Aussie pumps, best in mines

Australian Pump Industries is only 30 years old, yet already has a huge footprint in the Australian and international mining markets.

There is no industry more brutal on equipment than mining. Aussie listens to the miners’ feedback and delivers the hardest working gear available.

Australian Pump has proudly distributed the rugged and reliable Megator and Carver brands in Australia for over 20 years. Two classic workhorses in Australian mines are the Megator range of Sliding Shoe pumps, and the Carver 855 filtrate pump.

Megator Sliding Shoe Pumps

One of the key range of products for the mining industry is Aussie’s selection of Megator Sliding Shoe pumps. These positive displacement pumps provide exceptional suction performance, versatility and an ability to pump at constant capacity against heads of up to 75m.

Megator’s unique design means that the pumps can run dry without harm. They are self-compensating for wear with a very simple design that has few working parts, and convenient ‘single cover access’ for maintenance.

In performance principle, they are close to the concept of a positive displacement piston pump but with additional features that include powerful suction and the ability to self-prime.

Mighty performance

Developed by Megator, the Sliding Shoe concept allows the pumps to be compact in design, yet they deliver mighty performance. The neat body design makes them significantly more space efficient than either plunger or piston pumps of equivalent ratings. This is achieved by the elimination of gearing and crank mechanisms, which also saves lubrication and maintenance.

“They absorb shock and vibration in pipelines by the smooth laminar flow of the unique Sliding Shoe design,” said Aussie Pumps’ Chief Engineer, John Hales.

Pump configurations are available in a wide range of materials, and for a number of applications. The pumps are widely used for pumping lubrication in their cast iron configuration, but are also available in bronze or aluminium for corrosive liquids.

Port plates and rotors are made of precipitation- hardened stainless steel which can be coated for even greater wear resistance. Bearings are eccentric-locking with an inner ring of hardened stainless steel, designed to guarantee easy removal and quick access to shaft seals.

The shaft seals themselves are designed to minimise maintenance, as they are exposed to the cooling and flushing effect of the liquid flowing through the pump body.

The pumps are available in either bareshaft or electric motor, petrol or diesel engine drive. Maximum flow capacity can reach up to 60m3/hr.

Australian Pump offers a purpose-designed relief valve that’s capable of passing the full pump capacity. The relief valve can be arranged to bypass suction, but an open and visible discharge is generally preferable.

Suitable for oil spills

Another major advantage of the unique design is that fluid pumped at a given speed, instead of dropping with an increase in head, is practically constant at all heads, and suction lifts within the range of the pump.

“Megator’s design is unique” said Hales. “Their ability to run dry when necessary but continue to operate with viscous liquids make them suitable for oil spills. In that application, they can suck water off the surface when used in combination with Megator’s unique ‘Dolphin’ floating strainer.”

The pumps are exceptionally robust and can cope with rough conditions and handle a wide range of liquids: viscous or free-flowing, clean or dirty.

Options for mounting assemblies include stationary, skid-mounted & mobile.

Australian Pump have supplied Megator pumps to Australia’s vital mining industry, as well as Fire & Rescue services, and the Australian Navy.

Carver 855 filtrate pump

The Carver 855 filtrate pump was developed as an original concept to minimise component wear and maximise longevity. It is well suited for vacuum filtration and dewatering systems with difficult suction conditions.

Carver filtrate pumps are now working on filtrate applications on mines in virtually every State in Australia.

The pump’s design is unique in that it has a mounting flange directly to the receiver tank, eliminating suction piping and minimising NPSH issues. This design allows pumping to resume even after short periods of interrupted flow. It’s capable of operating in vacuum conditions of up to 26” Hg.

A specially designed open impeller assures pumping, whether a trickle or full capacity, whilst the simple rugged design is dependable and is employed in some of the toughest environments in the industry.

First-rate engineering

Aussie’s Chief Engineer, John Hales, has worked with Carver over the last 30 years through Australian Pump Industries’ Naval Division.

“Carver pumps are fitted to most U.S. Navy vessels,” said Hales. “We did a lot of work on

Australia’s FFG Frigates and that’s when we got to really understand how tough they are. Their engineering is first-rate and quality is built to U.S. Navy Milspec standards,” he said.

Carver’s 855 unit features a V-belt drive arrangement as standard. By utilising either belt drive or variable frequency drive, performance characteristics can be

fine-tuned to match most system requirements.

With a simple, vertically-split case design, the 855 may be disassembled to expose the entire wetted area.

Unique material specifications

The model 855’s impeller is an open blade design, domed in shape to eliminate wear and improve performance. The material specifications are unique, including not only copper and stainless steel but also a molybdenum addition.

Standard features include a packed stuffing box with seal water connections provided to ensure lubrication and eliminate vacuum/air leakage. Discharge flanges are machined for both Class 150 ANSI and DIN PN10 connections.

“Carver use corrosion-resistant shafts to eliminate the need for shaft sleeves. The impellers, keyed to shaft, provide a secure fit and protection should momentary reverse rotation occur” said Hales.

Australian Pump have been supporting the Carver products in Australia for more than 30 years. It’s noted that Australia’s leading mining companies are now moving their filtrate systems to Carver’s 855-series. Some operators may still be using the original 850 range as well.

Aussie know-how and support

Australian Pump has proudly distributed the rugged and reliable Megator and Carver brands in Australia for over 20 years.

Parts, service and expert advice is available from Australian Pump’s Sydney Head Office.

For more information call +612 8865 3500 or visit www.aussiepumps.com.au