Keramos is located in Port Kennedy, Western Australia in the heart of the Western Australian mining industry. We have customers throughout all states of Australia and supply throughout the world to countries including New Zealand, Laos, Dominican Republic, Solomon Islands, Senegal, South Africa, Mali, Tanzania and Ghana.
Keramos acquires C-Tech Engineering, a metal fabrication business located in the industrial hub of Canning Vale, Western Australia. C-Tech will be fully integrated into Keramos, and we are excited to welcome the experience and expertise of the C-Tech team to Keramos.
Read about Keramos silicon carbide ceramic cyclone overflow pipes and how we can extend the wear life and increase the reliability of pipes in slurry wear applications.
Pump type Electrical submersible One-phase and Three-phase
Classification IP 68
Max submersion 20m
Cable SUBCAB
Discharge connection Hose
ISO-G or NPT
Limitations ph 5-8
Max liquid temp 40°C
Product code 8110.281; Based on the same basic design as the drainage pumps, the sludge pumps come into action when the liquid gets dirtier than can be handled by the drainage pumps. The design even permits converting between drainage and sludge models allowing you to adapt the pump according to the varying conditions.
AspenTech is providing intelligent digital solutions to the mining industry, helping reduce downtime and emissions while maximising asset performance.
Mobile and fixed equipment plant maintenance is one of the costliest parts of a mining operation. This stems from the fact that site operators typically rely on preventive maintenance schedules designed by the original equipment manufacturer.
But this system is too rigid to depend on, and can fail to account for variations in the use of equipment, different working environments and the effects of extreme weather. It’s the equivalent of ignoring the warning light in a car because it’s still got three months until the next service.
There is a better way of doing things, and it’s called prescriptive maintenance. AspenTech’s Aspen Mtell solution offers the mining industry exactly that.
Aspen Mtell is a predictive and prescriptive maintenance solution that uses machine learning to monitor equipment in real-time for imminent and future failures.
“Companies are facing increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint and improve operational efficiency in order to meet global climate targets,” senior industry marketing consultant for AspenTech, Brandon Richardson, told Australian Mining. “To deal with these challenges, many companies are turning to digitalisation solutions.
“AspenTech offers advanced digitalisation solutions specifically designed to assist companies in the mining industry to achieve their sustainability goals and improve operational efficiency, while also minimising costly environmental and safety risks.
“AspenTech’s asset performance management solutions provide a comprehensive suite of tools, including Aspen Mtell, to monitor and optimise performance of mining assets.”
By monitoring machine performance round-the-clock, the Mtell software can recognise patterns indicative of degradation and impending failure. These early warnings give site operators the chance to plan maintenance weeks – and sometimes months – ahead, rather than reactively working through equipment failures at the expense of time and money.
“The high costs associated with maintenance, repairs, and downtime can be a significant burden for mining companies,” Richardson said.
“AspenTech helps address these challenges by providing predictive maintenance solutions that can reduce downtime and maintenance costs.”
Aspen Mtell has been tried and tested in the field, and the results speak for themselves.
“A particular mining client was having difficulty predicting when maintenance was required on their trucks, resulting in frequent breakdowns and increased maintenance costs,” Richardson said.
“By implementing Aspen Mtell, the company was able to analyse sensor data from the trucks and develop predictive models called agents that could accurately forecast maintenance needs.
“This allowed the company to proactively schedule maintenance, reducing unplanned downtime and improving overall equipment reliability.”
Aspen Mtell is also making operations safer. In one instance, the software flagged a failure in a customer’s oil heater.
“In those types of industrial machines, a failure would have meant hot oil vaporising cold water, which would have caused a rapid steam explosion,” Richardson said.
“A failure would have had catastrophic safety implications, but thanks to Aspen Mtell, the site operator was able to take pre-emptive action and avoid an accident.”
Aspen Mtell pairs well with another AspenTech solution, known as advanced process control (APC). APC provides real-time control and optimisation of equipment, helping mining companies make their operations run as efficiently as possible.
