An African mine owner had a problem because a pump which was critical in the process of filling tankers with ammonium nitrate emulsion from silos had too low a performance level and was constantly breaking down. The pin joint could not withstand the torque during the system’s frequent stops and starts and there was severe bending of the coupling rod.
Netzsch technicians analysed the causes of the problems with the competitor’s pump and established that the design of the current pump was too short, which led to too great a deflection of the coupling rod.
In order to increase the reliability of the filling process, engineers installed a NEMO® progressing cavity pump with a greater conveying capacity and a joint with wear bushing, along with a frequency inverter that links the adjustment of the pumping volumes to the medium without the need to stop and re-start the pump. To meet the customer’s special safety requirements, double-acting mechanical seals with thermosiphon vessels were also fitted into the pump.
It has since become clear that the switch has made it possible to increase both the productivity of the system and the length of the maintenance intervals. Also, the waiting time for the tankers during filling has also been reduced, as this process can be carried out faster by the larger pump. The operator benefitted from significant cost savings, because of the avoidance of downtime.
For more than 60 years, Netzsch Pumps & Systems has served markets worldwide with NEMO® progressing cavity pumps, TORNADO® rotary lobe pumps, grinding machines, dosing systems and accessories, providing customised, sophisticated solutions for applications in every type of industry. With a workforce of nearly 1,900 and a turnover of more than €240m (2013 financial year), Netzsch Pumps & Systems is the largest business unit with the highest turnover in the Netzsch Group.
Technical experts in five plants and more than 30 branches give individual advice to every customer and offer tailored concepts and competent after-sales service for a variety of mining applications.