Long-lasting booster pump still going strong after 2½ years
Dust Buster News

A Myers D35 booster pump supplied by Colliery Dust Control (CDC) as part of the spray fan system on one of the continuous miners operating at Total Coal Holdings’ Forzando Colliery near Bethal has been operating continuously for over 2½ years without requiring any repairs whatsoever.

The new pump was supplied at the end of 1998 and fitted to a Joy 12HM31A continuous miner. More than 2½ years later, having produced 2,35-million tons of coal, the CM was taken out of the mine for refurbishment and the booster pump was returned to CDC for inspection.

A check on the service history of the pump amongst the records kept by CDC on all the equipment it supplies showed that the only part replaced during the operating period was a coupling between the pump and the hydraulic motor. The hydraulic motor was also replaced.

"When we finally replaced it as a matter of course along with other ancillary equipment at the end of July this year, the pump was still operating to full efficiency and had nothing wrong with it," said Ferdie Brits, Forzando’s general engineering supervisor.

"This is by far the longest any booster pump has lasted in my experience. Usually we find booster pumps need replacing before two years at most – so this is very unusual."

Bob Johnstone, CDC’s general manager, agreed, but added that dust suppression equipment is lasting longer nowadays than it used to.

"In the last two years with the growing awareness among customers of the benefits of routine maintenance and the growing use of CDC’s contract maintenance scheme, the lifespan of CDC’s dust suppression equipment in general and the booster pumps in particular has been greatly extended," he said.

"We have seen a marked decline in the number of booster pumps going through our repair shop. Also a lot of the equipment returned to us when a CM goes for refurbishment is being repaired and going back into service rather than having to be replaced. This is due chiefly to the fact that the equipment is being better looked after. Our ongoing programme of improving our products also contributes to this trend."

CDC is sole agent for Myers pumps to the local coal mining industry. Myers D35 pumps have been used as booster pumps on the spray fan systems of CM’s in underground collieries in southern Africa for more than 15 years and are the most widely used brand in the market. The recently introduced Myers C35 model pump promises to maintain this tradition.