Mechanical Technology June 2015

⎪ Pump systems, pipes, valves and seals ⎪

Exports of highly advanced magnetic-drive pumps for the petrochemical and hazardous materials industries have buoyed local manufacturer KSB Pumps and Valves in the face of somewhat suppressed sales in traditional southern African markets. Mag drive exports buoy local pump manufacturer

pipes to be installed in order to seal the fluid line and prevent leaks; whereas RPHm- dp pumps are standalone and do not require any seal- ing systems. This has led to companies like PCK Schwedt Refinery, one of the big- gest key supply refineries in the world, Petrobras refinery in Brazil, Ancap refin- ery in Uruguay and the BASF Lemongras chemical plant in Malaysia placing orders for the KSB pumps. “Many more enquiries are currently being handled and looking at the amount of interest this year and the amount of quotes that we are working-on, it is safe to say that we will be exporting many more pumps in future. “Our magnetic drive pumps are be- ing recognised and are in demand in flammable, aggressive chemical and explosive industries. Tightening legisla- tion in Europe and the rest of the world has also become far stricter and our solution makes it easier to comply with legislation. In high demand “So far there are quotes for more than 100 pumps in industries working with anything from hot oils to propane, liq- uid gas, petroleum and by products as well as refining chemicals. We are also receiving enquiries about our pumps from companies handling Avgas, ethanol and any number of other dangerous, toxic, flammable or hazardous materials,” says Van Vuuren. Sales manager for chemical, petro- chemical and industry for KSB Pumps and Valves, Kenneth McGeehan, explains that the pumps are certified by all rec- ognised authorities, including ATEX for safety as well as the CE rating for safe assembly and quality standards from design to manufacture. They also carry AEC approval for Russian applications.

International standards are adhered to in order to ensure that every pump manufac- tured by KSB Pumps and Valves meets and surpasses all requirements. “The good news locally is that we are awaiting the passing of clean fuels legislation, which will require refineries to upgrade parts of their refineries to process clean fuels. This will be a big boost to the whole local pump sector in southern Africa. We have already had success with the installation of RPHmdp pumps at Sasol Wax for hot oil pumping, Senmin for caustic soda pumping, Sasol Secunda for propane, propylene, meth- ane and methanol pumping, as well as many others. Full product line-up “The pumps are available in different sizes in a number of different materials and configurations to suit individual companies’ requirements. Ultra-efficient Peek-Can composite material pumps with minimal eddy-current losses are also available,” adds McGeehan. KSB Pumps and Valves has also been supplying training on American Petroleum Industry (API) standards and has done training in Asia, Germany, France, South Africa and Russia for the chemical, petroleum and mining industries. “Once companies are familiar with the operation of the new pumps there will be very little reason to make use of dated technology and our pumps are expected to become standard across the globe wherever dangerous substances are being pumped,” he concludes. q

Jan van Vuuren of KSB Pumps and Valves with a cut- away RPHmdp mag drive pump for use in hazardous applications.

W ith the locally economy feeling the pinch of un- stable world markets, made worse by mining industry strikes and lower commodity prices, the growing export order book for locally developed and manufactured magnetic drive pumps is a welcome boost for South Africa’s pump manufac- turing industry. The advanced home-grown hermeti- cally sealed RPHmdp API685 magnetic- drive pumps were originally developed for Sasol Secunda more than a decade ago to simplify the operation and main- tenance of the company’s many pumps in hazardous environments. With a solid track record at Sasol, other hazardous materials plants around the world are currently scrambling to switch to KSB’s RPHmdp ‘PI682 Plan 53’ pump design, which completely excludes materials be- ing pumped from the drive-end, making for a safer and less complex pumping environment. Simply and safer According to KSB Pumps and Valves Product manager for API and multi-stage pumps, Jan van Vuuren, the success of the new type of pump is its intrinsic safety and comparatively simple con- struction and setup. Old Plan 53-type pumps have mechanical seals that re- quire additional hydraulic systems and

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Mechanical Technology — June 2015