A new company, Inoxihp Australia, has been formed in conjunction with suppliers of hoses and fitting, Pirtek Fluid Systems. Inoxihp Australia was formed by Tim Leeson and John Mullins to develop mining products related to fluid applications.

By being able to offer hoses and fittings as well as pumps, Pirtek and Inoxihp hope to offer mines a more integrated package with fewer interface problems between pumps, connectors and equipment.

The pump is manufactured in Italy by pump and valve manufacturer Inoxihp Italy. Leeson said he searched far and wide to identify a pump capable of meeting the growing requirements of bigger longwalls.

The Inoxihp pump offered various advantages over competitors including a five-cylinder pump rated at up to 250KW. The main advantage is that it will pump from a low head of fluid, and can accommodate maximum tank tidal flow capacity, typical of wide faces with bigger rams and cylinders.

“I believe it is well suited to the installations of wider faces,” Leeson said.

Other advantages of the five-cylinder pump are the low amplitude ripple which reduces fatigue load and improves the life of all bearings. Transmission loads are kept to a minimum. An electric unloader valve is suitable for continuous mining applications.

The pump control software design provides maximum power, minimum shutdown, automatic over-pressure adjustment and maximum availability.

INOXiHP pumps also come as three-cylinder pumps up to 125KW or a coupling of three and five-cylinder pumps up to 250KW.

Leeson said he expected significant interest from the market for the right product.