Newly established Boksburg-based pumps supplier Integrated Pump Technology has spent more than R20-million to build, stock and equip its new facility in the new Touchdown Industrial Park, near OR Tambo International Airport, in Gauteng.

The company has ambitious plans to make significant inroads into the local and African markets, Integrated Pump Technology MD Lester Fine tells Engineering News.

The 1 200 m² warehouse and offices are being equipped with new spray booths, wash bays, test tanks and cranes, as well as tooling.

Moreover, the company is aiming to achieve IS0 9001:2008 accreditation for a quality management system in the next two to three years.

It also holds a range of inventory, which the company bought from drive systems manufacturer Voith Turbo in January.

A 90 kW full-service repair and test-tank unit is also available on the warehouse premises.

The warehouse supports distribution in terms of sales, repairs and rentals to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Recent flagship contracts include the supply of 25 highly wear-resistant Bravo 700 submersible slurry pumps to the DRC and a further 12 submersible Mega N pumps to Zambia.

In South Africa, the company has undertaken several successful demonstration test trials in pond-dewatering applications in Rustenburg, in the North West, and in Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal.

Further, Fine says Integrated Pump Technology is considering product expansion through increasing the range of Grindex pumps it stocks and offering additional pump ranges manufactured by other companies, which complement the company’s existing offering.

“However, we want to remain a niche supplier of pumps, as the general-application pumps market is oversaturated,” he states.

Product Focus

Fine notes the main advantage of the Grindex dewatering sub-18 kW range is its dry-run capabilities.

“This is owing to the pump’s air valve that has been integrated into the pump, which enables the impeller to pass air instead of water past the motor in a dry-run condition.

“The patented smart-motor protector ensures thermal overload protection, as well as phase-loss and phase-rotation protection. The protector and all associated electrical switchgear are installed inside the pump, so there is no need for a control panel, with the added benefit of running the pump without supervision,” he explains.

Fine highlights that the Grindex sludge range has all the advantages of the dewatering range, coupled with a recessed vortex impeller and a split hydraulic, with replaceable polyurethane linings.

He says this allows for increased abrasive resistance and greater solids handling by the sludge units, and the lightweight aluminium construction makes these portable and robust pumps ideal for underground face dewatering.

Grindex’s dewatering and sludge pumps are also available in cast 316 stainless steel and can handle pH values of between 2 and 13, making it “well suited” for process applications.

The company also manufactures a range of pedigree slurry pumps. With a total hard-chrome construction of the wet end, these units are designed to move medium to heavy slurries with high-abrasive content without sacrificing efficiency, abrasion resistance or production downtime.

African Ambitions

Fine notes that Integrated Pump Technology is involved in several projects throughout the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, such as in Botswana, Mozambique, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

He says the company has established a large distribution network of 16 “strategically located and specialised pumps companies and key account managers whose proximity to end-users provides a fast, personal service across the SADC area”.

Sales to SADC countries contribute about 40% of the company’s turnover, which Integrated Pump Technology intends to increase over the next three to five years.

Fine adds that Zambia-based equipment supplier EC Mining’s facility, in Kitwe, not only sells Integrated Pump Technology’s range of pumps but is also equipped with a test bay to provide after-market maintenance services for companies in the area.