Going to extremes
OVER the past decade, Australian Pumps has been on a constant program of product development for high-pressure cleaning equipment to suit the mining industry.
Its launch of the Mine Boss series of diesel engine drive machines to 5000psi proved a winner, not just in Australia but in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asian countries all the way through to Mongolia.
The new Extreme series, taking pressures and flows higher to provide more cleaning “whack” to key mining projects, is another breakthrough for this dynamic and innovative Australian company.
Aussie Pumps’ operations manager, Hamish Lorenz, said the company’s basic philosophy of developing mining machines had been limited in terms of horsepower and size by the idea that the unit needed to be mobile or, for that matter, trolley mounted.
“Making the break to bigger machines required a rethink of exactly how we design and build those larger units,” he said.
The result is the revolution of the mine spec Extreme machines built up to 7300psi (500 bar).
The product range uses modular construction to enable machines to be built fast but designed with the Australian mining and quarry industry experience as the driver.
Aussie Pumps’ survey of mining companies indicated a number of European machines were being used with design criteria that wasn’t necessarily related to conditions in northern Australia.
“Monsoonal rains, dust storms and ambients as high as 45 degrees are somewhat unique to Australia,” Mr Lorenz said.
With the concept of using ‘ Big Berty’ Bertolini heavy duty triplex pumps, the first machines put into the market had pressures of 5000 psi (350 bar) and flows of 25lpm.
A lower pressure version, 4300 psi (300 bar), was also launched with 31lpm flow.
“We found that a lot of the applications involving the cleaning of big plant needing a combination of pressure and flow to get the job done fast,” Mr Lorenz said.
“Time, or the reduction of cleaning time, was the big issue.”
The criteria for the machines was simple.
They needed to be protected from the weather, built into heavy duty hot dipped galvanised steel frames and provided with serious high pressure cleaning accessories that would get the job done.
Battery isolation and bunded frames were also considered to be essential.
The company consulted with iron ore, copper and coal mines and well as major quarry companies to get an idea of best requirements.
The heart of the system
With high pressure cleaning, everything depends on the pump selected.
The pump is the heart of the system and if it fails, everything else is out of action as well.
“Australian Pumps specified a new RA series ‘Big Berty’ Bertolini pumps because of their heavy duty configuration and features,” Mr Lorenz said.
“Bertolini offered heavy duty 316 stainless steel heads on the pumps in the 500 bar range, big one inch suction ports, top quality ceramic pistons and valves that are designed specially to provide the highest efficiency for the prescribed flow and pressure requirements.”
The company found that other manufacturers of pumps use the same valves for a wide range of products without particularly focusing on the individual combination of efficiency requirements.
Bertolini pumps also offered a very unique sealing system that protects seals for longer than competitors.
Big ribbed crankcases with extra-large oil capacity contribute to cool running with the ribs acting as cooling fins.
The whole pump system is driven through with a reduction belt drive for ease and convenience of adjustment where required the engine running at 2400rpm.
The pump runs at 1450rpm, providing long, trouble-free life.
Yanmar brings the power
Selecting an engine range to power the new series was also a big challenge.
The company considered Hatz, Deutz, Perkins and Caterpillar but eventually settled on Yanmar’s TNV series.
The TNV series comprises water-cooled engines that are found on mine sites all over the country, providing power through generation or driving hydraulic pumps for a huge range of mining applications.
Aussie Pumps specified an integrated control panel that provides the machines with full engine protection including an hour meter, low oil and high water temperature.
Frame design
Australian Pumps threw away the book when it came to the frame design.
The company decided to build it in a skid configuration so it could be towed by an excavator or dozer if necessary.
It built in fork truck tine slots so that the machine can be lifted on and off trucks and, lift eyes to enable it to be slung as well where appropriate.
Incorporated in the design was a 60l stainless steel break tank with low water shutdown, accommodated in a convenient spot in the unique cube design.
The first prototypes were acclaimed by both mining contractors and big mining company corporations as well.
A 50l fuel tank was also incorporated in the design to allow extended dry running for eight hours.
Finessing the product
Completely open-minded, the company has consistently added to the package to make the machines more effective and safer to operate.
