paris, Godwin Pumps chairman John Micheal Paz said “We're not looking to push into China at the moment, but it is a useful market for components. There is room for growth in other more established markets, so we are looking to fully develop those before pushing into China.”

Mr Paz said the company is expecting growth in demand in Australia, Canada, South America and Europe over the next six months. “Growth is expected to come from both gaining market share and creating new markets with more reliable pumps.”

New pumps

According to Mr Paz the North American market is generally split between diesel and electric pumps, but in Europe, electric submersibles are its main seller. This, said Mr Paz, is mainly because sites in Europe are generally closer to a power source and the market is not used to reliable diesel pumps.

Godwin's latest addition to its DriPrime portable diesel line, the 150 mm CD160M, for example, passes hard materials up to 75 mm in diameter. The pump achieves total heads up to 80 m and flows to 432 m³/hour.

Godwin also has new models in its Sub-Prime electric submersible pump line. The new units are intended for general dewatering and feature a slim-line design for work in confined spaces.

Features include a top discharge design, flow rates up to 316 litres/second, discharge heads to 114 m, and solids handling up to 80 mm in diameter. Other features include a chromium-alloy white cast iron impeller, and heavy-duty rubber or polyurethane coated adjustable wearing parts for longer life, double mechanical seals with silicon carbide interfaces for dry running and extra protection against leakage and dual phase on selected models.

Durability and sustained performance are also among the key design objectives of the latest generation of submersible pumps from ITT Flygt. Its new 2600 series' impeller is “...designed to expel particles away from the neck of the impellor and prevent premature wear,” according to construction and mining business unit manager Thierry Vasseur.

The six-model range has chrome cast iron impellers powered by motors rated between 1.1 and 18 kW. The pumps are smaller than the Bibo range they replace and have -30 to -50% fewer components. However, the new pumps deliver equal performance: heads from 17 to 65 m and flow rates from 11 to 95 litres/second.

Pumping corrosive materials is also the target application for Grindex's latest pumps, the Inox line. Combining stainless steel components with the Swedish company's Proline design the Inox has a pH tolerance of between 2 and 10. The first model available in the series is the Master Inox. Its 11 kW motor provides a head of up to 65 m and a flow rate of up to 52 litres/second. Five other models will follow later this year, according to the company.

Another approach to robustness comes from Wacker's new PF 3 series, a new range of frame mounted immersion pumps that feature separated pump and drive units. The PF 3 is available in several specifications but all feature the same 6 m long flexible intake shaft and are powered by a 5 kW motor.

The PF 3P model has a specially developed oil seal and a hardened cast iron impellor to extend the pump's service life and the PF 3S6 has two bearings in the hose and an extra oil seal to increase the stability and lifespan of the shaft.

Stow Pumps also has new dewatering units. Its CP-20H and CP-30H centrifugal pumps have capacities of 598 and 999 litres/minute, and maximum heads of 30 and 35 m, respectively. The lightweight pumps feature overhead valve engines, which, according to the company, offer peak performance and minimal fuel consumption.

Features include cast iron impellers and volutes, automatic engine shutdown, wraparound heavy-duty steel frames, and strainers to prevent clogging.

The CP-20H is powered by a 2.9 kW Honda GX-120 petrol engine and weighs 22 kg. A 4 kW Honda GX-160 engine drives the CP-30H, which weighs 27 kg.

Solids? No problem

The ability to shift fluids and solids without reducing performance characterises Stow's new T-20H and T-30H trash pumps, which, according to the company, are ideal for dewatering jobs with high solid content. The T-20H trash pump has a maximum capacity of 598 litres/minute and is driven by a 4 kW Honda GX-160 engine.

The T-30H pumps 1280 litres/minute and is powered by the 6 kW Honda GX-240 engine. Both pumps have a maximum head of 24 m. Sticks, stones and debris up to 38 mm can pass through the pumps, which feature a self-priming design and double volute.

Other features include an open-type two-vane impeller for long life, standard copper/ceramic mechanical seals, and optional wheel kits for mobility around the job site.

The company has also recently launched the SDP-2 and SDP-3 self-priming diaphragm pumps, which can handle anything from clear water to heavy sludges and slurries, according to the company.

The SDP-2 has a maximum capacity of 11340 litres/hour while the SDP-3 pumps up to 19320 litres/hour. Honda's 2.9 kW GX-120 petrol engines drives both pumps, which feature a heavy-duty aluminium body, lubricated spur gear, automatic oil shutdown, machine-steel pipe nipples, and strainers that comes standard.

Handling trash in the suction pipe has also been the focus of US-based Thompson Pump and Manufacturing. Its 26 mm, self-priming 3STC centrifugal pump generates 75 m of head in fluids with high concentrations of suspended solids. It is self-priming, automatically re-priming, and dry running.

The 6STC, a compressor-assisted, dry-prime trash model, can pump fluids with high abrasives or solids as large as 85 mm in diameter and has the ability to operate during 'snore' conditions. (Where the pump is pulling air and water, and, if left will run dry.) The priming system of both pumps prevents the 'blow-by' of pumped fluids and any contaminants onto the ground, as well as ensuring continued availability of priming capability.

Thompson's 6V model passes solids up to 76 mm in diameter, but it also uses a vacuum assist feature to provide maximum head of 31 m and a re-priming capability up to 9 m. The pump discharges up to 5670 litres/minute.

ABS has increased the submersible sludge capabilities of its JS range with the addition of the JS12-15 with a vortex impeller that can handle solids up to 40 mm in diameter. The hydraulic parts are formed from nodular cast iron to give added wear resistance. The JS12-15 is available with several different motors in the 0.9 to 1.4 kW range and has an automatic level control with a built in float switch.

Also new is the Poma from Tsurumi. It provides 5.5 m of head, 250 litres/minute maximum discharge, and solids capability of 35 mm. Durability comes via a stainless steel shaft, a silicon carbide, oil-immersed, double mechanical seal, and automatic motor protection.

Robin Subaru has released three new trash pumps, the 50 mm PKX201T, which has a maximum discharge rate of 700 litres/minute, the 75 mm PTV305T, 1300 litres/minute, and the 100 mm PTV405T, 2000 litres/minute, all of which are self-priming. Powered by 4.5, 6.3 and 8.2 kW engines they can handle solids of 16 and 32 mm respectively.

A hardened cast-iron volute withstands suspended sticks, stones and other debris sucked through the strainer, while an abrasion-resistant, cast-iron three-blade impeller and replaceable wear plate ensure long life and low maintenance.

A rugged strainer protects pump components from large solids, while the hole diameter helps prevent large debris from entering the suction hose. For durability and protection, a heavy-duty steel roll cage wraps around the entire pump.

A low-tone muffler and sound-suppressing air cleaner offer quiet operation and meet current EPA/CARB emission standards, while routine maintenance can be completed in the field with common hand tools. Four stainless steel cap screws hold together the aluminum casings, and all wear parts are exposed when the cover is removed.

Outlook

It is clear that the latest pumping technology is already helping to deliver efficiency and productivity benefits for contractors and quarry operators. However, the demand for higher flows rates from quieter, more reliable and fuel-efficient pumps will no doubt continue. This is likely to drive future development and innovation.