Kelair Pumps: Mine Dewatering Specialists

KELAIR Pumps Australia is a privately owned and operated company, specialising in industrial pumps and pump packages for the resources industry and industry in general.

An ideal pump for harsh mine dewatering applications would be one that is lightweight, resistant to corrosion, easy to maintain as well as able to pass large solids through the system, according to Kelair’s General Manager Myro Bratkovic.

Weight, Corrosion and Maintenance

According to Mr Bratkovic, typical cast iron or other non-metallic diaphragm pumps are not only very heavy and cumbersome but carrying them can also pose a major health and safety issue.

“In some instances, workers cannot get their underground vehicles close enough to where they need to install the dewatering pump, meaning that they might have to carry the pump 500m or 600m away,” he said.

“A 2inch cast iron pump can weigh over 60kg, which causes a major health and safety issue. Furthermore, over time, the pumped solution can corrode the body of a metallic pump, and eventually lead to the pump being inoperable or costly to repair,” Mr Bratkovic said.

Plastic bodied ball valve pumps are commonly used in mine sites, and while they can be up to half the weight and resistant to corrosion, they require disassembly off-site in order to carry out any basic maintenance works.

“As miners’ time is precious and expensive, the less downtime caused by pump maintenance, the better.”

“Because of this, a flap-check valve pump with a non-metallic casing is ideal for longevity and serviceability of your dewatering equipment.

Solving onsite problems with proven technology

According to Mr Bratkovic, the Sandpiper HD20F is the next generation in mine dewatering, as it has the advantage of being both a flap-check valve pump as well as having a non-metallic body therefore preventing corrosion.

“The flap-check valves on the Sandpiper HD20F allow access to the pump without having to dismantle the pump or remove it from the site.

“To further aid maintenance, there are access ports on the side that are unique to this Sandpiper design and are not found on any other dewatering pump on the global market.”

The Sandpiper HD20F flap valve design allows the pump’s two-inch suction hose, along with the pump to pass large solids up to 44mm through the system, without causing any damage to the pump.

“As well as this, comparison testing in the Sandpiper laboratory has shown that the Sandpiper HD20F pump can consume between 25% to 40% less compressed air than other brands of pump.”

According to Mr Bratkovic, the Sandpiper HD20F was designed around the existing metallic Sandpiper Heavy Duty HDF2 that has long been known for its proven technology in terms of its air system, diaphragms, and flap valves.

“Because of this longevity, you can be sure that the plastic bodied HD20F will last longer than the metallic model in corrosive environments and replacement/repair parts are readily available for onsite servicing and maintenance.

Kelair Pumps Australia

“As the sole distributor of Sandpiper pumps in Australia, Kelair Pumps have access to Sandpiper’s energy consumption calculation program, which helps calculate the cost of operation based on air consumption and provide clients with both an energy and dollar saving.”

You can rely on Kelair Pumps to provide the pump knowledge and expertise required.