A growing number of customers are adopting a total cost of ownership (TCO) approach, leveraging mining equipment supplier Weir’s technical studies to identify more effective ways to reduce long-term operational expenses.

These global studies have shown that over a centrifugal pump’s lifetime less than 10% of TCO comprises capital cost and spare parts, however, some users are still focused on these aspects when making purchasing decisions.

“Since energy accounts for nearly 60% of this lifetime cost, opting for a cheaper and less efficient pump can quickly lead to significantly higher operating expenses,” explains Weir slurry aftermarket regional manager John West.

Using genuine parts enables the company’s customers to achieve higher equipment efficiency levels and an extended lifespan. Every WARMAN and Envirotech pump component is continuously enhanced through ongoing investment in research and development, he adds.

“This is in addition to our commitment to high-quality design and manufacturing, which helps to ensure that customers benefit from longer-lasting spare parts. In many cases, replacing an old generation part with a newly designed replacement part improves the overall performance and efficiency of the equipment.”

Weir not only guarantees that its pump spare parts meet world-class design and manufacturing standards but also fine-tunes their performance to help customers reduce energy consumption and operational costs. This is done through correct equipment selection as well as on-site process fault finding, says West.

“Manufacturing standards in many non-original-equipment-manufacturer- (OEM-) supplied pump parts are not adhered to, which also presents potential safety risks to the customer. Weir’s OEM parts incorporate all our latest technological advancements, enhancing efficiency, optimising hydraulics and extending wear life.”

Being precisely engineered to fit perfectly, the original parts also boost the equipment’s production capabilities, supporting smooth operation and improving uptime.

“The extended service intervals our parts provide contribute directly to the overall efficiency and profitability of our customers’ operations,” he explains, highlighting that the risk of unplanned downtime owing to premature component failure is also reduced.

West points out that users who source non-genuine replacement parts often overlook the significant costs associated with emergency repairs and unplanned production downtime.

“Many of our larger customers ask us to carry out formal assessments to help reduce the operating costs of specific equipment. In many cases, we collaborate directly with their dedicated reliability engineers. For smaller companies without such specialised roles, we step in with our expertise and insights to help lower running costs while enhancing production efficiency and safety.”

For example, when evaluating a South African tailings recovery plant, Weir discovered that replicator parts on the wet end of the operation’s Envirotech Alpha D-Frame pumps were lasting only two months. This was less than ideal, with the profitability of the operation closely tied to controlling its operational costs.

As the owners sought to reduce their total equipment ownership costs by cutting downtime and energy use, Weir recommended upgrading to its wear resistance technology (WRT) impeller and throatbush for improved durability and performance.

“These WRT parts are a great example of how advanced materials and enhanced hydraulic design can significantly improve efficiency, net positive suction head performance and wear life. In this particular application, the OEM parts lasted twice as long, reduced power consumption by drawing lower amperage and delivered a higher head,” explains West.

Weir also provided a service technician to support the installation of the upgraded parts and deliver training on general maintenance. This collaboration not only ensured proper implementation but also helped enhance the plant’s skills base, contributing to improved equipment longevity and reliability, he emphasises.

“The efficiency benefits of OEM parts are even more significant in remote operations powered by diesel generators, where grid energy is unavailable. In such cases, the high cost of energy can be substantially lowered by ensuring all equipment operates at peak efficiency.”

As power consumption directly correlates with an operation’s carbon emissions, and mining companies under increasing pressure to reduce these to meet their corporate sustainability targets, the environmental value of using high-quality OEM parts can also not be ignored.