Verder Pumps Improve Precious-Metal Production

Verder Pumps South Africa (VPSA) has upgraded the thickener transfer pumps as part of a concentrator upgrade project for a precious-metal producer near Rustenburg. The company supplied its VF125 pumps, which are able to pump slurry with 1,7 specific gravity and at a flow rate of 60m3/hr over a distance of 690m, with a height of 30m.The VF125 thickener pumps resulted in cost savings and increased production capacity, according to VPSA consultant Daan Louw.

Process engineering company DRA (then Vhumbanani) was appointed as project engineer on the project and approached VPSA to assist in the design of six thickener transfer pumps. According to Thys de Beer, DRA project engineer, the VPSA pumps are able to transfer slurry without the need for a second pump station - something that would come at a significant cost to the mine and would probably take more time to process. There are currently 24 VF125 pumps operating at 37kWh at the platinum processing plant. The design for these pumps included installing pulsation dampeners to help decrease the pressure build-up in the pipeline, according to Louw.

The build-up in the hoses is eliminated by using rubber Verderflex hoses that are designed to increase life expectancy and production performance. The Verderflex hose pumps are designed to handle tough operating conditions; they are said to reduce downtime, decrease maintenance costs and provide simple, reliable operation in difficult pumping environments. Robday Rustenburg provided the maintenance for the VF125 pumps to ensure efficient operation.

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