“APC enables mining companies to optimise their production processes and reduce energy consumption,” Richardson said. “AspenTech APM and APC solutions help mining companies to make data-driven decisions that improve process efficiency, optimise production, and reduce environmental impact.
“The integration of AspenTech APM and APC solutions ensures that mining companies can achieve their sustainability objectives while remaining competitive in an uncertain economic environment.”
Energy efficiency and safety play a huge role in achieving environmental, social and governance (ESG) targets, meaning solutions like Aspen Mtell are vital for staying competitive in an evolving mining market.
And ESG targets are much more than just a peripheral consideration.
There is tangible value for mining companies in maintaining safe and responsible worksites, and in reducing emissions in line with the global push for net-zero.
Social and environmental practices are becoming essential for mining companies to secure a social license to operate. Demonstrating such responsibility helps project approvals go smoother, which directly translates to a faster timeline and profitability.
In this way, intelligent solutions like AspenTech APM and APC not only help keep expenses under control, but add real value for AspenTech’s mining industry clients.
“AspenTech is committed to helping its clients in the mining industry achieve sustainable, cost effective, and optimised operations,” Richardson said.
“The company has a network of experts of who can provide support and guidance throughout the implementation process, ensuring clients get the most out of their investment.”
Weir Minerals, manufacturer of the Warman slurry pump, has released the latest edition of its Warman Slurry Pumping Handbook.
The sixth edition, compiled by one of the most trusted names in slurry pumps, features detailed engineering data required for most slurry pumping applications.
Drawing on decades of Weir Minerals’ in-house expertise in innovative engineering and slurry pumping technology, the new handbook has updated reference material based on new information, improved understanding and technological developments within the mining industry.
With customers always in mind, the handbook aims to empower engineers to achieve optimal performance from their Warman slurry pumps. An increased global focus on the environment, energy consumption and water conservation will influence slurry pump design and considerations – making this latest handbook an essential tool for all current and future pump engineers.
“Pumping slurry has many challenges and I’m excited to publish our latest handbook, packed with fundamental theory, application advice, standard practices and latest Warman learnings from the field, all aimed to help our customers, present and future, deliver with excellence,” Weir Minerals slurry pumping technology group director Marcus Lane said.
Weir Minerals are continually striving to shape the next generation of smart, efficient and sustainable solutions with cutting-edge science and innovation. The comprehensive handbook includes over 140 pages of detailed information, including performance charts, impeller design, part configuration, assembly and slurry considerations, all fully supported by accurate technical renders and specifications.
“The high quality of the reference material in this essential resource reflects the leading status of the Warman slurry pumps,” Weir Minerals global engineering and technology vice president John McNulty said.
“As the industry leader, we have a responsibility to develop our future engineers; we will make the latest version of the Warman Slurry Pumping Handbook available not only to our customers, but also to the leading schools worldwide, so they can learn from the best in the industry.”
As part of Weir Minerals’ commitment to investing in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and developing the next generation of engineers, copies of this resource will be gifted to the leading mining and engineering educational facilities around the world, including the winner of the 2022 Warman Design & Build competition, Deakin University in Australia.
By paying close attention to the sealing solution used in the gland area of slurry pumps, mining operators can increase productivity – and profitability.
Slurry pumps are the workhorses of mining operations, helping to efficiently transport ore in the form of slurry throughout the site. Unfortunately, they are also often one of the more trouble-prone parts of many plants, with the abrasive nature of mining slurries taking a high toll on pump components.
A particular stress point is the gland area, where mechanical seals or packing are used to prevent leakage. Sealing solutions that are of poor quality or that are ill-suited to the application at hand can greatly increase maintenance demands, and lead to unplanned stoppages and excessive water use.
Mining operators looking to increase the efficiency of their slurry pumps – and in turn the whole operation – should spend time analysing their slurry and choose a tailored sealing solution that can cope with the inherent stresses.
Some of the factors to consider when analysing the slurry include the hardness and abrasiveness of the slurry; the amount and weight of solids being carried; and the salinity, chemical composition and temperature of the slurry. These can all impact heavily on component wear.
