Testimonials from our customers
Read real stories from the field.
The sales and support team have bent over backwards to accommodate whatever I need.
The PumpEng people we deal with have been excellent. They’ve been very responsive with everything we’ve needed
I’ve been dealing with the PumpEng people here and their service has been great.
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Choose from a topic, mine type or pump type.
Industry Link Expo Prize Delivers For Minterra
Tony Corkery is the Project Manager at Minterra Pty Ltd which is part of the Westgold Resources Limited. The company was last year’s Win-A-JetGuard pump prize winner and then was installed in November 2019. The site at Paddy’s Flat was chosen to be the test site for the new JetGuard pump.
The Australian-made JetGuard® pump went straight into a sump that had an average pump life of between two days and three weeks. The performance of the new JetGuard pump led to a site-wide trial. Since then the site has been highly engaged and committed to following our PumpEng Pump or Pocket recommendations and The PumpEng Way approach to adding value.
In this interview, Tony tells the story of that JetGuard pump and how it led to that site-wide trial of PumpEng pumps. He discusses the impact of the changeover in terms of pump performance, reduction in maintenance costs, increased safety and improvements in production output.
I understand that the JetGuard prize pump went into a fairly tough sump that was burning through pumps from anywhere between two days to three weeks. Those pumps were replaced with a JetGuard pump that lasted for six months before the first repair and is currently at 200 days of operation.
Yes. That is correct.
The Site
Can you tell me in your own words, how do you describe your operation there?
The operation itself has varying ground throughout the mine. There’s a lot of talc, dust and sediment in the water. The other pumps just burn out in those conditions. The mine superintendent took me down the hole and showed me the JetGuard pump and told me about its performance, and I was blown away. I was amazed by how long it had been there without being changed out, especially considering the water that’s gone in there. I thought well if it works there, it should work everywhere else, and I actively pursued that initiative.
The JetGuard Pump
What else impressed you about the JetGuard?
I was impressed by the way that it keeps the sediment in solution with the jets. That helps keep all the mud and the build-up away from the pump. We had been getting a crust build up around the grill of all the Flygt pumps that caused their frequent failure. In contrast, the JetGuard grill is always clean because the jets agitate the water to keep the build-up elements in solution and out of the sump as well.
Data-Driven Analysis
PumpEng has a data-driven analysis of pump performance. How has that been for you?
Performance-wise, it’s been phenomenal.
Site Inspections
PumpEng base their recommendations on the site inspection and the operating conditions. Have they helped clarify anything for you about your site and your needs there?
Yes, we’ve had the PumpEng people coming out to see us and giving us useful feedback. That has been brilliant. They have been working closely with us. The feedback and positive approach are excellent.
Constant Improvement
PumpEng takes a constant improvement approach to the pump performance. Using an ongoing analysis of the data, they make quarterly adjustments. Do you think this has improved your operation overall?
Yes, I definitely do.
Mean Time Between Failure
The goal is to increase the mean time between failure of de-watering pumps. What evidence have you seen that that’s been achieved across the site?
We are seeing close attention to monitoring and improving pump performance. We see a willingness to problem-solve and provide excellent service to achieve improvements. It’s really a working partnership.
Reducing Costs
Have you seen evidence that maintenance costs are reduced?
Maintenance wise, yes. I have seen a significant change in regards to costs, especially when compared to their competition. I’ve noticed that when we do have to repair a PumpEng pump, it’s more to do with damage to the pump or pump cables rather than a failure of the pump itself.
Could you roughly estimate what the cost reduction would be?
Between $20k and $50k over a quarter.
Safety Improvement
Fewer pump failures keep maintenance crews out of the water. Is that a factor that is important for you?
Yes, it certainly is, because the fewer pump failures minimise the number of times that crews have to go into that environment. If they’ve got to go in there five times, to change the pump out five times, that’s five times they’re exposed to risks. Whereas if they have to go there once every month, to change a pump out because somebody has hit the cable, well that speaks for itself. You’ve minimised interaction with vehicles.
