Australia is a unique country — it is the driest continent and the most under populated. In spite of that, it has vast resources that enable its small population of only 25 million to be the base of a very vibrant and innovative rental industry.
Internationally known Australian rental giants like Kennards and Coates Hire are at the cutting edge of hire industry expertise and have turned Australia into a ‘renting nation’.
Australian Pump Industries (Aussie Pumps) works with the rental industry to develop products that are ‘hire proof’. One of its maxims is that nobody on a construction site has ever heard the words, “Go easy on that hire machine, Kevin!”
That cavalier attitude on the way equipment is treated on site has led to the evolution of a range of trash pumps, trailer mounted high-pressure pumps for dust suppression and fire fighting, as well as a line of heavy duty pressure cleaners designed to be ‘hire proof’.
This makes them ideal for sewer bypass or emergency flood mitigation.
Tough pumps for tough situations
When it comes to trash pumps, Australian Pump Industries follows much the same process. In Australia, nobody will pick up or carry a trash pump on a worksite, with OHS rules stringently enforced. If a pump needs to be moved, an excavator will pick it up by the frame, take it to where it needs to go and drop it not too gently into the new location.
This means that conventional trash pumps with light duty steel frames wind up looking like train wrecks!
Australian Pump Industries has developed its ‘Site Boss’ and ‘Mine Boss’ trash pump range to satisfy the requirement for machines that can withstand these demanding applications.
That product range extends from 2” all the way through to big 6” trash pumps capable of moving up to 6,000lpm! The ‘big fellas’ are normally skid or trailer mounted.
The main advantage of these pumps is the big front port that can open up the belly of the pump in a matter of seconds, meaning that in the event of a ‘choke’ the pump can be cleaned out quickly, without special tools, and without disconnecting hoses or pipework.
The 2” to 4” pumps all come with super heavy duty 38mm galvanised steel frames with integrated lifting bar. Fire extinguisher and battery isolation with e-stop are all standard equipment on the ‘mine-spec’ version. Trolley mounted configurations for the 4” pump are optional.
The Australian Pump Industries product line has evolved over a period of years based on the experiences of the Australian mining economy.
“The mining industry is a big driver for our development programs. When it comes to dust suppression we work with the major manufacturers of mobile tankers and supply pumps especially configured for the rental industry. Coates Hire are big users of our product,” Mr Hales said.
“The Australian experience can be summarised as some of the toughest operating conditions mixed in with ‘not-too-careful’ handling on site. Designing out failure points that take into account those two features has really helped. Australian Pump Industries has developed products that are now used in mine sites in Kazakhstan, the Somali- Kenya border and even copper mines in the Andes!
“Some of these sites are even more primitive than the Australian experience but our equipment seems to stand up better than equivalents made in the US or Europe.”
Further information on the complete pump hire package is available from Australian Pump Industries at info@aussiepumps.com.au.
