Copper Mine Switches To Bredel Hose Pumps After Repeated Hose Failures And Lengthy Downtime
- 84 Bredel pumps installed at Brazilian copper mine
- Accuracy of Bredel pumps keeping chemical costs under control
- Customer reports ‘ease of maintenance’ of Bredel technology
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) has recently installed a large number of Bredel heavy duty hose pumps at a copper mining company in Northern Brazil.
An initial prospective order for pumps at this site was lost to competitive hose pumps. However following repeated hose failures and lengthy downtime, the mine’s operators opted to install 32 Bredel hose pumps as part of the next investment phase.
The success of that subsequent installation prompted the replacement of all 40 of the competitive pumps with Bredel models. There are now 84 Bredel hose pumps spread across the company’ two copper sites.
Accuracy and reliability
The mine requires pumps in its flotation area for chemical metering. This is an important part of the mining process that demands both accuracy and reliability, not to mention pumps capable of working 24/7.
Precision is particularly important as the chemicals are not only expensive to purchase, but their transportation to this remote area, is also costly. Wastage has a direct impact on profitability and spillage could have a negative impact on this environmentally aware company.
The competitor pumps originally installed ran into difficulty – typically through hose failures – when pumping chemicals that include sodium sulphate, xanthate, methyl-isoamyl alcohol and dithiophosphate. Indeed, the company reports that it needed to replace hoses as frequently as every month, due to chemical attack and poor pump installation advice.
This experience is in stark contrast to the support offered by WMFTG. Despite the fact that the mine is located in a remote and densely forested area of Brazil, the customer reports that WMFTG has offered ongoing project assistance throughout the specification, installation and commission phases. In addition, WMFTG will shortly be delivering training to the maintenance and process teams at the customer’s second mine.
42 pumps at each mine
Today, the mine’s operators have 42 Bredel pumps at each of its two mines – both operate at flow rates of between 22 and 540L/h.
Since the installation of the first Bredel pumps, none of the hose problems previously encountered with the competitor pumps have been reported.
In addition, the accuracy and reliability of Bredel pump technology is helping the company keep chemical costs under control and ease-of-maintenance is cited as a further benefit.
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions
- 01326370370
- info@wmftg.co.uk
- https://www.wmfts.com/
- Bicklandwater Road, Falmouth Business Park, Falmouth, Cornwall, TR11 4RU GB
About us
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.
We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.
The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:
Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.
Where we supply to
Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America
Industries we supply to
Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater
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