The flow-on effect is phenomenal. If a pump breaks down, let’s take the face pump, if that breaks down, (a) you’ve got to get it out around the jumbo, (b) you’ve got water coming down the jumbo. So now you’ve got extra support that you’ve got to provide. You could lose up to two, three hours of production, and that’s in a good scenario, let alone in a bad scenario.
Improved Production
Can you give a rough guess in percentage terms of how changing over to PumpEng pumps has improved your production?
I’m guessing, but I’d say it would be at least 12% improvement in production, maybe it could be as high as 20%. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not just about gold coming out, and it’s time lost due to other things. The improvement in our operation is incredible.
The PumpEng Way is about delivering value and increased profit. From what you’re saying, that’s been achieved?
It has. Yes.
A Good Day At Work
What feedback are you getting from the crews on-site? PumpEng is trying to get people to have a good day at work. What are you hearing back?
My project engineer is extremely happy. He does all the figures. The superintendents, they’re the ones who convinced me to pursue this in the first place and suggested a PumpEng site-wide trial. They were extremely happy with the longevity of the sump pumps.
If someone got in touch with you and said they were thinking of trying the PumpEng pumps on their site, what would you say to them?
I’d say, what’s taken you so long? I’ve got the utmost respect for PumpEng. They come out onsite and follow-up on the details. Service and support have been really good. You can buy a Rolls Royce, but if you can’t get it serviced, you’re stuck, aren’t you? We are very pleased with the quality of the pumps, the service level, and the value increased pump performance represents for our business.
View: JetGuard Website
Testimonial Link: Industry Link Expo Prize Delivers For Minterra
Dewatering Pump Part Compatibility, Quality & Service
PumpEng has supplied dewatering pumps and parts to this WA gold mine over several years. In this site report, we speak about that experience and why some parts that may appear the same can perform very differently in the field. We also speak with a Pump Fitter about the work environment and pump back-up service.
Underground Gold Mine
We’re a gold mine in Western Australia, an underground operation. We provide all of the underground mining services for the mine.
Preferred Pump Parts
Primarily we’ve got all of the parts set up with PumpEng, but every now and then our inventory team will review what we’ve got catalogued. They might select something different on the basis of cost. I don’t really get too much of a say in what we get to stock and what we don’t. But I can tell you that our pump crew definitely prefer the PumpEng parts.
We find that it’s always best to use the parts from PumpEng because they’re compatible and they last longer. We’ve actually had our pump crew ask us to stop buying from other companies because they prefer to use the PumpEng parts. They’re definitely a favourite with the crew.
No Compatibility Issues
Sometimes other suppliers will give us parts that are technically compatible with the kind of pump we use. We find that there are slight differences between the quality of PumpEng parts over those supplied by their competitors. Even though they appear to be only small differences, they end up being important ones.
Better Mechanical Seal Quality
I can give you an example relating to the 8-kilowatt or 20-kilowatt pump repair kits we buy from PumpEng. The mechanical seals in them are much better. They’re much easier to apply. They last a lot longer. This is why the pump crew always specifically request PumpEng parts when they’re putting orders through to us.
Better Customer Service
We mostly deal with one person at PumpEng, and he gives us great customer service. He bends over backwards to get us out of trouble if we have any dramas. He also frequently checks in to see how we’re going or if there’s anything that can be improved. As a company, they are always looking at how to make the process a little bit easier for us. To give you an example we had some issues last week. He rep drove from his office to drop extra pumps out to our warehouse to get them there in time for our trucks. He does go the extra mile to make sure we’re all good.
PumpEng Have Our Back
I’d absolutely recommend PumpEng. We’ve been with them for several years, and I think that there’s a good reason for that. There are a lot of different suppliers out there on the market. I get lots of visits from them. They’re all coming in and trying to give me the old pitch and tell me their parts are cheaper, their service is better. We stick with PumpEng because of the quality of pump parts and standard of service. If anything goes pear-shaped, we know that they’ve got our back.
It’s All To Do With Backup
This is an interview we talk with a recent Pump Fitter at this site. This discussion covers the pumps on-site, the pumping environment and his experience with backup and support for those pumps.
