MALCOLM Thompson Pumps has a proven history delivering quality pumping solutions to a wide range of Australian applications.
This 50-year-old company is now the proud owner of Stalker Pumps, providing even more solutions for its customers with the benefit of still being manufactured on Australian soil.
The recent redevelopment of Stalker Pumps – a reliable pillar in the Australian Pumping industry for more than 90 years – is delivering customers a quality solution for removing water from underground mine sites.
This culmination of Stalker Pumps and Malcolm Thompson Pumps (MTP) has created an unbeatable workhorse delivering exceptional pumping solutions for Australian mining.
Stalker Pumps have been engineered to provide exceptional durability, higher flow and reduced maintenance to meet the end goal of saving customer’s time and improving productivity.
Stalker Pumps are legendary for their ability to operate at peak capacity even in the most challenging Australian mining conditions.
Malcom Thompson CEO Ben Farr said the pump was proven in the market.
“We are not introducing a new product, rather an existing product that has been engineered to better meet our customer’s requirements,” he said.
Stalker Pumps is one of the last remaining all-Australian pumps with an onsite foundry allowing total control over the manufacturing process.
The ability to manufacture high quality castings in 19 types of ferrous and non-ferrous metals in-house is unique to MTP.
Ben also provided a case study from one customer in Kambalda, WA, who had been using traditional PC pumps (progressive cavity pumps) underground that required a complete service every six months.
After replacing these units with a Stalker SHD103 Underground Pod, the customer has enjoyed almost two years of faultless operation, without any repairs required.
The operating cost savings to that customer have also been significant.
In contrast to a PC pump, the Stalker pump is a fraction of the operating costs and has not been touched with a spanner since installation.
This exceptional performance has become standard for customers, who are turning away from the more traditional PC pumps in favour of the super heavy-duty centrifugal pump, following the results of two years of extensive pump monitoring of all the associated service and maintenance procedures.
The Stalker pump has a higher flow range, starting from 20 to 50 litres per second (L/s) in the most standard models, in comparison to a 27L/s flow rate (at same head) with a PC pump.
Other models are capable of taking this to 80 L/s and above with a single pump.
Because of this increased flow rate, the run time of the Stalker can be almost halved, further extending the life of the pump and reducing the overall setup cost.
However, as Ben states, the advantage is not really the flow itself but the extended wear life.
“The sand, solids and grit migrates through the underground dewatering process and typically creates greater wear conditions for the pumps,” he said.
“This is what really destroys other pumps, particularly PCP’s. Whereas, the Stalker powers easily through slurry, grit and sharp solid particles of up to 8mm in diameter”.
Key features of the Stalker are the materials of construction and high pressure rating, making this pump ideal for medium flow high head applications.
The two most popular choices for underground mining are 27pc chrome oron for highly abrasive fluids and H3C stainless steel for highly corrosive fluids.
The standard cartridge seal fitted is rated to 30 bar (435psi) pressure and is upgradable to 40 and 60 bar.
The casing has been redesigned with a burst pressure of 75bar (1087psi). Combined with the ultra-robust ribbed casting design and high precision bearing assembly, the pump spins to a maximum of 2900rpm, with a normal duty rate of around 2500prm.
This shorter run time often allows for one pump to be utilised as a standby in case additional pumping is required – eliminating the need for mine site closure due to uncontrolled water ingress and the related safety risk to personnel.
Compared to conventional centrifugal pumps that typically top out at 180m of head with low flow rates, the Stalker pump – by design – is able to withstand much higher loads and pump vertically up to 360m in series operation.
This impressive feat is unmatched in regular centrifugal pumps.
The Stalker’s main shaft has also been designed and built to be much more robust than traditional shafts to withstand the high radial and axial loads while spinning at a high RPM.
Another feature that adds to both increased pump life and longer service intervals is the barrier fluid tank.
Due to the abrasive nature of the slurry passing through the pump, the mechanical seal is lubricated by coolant from a tank mounted directly on the Stalker unit.
It also protects the pump if it is accidentally run dry for a short period of time.
In addition, a duplex cartridge seal is used to increase seal pressure and allow more than one Stalker pump to be used in parallel.
MTP produces a unit it calls a pod, which is essentially a tank that is located underground and is fed either by a dam or a series of smaller pumps.
Mounted next to the pod is a Stalker pump that is capable of pumping the underground water all the way to the surface, either on its own or in stages with multiple pumps, depending on the depth of the mine.
Conventional PC pumps are not easy to repair or replace in-situ and this is often a very time-consuming and costly process that increases the risk of flooding while the pump is out of commission.
Such uncontrolled water flow can lead to complete mine shutdown.
The Stalker pump, however, can be completely removed and a new unit fitted in only four hours.
Mining contractors are always very conscious of costs and productivity, so the use of a Stalker pump and a pod translate into lower operating costs, lower maintenance costs, less downtime and lower labour costs.
Australian standards remain some of the highest in the world for pumping solutions, standards which the Stalker pumps meet and exceed.
Australian mining conditions demand the highest quality equipment to survive the brutal elements they are exposed to on a daily basis. Malcolm Thompson Pumps is committed to listening to customers’ needs and delivering equipment that surpasses expectations.
Being locally-based also decreases wait times for spare parts, repairs or replacements.
As anyone in mining knows, reduced downtime is paramount for cost saving.
Driven by customers’ demands, Malcolm Thompson Pumps is currently developing other ranges suitable for use underground.
“We have the ability to custom design and engineer to meet specific requirements for specific customers,” Ben said.
“We listen to our customers’ feedback and our design and engineering is driven from their needs,” he said.
Source:
Malcolm Thompson Pumps
1800 733 687
