South African pumps manufacturer Hazleton Pumps International took top honours at the inaugural Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa’s (Seifsa) Awards for Excellence, winning two awards at the ceremony, which took place in May 28 at Emperors Palace, in Ekurhuleni.

Hazleton Pumps picked up the Most Innovative Company of the Year award for the design, development and manufacture of the world’s first medium/high voltage flameproof slurry submersible pump.

The Hippo medium/high voltage submersible pumps range uses medium- and high-voltage power supply in a slurry submersible pump using a single-stage design to pump high volumes of slurry. The pumps were specifically designed and manufactured for Canadian petroleum company Suncor’s oil sands operation in Fort McMurray, Canada, and, to date, 23 pumps have been put into operation by the miner.

This pumps range is manu-factured from specific materials, which enables the pumping of acidic liquid containing solids. It comprises several models capable of pumping up to 350 ℓ/s with an installed power of 1 200 kW and can operate on both 50 Hz and 60 Hz power supplies. All pumps are manufac-tured to IEC 60079 and IEC 60079 standards.

Although the medium/high voltage flameproof slurry sub-mersible pump is the latest development in the Hippo pumps range since the company’s inception in 1979, Hazleton Pumps has continuously devel-oped the range to meet the demands of clients through customised engineering and advanced technology, facilitated by a team of experts and accommodating a variety of applications and specific duties.

The Hippo pumps range has been designed, developed and manufactured in South Africa over the past 20 years to be able to operate under the harsh South African mining conditions. The company has a strong customer-centric approach to ensure that it forges long-term, committed and sustainable customer relationships.

Meanwhile, Hazleton Pumps also scooped the Customer Service Company of the Year award at the Seifsa Awards for Excellence, owing to the company’s efforts to ensure that customers are supplied with a reliable, low-maintenance, sustainable and efficient product.

The award affirmed the com- pany’s focus on ensuring good customer service and satis-faction. As proof of Hazleton Pumps’ commitment to its customers, the company nego-tiated a pump repair contract with Suncor, which would see all pumps returned to South Africa for repairs and refurbishment.

These pumps will be repaired at 30% less in South Africa than in Canada, including the cost of shipping to and from South Africa. All pump repairs are completed to the standards of newly manufactured pumps and carry the same warranty as a new pump.