Dewatering
I’ve been working as a pump fitter. In that role, I was responsible for all the underground pumping equipment. We were running the 8 and 20-kilowatt pumps. PumpEng supply the majority of the pumps on this site. There was other machinery or tooling that needed to be done for them in the underground work environment, like cable tensioners and diaphragm pumps.
Salty Water
It’s a tough environment for pumps because the water is very salty on the site. It is seven times saltier than seawater. The pumps are also sucking up mud or small rock particles with that water.
Pump Customer Service
I found the PumpEng customer service really good. Our PumpEng guy helped a lot. He’d go out of his way to make sure that we had everything we needed. When I’d request stuff he’d say, “Look, let me make a call. We will try to get something up to you as soon as possible.” He’d deliver on that and was interested in any feedback I had to offer.
Backup
If you are thinking of switching over to PumpEng I’d say, “It’s all to do with the backup. I think PumpEng supplied a good backup service. In general, everything is available and they do their utmost to get parts to you when you need them. We have had a good experience working with them.”
Read more:
Testimonial Link: Dewatering Pump Part Compatibility, Quality & Service
Reducing Mine Dewatering Pump Replacement From 12 to 4 Per Year
The Pumps Manager for a large West Australian underground nickel mine discusses his experience changing over to use PumpEng Raptor pumps.
How would you describe your role?
I manage the underground dewatering pump systems used in our underground nickel mine.
What issues were you experiencing with your previous pump provider?
They were charging me for hiring pumps even when they weren’t on site because they were constantly breaking down. I was also being charged a ridiculous amount to get them repaired.
On top of that, there was a slow turn around in getting repaired pumps back to us. That is why we decided to change over to PumpEng pumps.
Can you tell me how many pumps you’ve currently got there?
We are using forty PumpEng Raptor pumps underground and in all the sumps.
How would you describe their performance?
Excellent. These pumps are higher quality and they last longer. They are easier to clean out. The actual pump, impeller, and the workings of the pump are easier to access. The electricians are very happy with the set up of the electrical side of it. We see consistently good results with the pumps.
How would you describe the customer service you get from PumpEng?
The sales and support team have bent over backwards to accommodate whatever I need. They’ve done the right thing. They’ve looked after us very well.
Can you tell me what sort of feedback are you getting from your crew about these pumps?
The crew who put them in are very pleased. The pumps have run for three or four months at a time. Before that, we had to change the pumps over every month.
It’s less rigorous for the crew to change them out and bring them up to the surface. The turn around time from PumpEng is excellent. We can send them out Friday and they’re back early the following week.
What would you say to someone who is thinking of switching to PumpEng for their dewatering pumps?
I’m happy to recommend PumpEng and their Raptor pumps. We are a nickel mine so we are hard on our pumps and these do the job.
I’ve actually got other sites asking what we’re using and seeking a supplier recommendation. We are happy to recommend PumpEng to them.
Read more:
Testimonial Link: Reducing Mine Dewatering Pump Replacement From 12 to 4 Per Year
Increased Efficiency, Reduced Costs as Gold Mine Switches To Pump Hire
The Electrical Supervisor of a Western Australian underground gold mine discusses why they have chosen to hire, rather than buy, dewatering pumps and the efficiency gains for the business.
How do you describe your operation?
We are a small to medium-sized underground gold mine.
What were the problems you were having with your old pumps?
We started from scratch, so we bought our own pumps for this site. The company I was using then are no longer in business. As we’ve grown, we added more pumps into the system. The growing workload meant that it became easier to hire and exchange replacement pumps. This is because the turnaround time was quicker than trying to repair our own pumps on site. It was clear to us that hiring was faster and more cost-effective.
Darwin is closer to your mine site than Perth. Why did you decide to go with the Perth based PumpEng instead of a Darwin supplier?
Repair wise, PumpEng provides a more consistent and reliable service than the Darwin setup I have used in the past. For hire pumps, it is better value by quite a bit, both in the short and long term.
How many pumps do you currently have?
