en.Wedoany.com Reported - Bredel hose pumps have been operating stably for over a decade at Boliden's Garpenberg mine in Sweden, undertaking critical tasks such as high-density slurry transport, fine polymer handling, and chemical dosing. This helps one of the world's most modern mines reduce downtime and maintain production continuity.
Boliden aims to be the world's most climate-friendly metal supplier, imposing stringent reliability requirements on its mining equipment. The Garpenberg mine extracts and processes ore containing zinc, lead, silver, copper, and gold. The beneficiation process involves handling high-density slurries and chemical agents. With their robust design, Bredel hose pumps transport slurry under stable high pressure and preserve polymer integrity through low-shear action, driving efficient production in the concentrator, tailings facility, and paste plant.
In the concentrator, Bredel pumps handle critical sections such as thickener underflow. Specific models and parameters include: Bredel 2100 for zinc concentrate underflow (density 2200 kg/m³, approximately 75% solids by weight); Bredel 80 for lead concentrate underflow (density 2800 kg/m³, approximately 75% solids); Bredel 65 for secondary zinc concentrate thickening (low density, low solids content); Bredel 40 for copper concentrate underflow (density 1400 kg/m³, approximately 35% solids); Bredel 32 for polymer transport; and Bredel 50 for flotation sampling. Three Bredel B2100 pumps deliver high-density slurry to batch and continuous mixers, with a system head of 31 meters, maintaining stable flow even when slurry density and composition fluctuate.
In the tailings facility, Bredel 32 pumps handle polymer transport for thickened tailings. Their gentle, low-shear pumping action protects polymer chain integrity, avoiding the polymer degradation that other pump types may cause; a metering accuracy of ±1% reduces costly errors. The enclosed housing contains product in the event of hose failure, preventing leaks and enhancing operational safety.
In the paste plant, Bredel 2100 and Bredel 20 pumps are used. The Bredel 2100 pumps underflow slurry (density 1800 kg/m³, approximately 68% solids) to the mixer; the Bredel 20 pump replaces a screw pump with higher maintenance costs, achieving high-precision polymer metering with better sealing. These pumps have only one wear part—the hose—which can be replaced in minutes without special tools, improving availability and reducing operating costs.
Wilfried Staijen, WMFTS mining expert, notes that Bredel pumps offer significant advantages over centrifugal pumps when transporting underflow slurry: centrifugal pumps are only effective within a narrow range of solids content below 40%, often requiring water dilution; Bredel pumps handle high solids content without seal water or dilution, effectively boosting filtration capacity by up to 75%. Additionally, the reversible function of Bredel pumps safely clears blockages, reducing maintenance time and production losses.
