Grindex Pumps Water Mixed with Sand and Mud from Thornton Quarry in USA
26 September 2005
One of the many demanding applications that use Grindex pumps is the tire wash in Thornton Quarry in USA. A Matador N pump is used for pumping water containing sand, mud and dirt to a settling pond.
The Thornton Quarry in Thornton, IL (USA) is operated by the company Material Service Co. Visiting trucks constantly pick up sand and gravel from the quarry and transport it out to the different destinations. Quarry regulations include washing of the truck tires, ensuring that the road outside doesn't receive any sand, mud and dirt from the quarry.
In order to fulfill the regulation, special tire wash arrangements have been installed. Each truck leaving the quarry must drive through a tire wash station. The concrete track has an angle that makes the water flow through it, rinsing off the sand, mud and dirt from the outside of the truck tires.
After rinsing the tires, the water filters into a sump where a Grindex Matador N is installed to pump the water to a settling pond. The pump was chosen after calculations made by the American Grindex sales office, with the friction losses in the long piping system taken into consideration. The Matador N pump has a maximum flow rate of 100l/sec (1585USgpm) and a maximum pressure head of 47m (154ft).
The previous pump couldn't handle the wear too well and when it needed replacement, Grindex was considered to be a better alternative. Now the Matador N pump has been in the quarry, pumping water containing sand, mud and dirt without failure for 14 months. This is a good example of a tough application that Grindex Proline pumps are built to cope with.
