A significant zinc mining operation in North Queensland operates the largest tailings re-treatment facility in Australia. Ranked among the top 15 global zinc producers, the site produced 118,108 metric tonnes of zinc in FY2022. However, the site faced challenges in maintaining optimal production efficiency due to frequent pipeline blockages, slurry density inconsistencies, and pump failures.
Driving Operational Efficiency in Underground Mining with Goodwin Brazil’s Submersible Slurry Pumps
The Challenge: Spillage Sump Cleaning at Depth
At the heart of the São Luís facility lies a sophisticated unloading system involving a ‘Wagon Tipper’. This system rotates railway wagons 180 degrees to discharge their iron ore cargo into a deep receiving pit, where the material is transferred via conveyor belts. However, over time, the facility was plagued by a chronic issue: iron ore spillage.
Material often spilled off the conveyor system, accumulating in a 38-meter-deep sump below the tipper. For over 15 years, the spillage was removed manually—an intensive, hazardous, and inefficient process. Crews had to descend into the sump for manual excavation, posing significant health and safety risks and resulting in frequent operational interruptions. These downtimes translated into higher labor costs, lower productivity, and increased wear and tear on critical infrastructure.
The Challenge: Spillage Sump Cleaning at Depth
At the heart of the São Luís facility lies a sophisticated unloading system involving a ‘Wagon Tipper’. This system rotates railway wagons 180 degrees to discharge their iron ore cargo into a deep receiving pit, where the material is transferred via conveyor belts. However, over time, the facility was plagued by a chronic issue: iron ore spillage.
Material often spilled off the conveyor system, accumulating in a 38-meter-deep sump below the tipper. For over 15 years, the spillage was removed manually—an intensive, hazardous, and inefficient process. Crews had to descend into the sump for manual excavation, posing significant health and safety risks and resulting in frequent operational interruptions. These downtimes translated into higher labor costs, lower productivity, and increased wear and tear on critical infrastructure.
The Objective: Continuous, Safe Dewatering with Minimal Downtime
The Solution: Goodwin 100 HNZB Submersible Slurry Pump
Goodwin Brazil’s engineering team was brought in to analyze the site and propose a viable long-term solution. Leveraging extensive expertise in abrasive slurry applications, they recommended the deployment of their robust 100 HNZB submersible slurry pump. This model—equipped with a 100mm discharge and a powerful 30kW motor—was specifically designed for high-density, highly abrasive applications like the iron ore slurry encountered at São Luís.
A trial period was arranged to validate the performance of the pump in real-world conditions. Over the course of 20 days, the Goodwin pump operated flawlessly, removing the accumulated iron ore slurry from the sump continuously and efficiently. Not only was the spillage cleared without human intervention, but the risk-prone manual excavation process was rendered obsolete.
Expanding the Solution: NZE 100, 150, and 200mm Pump Implementation
Following the success of the initial 100mm pump deployment, the mining facility began incorporating additional pump sizes from Goodwin Brazil’s NZE submersible slurry pump series. The NZE 150 and 200 models, equipped with larger discharge capacities and motors up to 90kW, were introduced to address higher-volume pits and more extensive spillage zones.
These larger models further enhanced the site’s capacity to handle a variety of slurry densities and volumes, while maintaining low maintenance needs. The modularity of the NZE range also allowed for scalability, enabling the facility to tailor each pump’s deployment to the specific sump size, spillage volume, and operational requirement.
Key Benefits of Goodwin Brazil’s NZE Submersible Slurry Pumps
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Exceptional Solids Handling: All NZE series pumps are designed to handle solids content of up to 70% by weight, ensuring minimal clogging and high reliability in slurry-heavy environments.
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Robust Construction: Featuring high-chrome wear parts and heavy-duty bearings, the pumps offer superior resistance to erosion and abrasion—ideal for iron ore and similar applications.
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Ease of Maintenance: With modular design and simplified servicing, downtime related to repairs and maintenance is dramatically reduced.
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Energy Efficiency: Despite their high power capacity, the pumps are engineered for optimized energy consumption, helping reduce overall operational costs.
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Versatility: From 100mm units ideal for targeted sump cleaning to 200mm pumps suitable for large-volume dewatering, the NZE series provides a full suite of scalable solutions.
Conclusion: Innovation That Transforms Mining Operations
The transformation at the São Luís facility highlights the tangible benefits of leveraging advanced pumping technologies in heavy industry. Goodwin Brazil’s submersible slurry pumps did more than just automate a previously manual task—they reshaped how a major industrial site manages waste, labor, and risk.
In underground mining and other high-volume industrial settings, minimizing downtime, optimizing material handling, and ensuring operator safety are non-negotiable. By implementing Goodwin’s NZE 100, 150, and 200mm submersible slurry pumps, mining operations can dramatically enhance efficiency, lower long-term costs, and future-proof their dewatering systems against increasingly stringent operational and environmental demands.
As the global mining industry continues to pursue cost-effective, safe, and sustainable practices, proven technologies like Goodwin’s submersible slurry pumps will undoubtedly play a central role in driving the next era of industrial efficiency.