All machines now have an integrated flashing safety beacon, double insulated wiring, dual pole battery isolator and are supplied with a self-contained fire extinguisher.
The pumps are fitted with ASP (Aussie Safety Protection Kit) that kit includes a safety valve, that will blow off in the event of an over pressure spike.
That protects the machine and the operator.
A thermal dump valve is fitted to enable the machine to dump water in the event of extended running on bypass, thus protecting the pump from overheating or cavitation.
A fully adjustable unloader that enables the operator to check the pressure is also included.
High-pressure accessories
High pressure accessories can make or break the efficiency of any mine cleaning job.
Even something as trivial as changing the nozzle in the gun every 40 hours can make a big difference on the cleaning efficiency.
“Every day we hear horror stories about operators cranking up the pressure or the rpm of the engine to compensate for a worn nozzle,” Mr Lorenz said.
“The problem is they don’t know the nozzle is worn, all they know is the pressure in the gun is dropping.”
Low pressure in the gun is by far the most common factor in reduction of pressure and changing out the nozzle is the lowest cost and most efficient way of rectifying that issue.
The company’s standard product comes with a stainless steel hose reel.
400 bar hose reels are supplied with the 350 bar machines, while a 500 bar stainless hose reel is available for the Raptor series product range.
An automatic Recoila hose reel is also available.
Time is money in cleaning mining equipment so accessories that get the job done fast are important.
Aussie Pumps has a great range of up to 500 bar turbos that can cut cleaning times by as much as half.
A total of 30m of high pressure hose is supplied on hose reels as standard equipment.
Australian Pumps understands that cleaning a big piece of plant with a 10m hose is a non- option.
Foot valves are standard for more control and a great range of high- vis personal protection gear includes overalls, jackets and trousers as well as aprons, gloves and boots are available.
The 500 bar breakthrough
When the company moved to 500 bar, it had to go up a size in Yanmar diesel (500 bar machines had to be matched with both 18l, 21l, and 24l combinations with substantial more horsepower required).
The same basic formulas were introduced with the differences in the Raptor stainless Big Berty pumps, 500 bar hose assemblies and the move to the 500 bar range of accessories.
Drain cleaning attachments
For the 350 bar machines, called the Predator series, a range of drain cleaning kits are available to help miners keep their process plants clean and pipelines free of buildup of material or sludge.
The drain cleaning kits were originally designed for unblocking sewer lines but they can be operated with the 350 bar 25l Predator version or with the Python 300 bar 31lpm machine.
Either way, the drain cleaner is a very handy option as well as flat surface cleaner that also will slash cleaning time by up to 80pc where appropriate.
New safety standards
All mines are aware of new safety standards that classify pressure cleaning machines into both Class A and B units.
Class A units don’t require operator certification under the new standards, while Class B machines do.
The difference between a Class A and B machine is its “bar/litre” capacity.
To get that figure, multiply the bar pressure of the machine, say 275 bar (4000psi) by 20 lpm flow and wind up with a bar/litre factor of 5500 bar/litre.
That makes the machine a Class A pressure cleaner as the cutoff point is 5600 bar/litres.
Once you’re in the territory of larger than 5600 bar/litres, the machine becomes a Class B, where the new safety standards require operators to be certified by an RTO registered and approved training authority with refresher courses being run and re-certification every two years.
That certification belongs to the operator who has been trained, not to the company who pays for the training.
“Some jobs absolutely require Class B machines. We work with companies who use up to 35,000 or 40,000 psi units which will always require that level of training and operator competence,” Mr Lorenz said.
“Our Class B machines start at our Extreme rated Python, Predator and go all the way through to our Raptor series of 500 bar cold water cleaners.”
On the other hand, the production of Predator Class A machines has recently gone through the roof as mining companies realise Aussie Pumps make a very robust smaller Mine Boss machine, trolley mounted, driven by a Kohler diesel and is more compact, more versatile and definitely comes under the rating of being Class A, i.e. no certification.
Further information on the Mine Boss and particularly Aussie’s Extreme range, is freely available from Australian Pump Industries.