Review: Pump ID Reducing Dewatering Costs, Risk and Delay
Luke Clarke is an Electrical Superintendent for Redpath at Dugald River. He describes pump damage issues and how they were addressed to reduce costs, risk, and production delays.
How do you describe your operation and your role?
We’re an underground mining contractor, Redpath Australia, working on a high-speed development contract. I’m an Alternate Electrical Superintendent.
Can you describe those dewatering issues at the site and how they were affecting your operation?
The de-watering system on this site was set up and run by a contractor for ten years. We took over about 18 months ago. The biggest hurdle was the frequency of pump damage and the costs of pump maintenance. We were also constantly trying to get our loader operators to bog the sumps out from the build-up of mud that they accumulated over the shifts.
Along with that, as we’re a high-speed development contractor, we were having issues with the smaller pumps we use at the face. They’re not getting stored away when they’re firing or just doing their day-to-day activities. That meant that pumps were getting run over by machinery or scooped up in buckets and this was causing a lot of damage.
Can you describe the changes that you’ve made relating to the pump identification on-site?
PumpEng brought a technician to our site to do an inspection of our system. They investigated the way we deal with water here in the mine. They came up with solutions that involved a different style of pump and sign allocation. They suggested a triangle identification system that designates what type of pump needs to be in that sump to get the most benefit out of the system for the reticulation.
That has been up and running for the last month, and it’s showing good signs. We’ve had a lot less pump damage or burnouts. Mining has helped a lot with the sump maintenance, which is, in turn, saving the pumps because we’re not pumping so much mud. We’re moving the water that we want to move.
How many pumps do you have, and where do you use them?
We’ve got just under 50 pumps on-site used underground for de-watering. In these scenarios, there are sumps where the water will run into, like man-made ponds. We’ll put a pump in there and that will pump the water up to a super sump where the water goes for settling. Then, it gets pumped through the mine, to the surface, to a dam.
Had the pump damage been delaying production?
Yes. Big time. It can hinder us for up to four or five hours. By the time the pump gets damaged, gets reported, gets back to an electrician or a maintenance fitter, the pump needs to be changed out, tested, or inspected, then they must organise to swap that pump for whatever size it is. Then they must go back down to it and swap it out. It’s a half-hour trip from where we store the pumps to the furthest part of the mine. They would do that trip twice. That could end up being half a of a shift.
Do you think that the rollout of the PumpEng identification system has made the site more user-friendly for your service crews?
Yes, most definitely, because now they don’t need to try and work anything out. They just read the sign.
There was a lot of trouble we had in the beginning of the contract because we’d have guys come in, without a reference of which pump to use as we want to move all the water as quick as we can.”
An approach like that has problems as well because you’re moving water faster to the next place. They can’t move the water faster from where it’s going because it’s just like a chain reaction all the way, from the very bottom of the mine up to the top. If you don’t have it set up right, then you’re just back-logging yourself somewhere else or moving the problem somewhere else.
The sign allocation has been great. The service crew saw the sign, and they knew what pump must go in there. If the pump’s not working, the electrician or the maintenance fitters will have a look and test the pump for damage.” They will be able to let the service crew know. The service crew will go down and read the sign and know what to replace it with. Some of them are learning them by heart. They don’t need to go and even look at it first. They can just go and get a new one, bring it straight back down, and swap it out. It’s really made that job move faster.
You’ve achieved a reduction in pump damage costs. Can you estimate the level of saving from this new PumpEng approach?
I would estimate a monthly reduction of 15%-20% in costs.
How would you describe the PumpEng customer service and technical support?
Everyone was great. Every time we are sending unserviceable pumps back for repair and getting new ones sent out. They are right on to it. The next available truck, they’re on their way. Turnaround is excellent.
In terms of support, they’re also great to deal with. Any questions that the crews have in relation to increasing the quantities we get here, or changing pump sizes, or anything like that, there is always good input, which has been handy.
They follow up, “Is everything okay? Is everything good? You need anything? Fittings or replacements or can I get the ball rolling?” There are three people on the PumpEng team, and they are fantastic to deal with.
How has all of this affected your day at work?
It’s relieved a lot of pressure because we don’t have supervisors underground or workers underground that are constantly on the radio or stressing out because the level they’re working is starting to flood or they’ve got water running down the decline, that’s causing a lot of havoc. We aren’t getting that now, which is fantastic. We’re staying on top, or in front, of the water here.
What would you say to someone who’s considering switching to PumpEng and implementing the PumpEng Way ID system?
As a company overall, PumpEng is great to deal with. Great service, quick turnaround and always there to answer any questions. Always reliable across the phone or even email. I always hear back from them straight away. If anyone was out there struggling with their pump suppliers or having dewatering issues, I’d recommend PumpEng.
Has reducing the amount of pump damage contributed to a safer work environment?
Yes, 100%. It’s getting people away from mass bodies of water because to get the pumps; you’d need to be in the machine to go out over the sump. That’s putting someone at risk already, even though there are handrails and harnesses in the working baskets. If you don’t have to deal with a pump failure, then you are removing that risk. If it’s there, it’s running, and no one’s touching it. So yes, it’s reducing those risks or potential injuries.