We’ve currently got 31 pumps, 13 are PumpEng hire Raptor pumps, and 15 are our own pumps that PumpEng maintain for us. The pumps vary from 5kw to 37kw.
Where do you use them?
The pumps are installed in underground sumps and drill/face areas. The pumps are subject to harsh conditions. This means when you are taking them underground they cop a hiding and external damage is inevitable. However, with the stainless steel components on the Raptor pumps and the all-metal MetalVest pumps these risks are minimised.
The pumps are meant to pump water, but here, as in a lot of underground operations, they can be pumping a high degree of silt and fines at times. They have to handle a fair bit of wear and tear and do so admirably. They get used on multiple drill rigs, and they get moved around, which is where the bell design gives better stability.
How would you describe the pump performance?
I’m very happy with what they do. From what I can see, their performance is as good as any made by the leading pump manufacturer.
How would you describe the PumpEng customer service?
Very good. They bend over backwards to help you. The pumps come back with a quick turnaround. There are never any concerns or stuffing about. The cost and the service level I get from them is a lot better than what I’ve had from other suppliers.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about switching to PumpEng for their dewatering pumps?
I’d definitely tell them to go for it. You’ll get better service, and you’ll cut your costs.
Testimonial Link: Increased Efficiency, Reduced Costs as Gold Mine Switches To Pump Hire
ScatPump Slashes Maintenance Costs for Brick Manufacturer
In this interview the Maintenance Manager for an Australian brick manufacturer describes the efficiency gains in switching over to ScatPump for pumping wastewater in their wash bays.
Can you tell me about your operation?
We are an Australian company, and we manufacture pavers, bricks, masonry blocks and stone blocks for residential and commercial use. I’m the Maintenance Manager working in our paver production plant.
What were the problems that you were having with your old pumps?
We had been using a pneumatic pump in a tough environment. Every week we’d have to recondition this pump and replace parts. It was really expensive to buy those spare parts for it. That’s why I decided to switch over to ScatPump from PumpEng. That’s been a really good decision for us.
How would you describe the performance of the PumpEng pumps?
The PumpEng pump lasted five to six months in our system before it needed maintenance. That is a big change from the weekly maintenance events for the pneumatic pumps that had been costing us $400 every time.
When we finally had the ScatPump maintained, after around six months, it cost us between $600 – $700. That is a huge saving from the weekly maintenance bill we’d had to pay up until then. As well as that, we are saving time and human resources because there are less pump failures and replacements that we have to manage.
How many pumps do you have there?
I now have two ScatPumps in operation.
Can you describe where you use them?
We use them in our wash bay because we have a washed product and we have an unwashed product. The pumps are in use for our washed product wash bay.
How would you describe the customer service from PumpEng?
I always deal with the same rep and the service he provides is consistently really good. Orders are delivered on time.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking of switching to PumpEng for their dewatering pumps?
I can recommend PumpEng, and specifically their ScatPump, for anyone looking for a new pumping system. We’ve been pleased with pump performance, efficient customer service and the time and money we’ve been able to save by switching over to this new pumping system.
Read more:
Testimonial Link: ScatPump Slashes Maintenance Costs for Brick Manufacturer
Smart ScatPump Mini Performs Well For Heavy Dewatering
Graeme Maxwell has worked as a drainage specialist for forty years including several years running his own drainage business. For the last five years, he has been engaged by the City of Cockburn as Leading Hand Drainer in charge of all drainage works in the Shire. In this interview, Graeme describes his experience deploying PumpEng ScatPump Submersible Slurry Pumps.
What were the problems you were having with your old pumps?
The impellers were chewing up all the time. They just weren’t suitable for the work conditions. We couldn’t get the suction we wanted.
Why did you decide to try the PumpEng pumps?
My supervisor thought it’d be wise to give PumpEng a go. I’m very glad that he did.
You’re using the Smart ScatPump Mini pumps. How many do you currently have?
We have two currently, one has a four-inch discharge and the other one has a three-inch discharge.
Where do you use them?
