Sandpiper Mining Pumps from Kelair Pumps Australia

Case Study
Sales Engineer Anthony Sidawi (NSW)

Quit stalling with Sandpiper mining pumps

Warren Rupp has released the ideal pump for underground mining, the Sandpiper 1 1/2" and 2" pumps constructed from Polypropylene wetted parts and non-wetted parts. The pumps are light, with high flow rates, low air consumption and large solids capability.

The Aluminum centre section has been replaced with Polypropylene meaning the weight of the 2" pump has decreased from 53kg to 40kg and the weight of the 11/2" pump, from 48kg to 29.5kg. And we all know that miners love light-weight but heavy duty pumps!

The thick moulded Polypropylene wetted parts offer substantial resistance to wear.

The pump's performance has also been improved by increasing the maximum flow rate of the 2" pump to 605 l/min and reducing the maximum air consumption to 80SCFM. Also for the 1 1/2" pump, the maximum flow rate is 378 l/min and maximum air consumption is 50 SCFM. So the Sandpiper pump has higher dewatering capability while consuming less air pressure.

A quick calculation using a power cost of 10cents/kW/ hr shows that a 20 SCFM reduction in air consumption running the pump continuously over a year will reduce the running cost by $2,400.00.

One of the important features of the Sandpiper pumps is their ability to handle solids. The S20 2" pump is able to handle 17mm solids and the S15 11/2" pump will handle 12mm solids. With bigger solids' capability, these pumps are less likely to seize during operation.

Another feature is the modular design of the ball cage and seat allowing for easy maintenance and parts replacement.

Both of these pumps have the largest solids-handling capability of any plastic ball check valve pumps available in the Australian market today.

Clever design of the Sandpiper plastic pumps means that many components are shared between the two pump sizes, in particular the air and pilot valve. By sharing these vital parts, users can reduce spare parts inventories or simply share pump spare parts.

All Sandpiper pumps feature ESADS+Plus (Externally Serviceable Air Distribution System) that allows access to the complete air system, including the pilot valve, without the need to remove the pump from the pipe work or breaking the integrity of the wetted ends, thus reducing maintenance time and eliminating possible leaks on re-assembly, resulting in significant reductions in down-time costs.

Also the ESADS+Plus air valve is totally lube-free in design, eliminating the need for in-line lubricators and problems associated with over-and-under lubrication, therefore saving the user the initial cost of the lubricator and on-going costs of oil level monitoring and oil supply.