Developed to bridge the gap between clear-water dewatering pumps and heavy duty mining pumps, pumps manufacturer Schurco Slurry’s DW Series offers a purpose-built solution capable of handling abrasive, solids-laden fluids on a continuous basis.

Ideally suited to open pit and underground mining, quarrying operations, tailings dams, flood control, process water and dirty-water handling, the DW Series is particularly effective in pit dewatering, sump drainage and infrastructure protection against water at a mine, says Schurco Slurry external sales representative Jonathan Fourie.

The series is specifically designed to tolerate variable slurry properties.

The series of pumps features robust bearing arrangements, high-chrome wear parts and conservative operating limits, enabling the pumps to maintain a stable performance even when the conditions deviate from design parameters, he explains.

“Unlike many dewatering pumps that struggle with abrasive solids, the DW Series is built with suitable wear resistant materials and a design philosophy focused on maintainability,” adds Fourie.

He further notes that the elimination of routine liner adjustments, combined with modular wet-end components, significantly reduces maintenance time and unplanned downtime.

Because mining operations often face challenges with variable slurry densities, abrasive particles, harsh operating conditions and limited maintenance windows, the DW Series has been designed with features such as a double-volute casing, reducing radial thrusts, and fully replaceable high-chrome wear components.

The twin-volute reduces shaft deflection and bearing loads, while the wear resistant interchangeable impellers and liners extend wear life.

The series may be fitted with an impeller release collar for faster replacement, bearing frames designed for either grease or oil lubrication, and an eight position discharge orientation that allows for variable discharge pipe configurations.

“While Schurco’s slurry pumps are optimised for high-solids process duties, the DW Series pumps are engineered for continuous operation, offering higher efficiencies and simplified maintenance in these duties,” states Fourie.

To achieve a balance of robustness and efficiency, the series features an optimised hydraulic design that delivers high efficiencies, while reducing the hydraulic losses through pressure balancing and structural robustness, which, in turn, allows for operation within safe limits, without sacrificing energy efficiency, he adds.

The series complements the company’s existing slurry pump portfolio, through its being suitable for applications between traditional slurry pumping and general dewatering.

“The DW Series represents Schurco Slurry’s focused response to the growing demand for robust, high-performance dewatering and dirty-water pumps that can operate reliably in mining environments where conditions are rarely ideal,” concludes Fourie.