They’re both being used in manholes which are constantly filling with water. These are located in Atwell in a very low-lying area. The pumps are coping very well.
Could you describe their performance?
I’ve had no trouble with them at all. After six months, I had to lift one up because it had a large piece of paperbark lodged in it. That was the only problem and it was easy to rectify. The pumps have accessible Allen key screws and it is easy to take the cover off. I could just take the bark out and away she went again. So yes, very good performance and easy maintenance.
How would you describe the PumpEng customer service?
Very good. We’ve found our rep is right onto it all the time. If ever I need to call on him he could be out there within half an hour. I’m very impressed with that quick response.
Do you get feedback from any of the other crew?
Yes. Crew members who used the other pumps are very pleased with the new ones. We haven’t had any complications with them at all. This is especially impressive because of the type of water that we’re draining out. It’s very dark and heavy water. The pumps are really taking that well.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about switching over to PumpEng for their de-watering pumps?
I’ve already recommended PumpEng to several people including a couple of plumbers. I’ve got a friend, who’s got a contract over in Garden Island and I’m recommending PumpEng to him. If we have to use any more pumps that we’ll definitely go with PumpEng for sure. The pumps can handle tough conditions and people are quick to respond if we ever need anything.
Read more:
Testimonial Link: Smart ScatPump Mini Performs Well For Heavy Dewatering
What Maintenance Teams Say About ScatPump
The Cosmic Boy Concentrator treats raw nickel ore, using a three stage crushing circuit. These comments came from directly from Troy Boyles, the Maintenance Superintendent for the Cosmic Boy Concentrator.
ScatPump Trial
“We trialled a ScatPump 5.5 submersible pump in our harshest floor sump environment, under our crushing circuit. Not only did the pump last 100% longer, but it greatly increased the ease of replacement due to its smaller size compared to the previous vertical cantilever pump. We are now in the process of installing these ScatPump 5.5 pumps all around our plant, with positive feedback from maintenance and operations.”
This type of feedback is so valuable to the design team who worked on the ScatPump. The design team were particularly keen to take on board feedback from maintenance crews about what was needed. They are particularly pleased that our efforts to ensure a longer pump life are achieving the objective – 100% longer pump life is a great result.
We are also pleased that this smaller pump size means that when a pump does eventually need to be replaced this can happen with greater ease for the maintenance team.
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Testimonial Link: What Maintenance Teams Say About ScatPump
Sumatra Copper & Gold Rapt With Raptors
PumpEng has been working with Sumatra Copper & Gold now for just over a year supplying the Raptor, 1000v dewatering submersible pumps as well as parts of their Tembang Project located in South Sumatra. Sumatra Copper & Gold are using the 8kw & 20kw, 1000v Raptor pumps in their underground operation.
Dan Pember and Stan Oliver, the Underground Mine Operations Superintendents, have this to say:
“Working in Underground Mine Operations Superintendents has its challenges! PumpEng has been very professional and helpful and their Raptor pumps have proven themselves time and again!”
PumpEng continues to supply a high level of customer service to its customers which they can rely on, wherever they are in the world. PumpEng looks forward to continuing their support to Sumatra Copper & Gold in years to come.
Read more:
Testimonial Link: Sumatra Copper & Gold Rapt With Raptors
ScatPump Performance Reviewed In Gold Mining Trial
This is an interview with the Maintenance Superintendent for a gold plant about the recent trial of PumpEng ScatPumps on in his plant.
How do you describe your operation?
We’re just a standard gold plant. We crush the rocks to pour in gold.
What were the problems you were having with your old pumps?
They weren’t lasting because of the conditions and the applications. They just weren’t lasting very long.
Why did you decide to go with ScatPumps and PumpEng?
We searched online and considered a few options. PumpEng were prepared to give us a trial. That trial has been successful.
How many pumps do you currently have?
Four.
Where do you use them?
We use them in the mill discharge sump and in the gravity sump. We’ve also got a Scatpump for our main feed conveyor, and also one in our belt room.
How would you describe their performance?
Oh, they’ve been magic. That’s why we’ve just trialled one in the gold room. We’ve only just put this one in. They’ve been great.
