Mid-range cleaners with power
AUSTRALIAN Pump Industries’ evolution as Australia’s leading designer, manufacturer and supplier of heavy- duty mining style pressure cleaners began 26 years ago.
The original idea for a “bullet- proof”, pressure cleaner that suited mining and quarrying applications was generated by requests from operators.
Aussie Pumps chief engineer John Hales said there had been a lot of confusion by users who thought that buying super expensive, ultra high pressure machines would solve cleaning problems.
“Those UHP designs have their place, but are dangerous and expensive,” he said.
Instead the company decided to make machines in the 5000 to 7000 PSI category.
These less expensive, production line units are highly capable when used with the right accessories.
The big breakthrough came with the introduction of Aussie Pumps’ 5000 PSI Scud design.
Mines operators quickly came to appreciate the ergonomics of the Scud with its “no sharps” registered frame.
“The whole concept of the Scud was to make a machine that was safer but more capable than other commercial style pressure cleaners,” Mr Hales said.
Market surveys work
The company undertook a survey of mining operations across the country.
It found that there were a host of 3000 and 4000 PSI low horse power pressure cleaners being used.
There was a gap going up to the big machines with pressure capabilities of in excess of 10,000 PSI.
“The middle ground was ignored,” Mr Hales said.
The vacuum in the market led Mr Hales to come up with the design for the Aussie Predator, a 5000 PSI diesel drive unit built to mine specification requirements.
It was an instant success because it fulfilled the role that many of the big UHP machines were operating.
The heart of the system was a super heavy duty Big Berty Bertolini Triple X.
The pumps capability delivered extra capability at a reasonable price.
Aussie takes the gamble
Based on market research, the company decided to start the ball rolling with production line quantities of up to 25 units at a time.
Building in volume meant real economies of scale and of course that the machines being offered to the market were not “orphans”, but bought against specific customer requirements.
“By asking the mines what they wanted, we were able to serve up machines that had been carefully prototyped and trialled, that exceeded the requirements and expectations of the users,” Mr Hales said
“Machines were small and compact enough to be trucked out to sites and hooked up to tankers for water supply.
Thus mobile cleaning could be done in the field even on big face shovels, or even breakdowns of big dump trucks or dozers.”
For extreme applications, the company offered a heavy duty German turbo that is able to take the 5000 PSI capability and extends its effective working pressure to 8500 PSI.
“Those big German turbos rattle like a machine gun when they are used with a 5000 PSI Predator and virtually double the effectiveness of the machine in many applications,” Mr Hales said.
“Chopping, hardened clay off a crawler dozer’s tracks or cleaning the mud of the under carriage of a dump truck became an easy task.”
500 bar … enter the raptor
Aussie’s Raptor hit the market eight and a half years ago with a tremendous impact by offering the customers the same size machine as the Predator but with 7300 PSI capabilities.
The company used the Big Berty pumps again but this time in the RAS series with 316 stainless steel heads and huge crank cases to keep the pumps running cool and problem free.
Stainless steel valves, unique sealing devices and big suction ports enable these pumps to run 10-hour shifts, week in, week out.
Powered by Kohler twin cylinder diesels, they were able to do a mighty job on mines, cutting times for cost-conscious operations managers.
“We are able to use the same basic Scud design, the same engine and many of the same components for the Raptors as we use for Predators,” Mr Hales said.
“Of course, the accessories including unloaders, guns, hoses and PPE clothing all had to be upgraded for those higher pressures.”
The demand for electric Aussie scuds
When companies experienced the savings and flexibility of these new revolutionary machines, they started asking for electric drive units for use in workshops and wash bays.
The result was the development of Aussie’s Scud design ( no sharps) Hurricane 5000 PSI and its big brother the Raptor E.
The Hurricane uses the “Big Berty” triplex 5000 PSI pump which is powered by a 12.5 kW three- phase, four- pole motor.
Pumps and motors are slow speed for guaranteed long life and reliability.
The machines were originally featured in heavy duty galvanised scud style frames with four big wheels for ease of movement.
Operator convenience was a key motivation of the design with safety also being a major factor.
Like the engine driven Predators and Raptors in the range, Aussie made sure that the machines all incorporated the “Aussie Safety Pack”, which includes the most advanced safety equipment, including an integrated safety valve to protect the machine and operator from pressure spikes or unauthorised tampering with the pressure setting of the machine.
A thermal dump valve was also incorporated to compensate for the machines being left on bypass for excessive periods of time.
The Aussie thermal dump activated when the water temperature in the pump head reaching 60 degrees Celsius.
At that point the valve opens and dumps water to the amount of about “a cup full”, allowing cold water into the pump to keep the machine running cool and to avoid any potential pump failures.
“ASP is absolutely essential and is now mandatory in our entire cold water production line program,” Mr Hales said.
Safety first
The Australian and New Zealand Safety Standards represent a breakthrough for mine operators when it comes to the safe operation of high pressure and ultra-high pressure equipment.
Designed to minimise injury and loss of life, the safety standards break the machines into A and B class categories.
Class B machines include all of the UHP units being used by mines as well as other machines even down as low as 4000 and 5000 PSI operations.
Having certified operators (by a registered RTO) with renewables every two years could be an issue for many operators.
Australian Pumps was the first to develop Predator machines in the 5000 PSI range that are classed as A with no operator certification required.
“This was a big breakthrough in high pressure water blaster engineering as it meant that the capability remained without the restrictions for operator certification,” Mr Hales said.
Producing these machines in Class A configuration doesn’t eliminate the need for operator training.
On the contrary, all operators on mines using high pressure cleaning equipment should be equipped with safety protection clothing and be trained in the basics of pressure cleaner operation, maintenance and safety.
To that end Aussie Pumps is developing a free Class A and Class B Aussie safe operator module training in the form of movie and presentation to allow operator to be trained anywhere in the country for safe operation of pressure cleaners.
“We stress that our safety program covers Class A and B machines but does not represent itself as being a substitute for a RTO certification course as recommended by the new safety standards,” Mr Hales said.
The course stresses the need for companies employing pressure cleaner operators whether they are contractors or mine operators, to ensure that there staff are adequately protected with PPE from boots through to overalls, aprons, gloves and even helmets and visors with up to 500 BAR proof visors.
That equipment is all part of Aussie’s Safe Operator program, designed to eliminate high pressure water blaster work place injuries.
Aussie goes stainless
With a clear record of being ahead of the market not just in Australia but including European and US manufactures, Australian Pumps has now moved to the entire family of Scud machines from 3000 PSI to 7000 PSI being built in a stainless steel configuration.
That makes them suitable not just for corrosive mine environments but also any costal application including gas platforms, dry docks, ship maintenance or steel work protection where corrosion is an issue.
“We are very proud of this journey to develop what we believe is the world’s best mining pressure cleaners,” Mr Hales said.
“The machines are operating in oil and gas projects on the Kenyan Somalia border, right through the south pacific islands and in mining sites in the highlands of New Guinea.
“We designed in features to protect operators and to protect the machine so customers get the longest conceivable life and the most cost efficient cleaning result.
“We are always looking for safer, smarter and faster results for our customers.
“They come first, not our perceptions.”