Standard and Bespoke Pumps from Selwood

20 July, 2017

First published in the July 2017 issue of Quarry Management as Solution Providers

Selwood offer wide range of standard and bespoke pumps and pumping solutions for the quarrying sector

Selwood, providers of pumping solutions to the quarrying and aggregates industry, lay claim to being one of the few British original equipment manufacturers to design, rent and sell their own range of high-quality contractors’ pumps, as well as offering a genuine bespoke service that covers every aspect from installation to repairs and emergency cover. Supported by decades of R&D and experience in the quarrying, mining and construction sectors, Selwood say their diverse range of pumps is designed both to endure the rigours of rental and to meet the requirements of quarrying applications.

All of the company’s pumps are built for durability and longevity, and designed to withstand the most demanding environments. Whether it be a high head ‘H’ pump for high-pressure dewatering, a high-efficiency drainer ‘D’ pump for high-volume fluid transfer, or a Seltorque vortex-flow solids-handling ‘S’ pump, Selwood say they have the solution to meet the specific needs of the contractor/operator, wherever they may be located.

Bespoke solution at limestone quarry

Selwood’s experts were quick to find the right solution when approached by Tarmac to assist with the dewatering of a new sinking at their Swinden Quarry, in North Yorkshire. Having purchased a Selwood HM250 several years ago, which has been successfully dealing with the water containing abrasive lime at this site, Tarmac approached Selwood for a second pump for their next two sinkings.

While the existing HM250 remained in place, continuing to provide its original function, the additional pump was required to move groundwater from the sinkings to the main sump, where the HM250 was located. Selwood’s specialists looked closely at Tarmac’s requirements and recommended a smaller, more effective solution, cutting power usage by 200kW.

During a site visit, Selwood assessed Tarmac’s needs in depth, evaluating them against the efficiencies of the company’s pump portfolio. Selwood’s team suggested installing the newly designed H200 – a 132kW high head pump, smaller than the HM250 – to feed into the main sump. By building the pump to Tarmac’s custom specifications, including setting the system curves of the pipework and upping the power (equating to a 95kW electric motor), the H200 could be used in conjunction with the existing site dewatering system.

Using a variable drive has allowed Tarmac to achieve 1,100 rev/min at the first sinking (115m bench) and will allow 1,250 rev/min to be achieved at the second sinking (95m bench), controlling the power to meet the duty required in each situation. The duty could not exceed 500m3/h on this pump as it had to be balanced with the duty of the HM250 pump. By custom-building the new pump, the system has achieved balance and efficient operation at the 115m sinking, eliminating any overflow.

Tony Crooks, project manager with Tarmac, said: ‘We were impressed with the detailed assessment of our requirements and the subsequent bespoke recommendations, which have resulted in an efficient and custom-built pump for the job.’

Solids-handling pump for concrete products supplier

Minimal environmental impact remains a primary concern for many contractors and Selwood have a range of pumps that are engineered to meet this requirement. Quarrying company and concrete products suppliers E&JW Glendinning were in need of expertise from a specialist pumping provider to help them solve a complex problem at their Pigsdon Quarry site, near Bude, in Cornwall.

The site is used for the quarrying of high-PSV gritstone for road surfacing, and Glendinning work closely with the Environment Agency to ensure their activities at Pigsdon have as little impact on the site’s surroundings as possible. The quarry’s location in an area of the UK subject to high rainfall means that there is a need to safely handle a significant amount of surface run-off as well as some additional water discharged during the quarrying process.

This water is collected in lagoons created around the site for the purpose, and because it contains high volumes of silt, it needs to be thoroughly filtered before it can be safely discharged into a nearby stream. Glendinning had already installed a capable filtration system, but their problem was in finding a pumping solution capable of delivering a flow of water into it at the high volumes required.

Reliability, ease of maintenance and minimal downtime were key requirements for the site, where monthly sampling checks are carried out, both upstream at the point of discharge into the local river and downstream, to ensure strict limits on PH value, aluminium levels and levels of suspended solids are adhered to.

Selwood’s specialists set to work to find the best and most efficient solution for the task. Having considered a drainer pump, Selwood settled on an S100 solids-handling pump, which would be well suited to the application due to its ability to operate at volumes of up to 160m3/h. The S100 is now on site at Pigsdon, joining two other Selwood pumps previously purchased by Glendinning. All three pumps are being supported by the company’s new depot in Saltash.

The new pump is in near constant operation with minimal maintenance required, ensuring that Glendinning can continue to quarry with peace of mind that their environmental obligations are being met.

Maximum performance

Setting a benchmark for maximum performance and efficiency for high head, high-pressure dewatering, Selwood say their ‘H’ pump range is particularly suitable for applications at mines and quarries, as well as being simple to operate and maintain.

Offering total heads up to 158m, mechanical shaft sealing, Selprime automatic self-priming and emission-compliant engines, the efficient H80, H100, H150 and H200 models are standard Selwood-manufactured models with cast iron construction. If the application requires higher abrasion resistance, the H100, H150 and H200 are available with ADI impellers and wear plates for resistance up to 380BHN. For the most abrasive jobs, the H100HM, H150HM and H200HM are heavy-duty models that can withstand the most demanding of quarry conditions.

UK branch growth and global reach

Selwood say they have the largest dedicated network of pump rental branches across the UK, together with specialist worldwide pump distributors. Last year the company injected more than £8.2 million into its pump rental fleet unit, with further investment planned for 2017, including the opening of a new pump rental branch in Aberdeen, Scotland, to complement the existing branches in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Selwood also recently extended their UK pump network with a new branch in Saltash, Cornwall, allowing them to further service quarries in this region.

The company has also enjoyed a strong partnership with distributors across the globe spanning many years and continues to welcome new distributors to the Selwood family. Underlining the company’s reputation as a world leader for pumping solutions for the quarrying and mining industries, in April this year Selwood specialists joined ABIN, the company’s long-established distributor in Spain, to showcase the Super Silent S and D range, as well as the positive displacement pump that is used in clean-up operations worldwide, to quarrying and mining professionals at the SMOPYC show in Zaragoza.

In May, Selwood’s distributors in Chile, Bermad Fluid Solutions, exhibited the S range of solids-handling pumps at Exponor 2017 in Antofagasta. This exhibition brought together more than 1,000 companies from 30 countries and showcased new innovations and technology for the mining industry.

For more information visit: www.selwood.co.uk