How do you find the exchange program?
We had a 22-kilowatt pump the other day that we exchanged and it was back within a week. It was magic. It’s definitely a better option for us.
What are the main benefits for you?
Well, lead time. The pumps performance is magic, it’s good. Exchange turnaround is quick.
How would you describe the PumpEng customer service?
I found your people in Perth very easy to get on with. We’ve just had one of your reps here the other day and they’ve been great.
What sort of feedback are you getting from your crew?
It’s been good. Costs are down, pumps are easy to instal, and the life we’re getting from the pumps is great. We nearly doubled the life we were getting from the one in the gravity sump.
The performance we were getting from the ScatPump that we are using in our mill sump has actually let us lower the kilowatt rating on one of the pumps and allowed us to put in a smaller pump. This works out better for handing which is a safety factor.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about engaging PumpEng and putting in their pump range?
I’d say you’re mad if you don’t. What’ve you got to lose? They offer a free trial, why would you not do it? There’s no hidden costs, and there’s no Catch 22, there’s no contract so why wouldn’t you do it?
I think PumpEng have got a winning product and I congratulate them. They’ve done well. The service exchange is the way to go. The whole company is very easy to deal with. I’m glad we found PumpEng. We appreciate their services.
Read more:
Testimonial Link: ScatPump Performance Reviewed In Gold Mining Trial
Reducing Dewatering Pump Failure In Underground Gold Mines
In this interview, a project supervisor talks about the issues he has experienced with the dewatering pumps in underground gold mining. He discusses how those problems were solved and the cost saving that strategy represents.
How do you describe your operation?
We are an underground gold mine. We’ve got some water to manage. We use PumpEng to supply us with underground de-watering pumps to help us stay on top of de-watering underground.
What were the problems you were having with your old pumps?
We were having issues with the poor standard of the old pumps. The repair invoicing was ridiculous. We were paying for pump repairs which weren’t issues when we sent them off-site. The pumps that we were sending off-site weren’t the same pumps that we were getting back. The pumps we were getting back were a combination of several pump parts put together with each having different serial numbers. We discovered this when we pulled some apart on-site. That led us to go down the path to finding a new supplier.
Why did you decide to go with PumpEng?
The key factor was the price. I called a few different suppliers and told them what I was trying to do. We invited three companies up on-site. We met with them and arranged pump demos. Our final decision was a combination of how we felt about the face-to-face interaction as well as how well the product performed. PumpEng came out on top.
How many pumps have you got working on-site at the moment?
I’ve got just under twenty. Eighteen are on contract. I’ve also got a few extras which I can increase and decrease when peak periods demand.
Where do you use them?
In the sumps underground as well as at the face. These are pretty disgusting, dirty places. We’ve got lots of muck, fines and shotcrete fibres underground. All the bad stuff winds up in the sumps. It is a hard environment, so you need a tough pump to keep on top of things.
How would you describe the performance of the PumpEng pumps?
Sensational. In a typical week with our last supplier, we’d be sending off two or three pumps for maintenance. These days we’d be lucky to send out two or three in a whole month. That in itself speaks volumes.
How would you describe the customer service from PumpEng?
Great. I am in constant contact with them. They’re always very open and honest. There’s no secrets or anything like that. It’s straight down the line and what you see is what you get.
They pride themselves on delivering a good product. If there are any issues or questions, they’re more than happy to listen and take things onboard. They’ll work with you if you want to do something a little bit different or if you’ve got a special problem to solve. If I say, ” I need this pump to do this” they’re more than happy to work with me and get that outcome.
What sort of feedback are you getting from your crew?
The crew themselves don’t access the pump, but the electricians and pump fitters usually had to handle issues with the pumps from the previous suppliers. Those electricians don’t even put a tool on these new pumps. The contract we have in place with them is a full-service agreement. Feedback from the site says it frees up many man hours for us because we don’t have to worry about the pumps.
Read more:
Testimonial Link: Reducing Dewatering Pump Failure In Underground Gold Mines