Armed with this information, operators can make a more informed choice about what kind of features are required from a sealing solution, be it a mechanical seal or packing. While uptake of mechanical seals is varied across mining settings, they have the potential to extend time between maintenance intervals by up to four times compared to packing. However, a slightly higher level of training is required among maintenance staff.
How to choose the right seal and packing
So, what factors should be considered when choosing a mechanical seal?
A good seal should have a stationary sprung design with non-clogging springs and micro-polished dynamic O-ring surfaces. It should also have the flexibility to add erosion protection features, like polyurethane in applications where the slurry is extremely abrasive.
Additionally, a good mechanical seal should also be flexible enough to add support features to prolong operating life, such as quench/drain and flush. It should have line-to-line seal faces, and be designed with generous cross sections and a robust drive mechanism that can mount on hardened pump sleeves.
For packing, the yarn needs to be sufficiently strong to prevent the slurry from penetrating into the fibre. It should be woven in a manner that creates a torturous leak path.
The packing needs to be low friction for low energy consumption and to reduce any damage to the rotating shaft, despite the presence of slurry. It should also be flexible enough to transfer the axial energy into radial load and maintain a positive seal for prolonged periods. Thereby reducing the amount of follower adjustments required during the life of the packing.
In conclusion, slurry pumps play a crucial role in mining operations. By examining operating conditions and requirements and choosing an appropriate sealing solution, pump uptime can be increased, water consumption reduced, and high productivity maintained.
Want to know more?
To find out how to choose the best pump sealing solution for mining slurry operations, download the white paper.
Lance Brett has been working in mechanical seals for over 35 years. Now a national product manager at Seal Innovations, he is excited to bring the new Heavy Duty Slurry Seals onto the market for Australian customers.
“We’re really pleased with the quality of these seals and how they stand up in terms of wear life and reliability,” he said.
“It perfectly complements the rest of our product range and offers new potential for our involvement in the mining and quarrying sectors.”
The role of a sealing application cannot be overlooked, especially in resources where they act to secure valuable materials while they are being processed. Slurry is formed when water combines with ferrous and non-ferrous raw material, such as rock and soil between 1mm and 25mm thick. In mining, there are several types of pumps used in the transport of large volumes of slurry to mineral processing plants, where it then undergoes a separation process.
The solids within slurry can often prove highly abrasive, contributing to the accelerated wear life of critical parts, including seals. This problem can be amplified in a hyper saline environment, which may cause crystallisation of material around the surface.
The new Heavy Duty Slurry Pump Seal from Seal Innovations can withstand the harshest operating environments, providing maximum seal life in mining, quarrying and dewatering applications. The abrasion resistant metal components, along with silicone carbide faces, create an open design which reduces flush water and product dilution.
“This seal unit has been specifically designed for handling slurry concentration of up to 40 per cent solids by weight,” Brett said.
“It is an incredibly robust construct mechanical seal which is best suited to rugged mining and quarrying environments. Differently to standard O-ring designs, it is a rotating assembly, offering accurate installation with no special tools required.”
What’s more, the smooth, elastomer-coated cone spring increases the product’s reliability with an even spring load to the seal’s faces. This ensures minimal wear or clogging, in operating pressures up to 300 psig (20.7 bar).
“We have introduced this product to fill a prominent need in the market for mining-suited slurry pump parts,” Brett said.
“It’s a really exciting addition to our portfolio of industry leading seal products, and we’re already taking it to some of our most valued customers as an upgrade solution on troublesome equipment.”
He adds that, in addition to a comprehensive catalogue of sealing products, the business also provides aftermarket engineering and repair services from some of their centrally located branches.
“We can repair and overhaul slurry pump units as well as seals from our workshop in Brisbane, and we can repair any type of slurry seal from our Melbourne workshop,” Brett said.
“Everything is repaired back to manufacturer specification, and thoroughly tested for performance before re-entering the field.”
Technicians from Seal Innovations regularly visit customer sites, utilising their comprehensive knowledge of seal engineering to carry out audits, training and installation services. In line with its motto – “keep industry moving” – the company strives to meet each customer’s unique requirements and offer a one-stop-shop for all sealing needs.
