Previously, they used two rigid steel spools attached to the pump with a Straub coupling (pictured left). But the rubber-lined steel wasn’t durable enough for the highly abrasive slurry.
Also, the three-piece arrangement wasn’t reliable—the pump vibration caused it to misalign, leak continually, and need replacement in less than a year.
They decided to try our Slurryflex SD-Series mining hose reducer (pictured right), which we custom made in one piece with a pre-formed bend at one end to fit perfectly. It reduces noise and vibration and is more durable.
When we last checked, it had been running for three years and was still going strong: that’s more than 3x the wear life.
The maintenance team can ‘set and forget’ the spool now, and they no longer need a wetsuit to maintain the plant.
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