Today, mining companies are more focused on sustainability than ever before, seeking to protect the land and environments they work on and in. ) agendas in mining companies large and small, driving innovation in mining pump design.
Atlantic Pumps managing director Andy Smith says water conservation, reduced mine impact on the environment and much higher energy costs are leading the charge for innovations from pump original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
“Recognizing that water is a precious resource is still a relatively new concept and one that requires further education,” says Smith, who heads a UK manufacturer and supplier of electric and diesel slurry and dirty water pumps. .
“However, mine operators now have to operate with this in mind, making dewatering, and any processes that use water, a very different economic model.”
This increased awareness is helping to drive innovations in products and processes, Smith believes. “Water costs will continue to increase, making lifetime cost models drive better pump and treatment solutions,” he said, adding that water recycling will become increasingly cost-effective as a result.
Among other key drivers of mining pump innovation highlighted by Smith, the rise in energy costs that mining – one of the most energy intensive industries in the world – has been facing looks to be “here to wait”.
In his opinion, this means that efficiency is increasingly important in the design and development of modern pumps.
“In general, pump specification has been driven by the best fit in terms of commissioning, while running live time is now recognized as the most important driver,” says Smith.
With energy accounting for anywhere between 10% and 40% of mining operating costs, reduce consumption not only goes towards mines reducing their carbon emissions but can also play a significant role in reducing operational expenditure.
Although most mining contributes to energy consumption from exploration and extraction – such as digging and drilling equipment – and material handling, today's pumps have a distinctive and growing role to play.
Pumps are used from mine dewatering to the beneficiation work and beyond. But Smith is confident that no matter where they are used, mining pumps are a focus of continued innovation. Although developments are taking place across the sector, he says the three most important areas are: materials, that they last longer and are more sustainable; efficiency such as their energy requirements; and machine learning for better maintenance support.
Maintenance is what Erkki Kohtanen, vice president of sales for industrial minerals and dredging at KSB Mining, believes will shape the mining pumps of tomorrow.
“With fewer personnel on the field and limited downtime, it is essential that pumps require very little maintenance,” he argues. “Pumps achieve optimal performance when properly maintained, so operators need efficient solutions for effective maintenance and monitoring.”
This, while still a relatively new concept in pump design and the support offerings available to miners, is an area that many pump OEMs are quickly embracing. Quinton Sutherland, Weir's divisional senior product manager for pumps, says that like many industries, digital technologies are playing an increasingly important role.
Digital twins play a key role in improving overall equipment effectiveness. Seen here is the WARMAN® MCR® 650 Weir pump and its digital twin, which uses NEXT Intelligent Solutions. Credit: Weir
“For Weir, it's another way (we) can support customers' efforts to improve the efficiency of their operations,” he said.
The company's NEXT Intelligent Solutions feature an intelligent AI-powered assistant that Sutherland says helps miners overcome process optimization challenges.
“This allows Weir to take a holistic approach that, rather than focusing on the performance of individual pieces of equipment, analyzes the performance of the entire circuit.”
Sutherland adds that, as a result, miners can quickly adapt to variables such as changes in feed or plant degradation, for example, to provide the best possible performance in real time and sustainable production.
“The next biggest step will be smart pumps,” says Kohtanen.
“KSB GIW has developed a special IoT (Internet of Things) solution, GIW SLYsight, which can measure the critical dimensions of the pump and show the customer the need for pump adjustment, and the expected running time left on wet end parts, etc. “
Combined with RAMSL's GIW, or remotely adjustable suction liner equipment, he adds, pumps can be accurately adjusted during operation to “guarantee the most efficient, reliable and maintenance-friendly pumping solutions” for cyclone feed or any large hydro transport pumps.
IoT-based solutions such as SLYsight KSB GIW and RAMSL can be used to adjust pumps during operation. Credit: KSB GIW
“KSB GIW offers IoT technologies that allow operators to safely make pump adjustments and determine maintenance cycles, all while using the latest materials technology to increase the durability of pumps operating in various applications,” Kohtanen continues.
As Kohtanen points out, mining pumps come in a huge and growing variety of iterations, each with its own specific requirements and objectives. But the core design principles remain: effective, efficient and durable.
To address these, the materials pumps are built and their ability to operate in some of the most challenging environments is essential to their operating life cycle. As a result, he said, the continuous development of wearable materials “never stops”.
Another factor, again one of increasing importance, is the need for compliance. “Legislation around water discharges is also developing rapidly,” said Atlantic Pumps' Smith.
“This represents a huge risk for companies in an area they may have historically turned a blind eye to. Technology around monitoring and reporting is therefore developing rapidly.”
A major contributor to this growing need has been the the increasing depth of the underground mines reaches the quest for more and higher grade ore deposits. But with that comes a greater risk that minerals and contaminants will be uncovered and make their way into water. This requires ongoing treatment before discharge.
Kohtanen says that even now, as technologies evolve, the challenge posed by the amount of solids in drainage water remains; it's an issue that continues to drive OEM pump innovation as their mining customers increasingly look for dewatering systems that are reliable, require minimal processes, and help the site stay efficiently.
However, Kohtanen warns that there is no one size fits all: “Obviously, some compromises are always necessary, which in the end defines which pumping arrangement would give the best long-term efficiency, reliability and less need maintenance for the dewatering. system.”
Innovation in mine dewatering systems is a key focus for pump OEMs. Pictured here are the EnviroHub Lamella tank, dosing unit, treatment tank and correction tank. Credit: Atlantic Pumps.
This is an area where Smith and Atlantic Pumps are most proud to offer. He says his EnviroHub unit has a direct impact by sustainably protecting the environment. Designed specifically for quarrying and construction, the system monitors and identifies any unsafe water and treats it before disposal. It also provides full data and reports that help sites ensure they comply with local regulations and provide documentary proof of the actions taken.
Recognizing that this is a growth area, Smith says the company will continue to focus on the monitoring space given the benefits it offers and as operators become increasingly comfortable using electronic controls to improve results.
As mining operations evolve to address the growing demand for future materials, so do the pump OEMs and their product catalogs.
Highlighting the drivers identified by KSB, Atlantic Pumps and Cored – declining ore grades, increased demand for metals and a greater focus on sustainability – Sutherland concludes: “As miners face new challenges and more restrictions, OEMs… need to continue to innovate and work with them. their customers to enable them to continue to produce the minerals that will be needed for the energy transition.”
Smith echoes Kohtanen's view that customers are increasingly looking for more tailored offerings rather than off-the-shelf solutions; but, he says, this is something that has the potential to be more challenging as the need to be financially smart when making decisions continues to dominate.
“One of the biggest problems in mining now is raising money,” he warns. Pointing to a “more risk-averse commercial environment”, Smith says it is important for OEMs to support companies to trial processes cost-effectively to “prove to their finance partners that this is a sound investment”.
“For pumps, this means being able to support technologies at different scales.”
“Mining pumps lead the way in water management innovation” was originally created and published by Mining Technologybrand owned by GlobalData.
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