by Madhavi Kuberan | Jun 12, 2024 | News
High pressure reciprocating pump specialist RMI Pump Systems has recently completed two comprehensive equipment overhauls and upgrades locally for mining customers in China.
According to Sabrina Zhang, General Manager of RMI China, a full system upgrade was just delivered to Shennan Industry’s Xiaobaodang mine, which comprised an Grade B overhaul. The system included RMI’s Quinmax emulsion pump station, Trimax water pump station and a control system. The second contract – for the Hanglaiwan mine in Shaanxi Province of China –included multiple pumps and related equipment.
Both upgrades were conducted in RMI’s MA-accredited factory and workshop in Shanghai. There have been two RMI emulsion/water systems in operation at Hanglaiwan mine, with the upgraded system having been initially installed at the mine in 2021.
According to Zhang, RMI conducted Grade A and B upgrades for Hanglaiwan on five of RMI’s Quinmax pumps, three of its S300 water pumps and one S300 high set. This followed a complete strip-down and assessment at RMI’s Shanghai facility.
“Our innovative maintenance schedules help customers to improve performance and reliability,” said Zhang. “Over a typical six-year cycle, RMI recommends three different grades of overhauls or upgrades.”
While the Grade A intervention is recommended at the end of the first and second years, the Grade B upgrade is recommended after three years – and comprises a full rebuild. Over the following two years, Grade A upgrades should again be conducted, with a Grade C upgrade – also an intensive rebuild – after the sixth year.
“Adhering to our tried-and-tested overhaul and upgrade methodology, customers can ensure that their pump systems operate consistently at peak performance,” she said.
Both contracts included the overhauling of the system’s control units. RMI’s in-house control engineer repairs the control units, and works in collaboration with subcontractors to service the MMS control boards, power units, display units, etc.
After the completion of the upgrade, the equipment was dispatched in the last week of April to the mine. The units are to be transported by 17 m truck over a distance of almost 1,700 km to the mine site.
RMI, which has been designing, manufacturing and supporting its high pressure and high volume fluid pumping stations for over a century, has served the mining sector in China for more than 30 years. The company’s certified manufacturing facility in Shanghai – owned by RMI’s holding company Armstrong Fluid Technologies – can produce and service 15 different models of high pressure pump, said Zhang. The facility has also enhanced the local availability of RMI’s genuine spare parts.
“This gives our customers in China fast access to our components – which is a cornerstone of our localisation strategy in China,” she said. “In times of emergency, parts can now be delivered to customers as quickly as three to four days. We also have technical service centres close to the main mining areas, allowing technical service engineers to reach customers within two hours.”
by Madhavi Kuberan | Feb 20, 2023 | News
RMI Pressure Systems is pleased to welcome two new key territory leaders to the team.
Huw Dodds has joined in the role of Director for Sales and Service, Australia and will be based from the regional office in Cardiff, New South Wales. He will be responsible for developing and delivering a strategic growth plan for both the RMI branded Australian business and the Armstrong branded Commercial/Industrial HVAC product offerings.
Dodds brings with him 23 years of professional experience in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry, most recently as Sales Manager and Applications with Emerson. He also holds a degree in Air Conditioning as well as certificates in Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Mechanics and Marine Engineering.
Sean Heary has joined RMI in the role of Mining, Industrial Sales and Services Manager, EMEA, based in Germany. Heary will work to expand RMI’s sales opportunities across region as well as managing the service team to support customers’ needs.
Sean holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia where he was born and raised in Perth. He speaks English, German and some Russian.
He has worked for many years in the natural resources and mining services industries with extensive international experience in business development, sales and services, including senior roles with Orica Mining Services, Sandvik Mining Services where he was based in Moscow.
Both Dodds and Heary will report to Joe Keenan, Global Managing Director, Industrial Fluid Flow Solutions. “With Huw and Sean onboard, we are well positioned for strong growth and success in both regions. I very much look forward to working with them,” said Keenan.
About RMI:
RMI Pressure Systems (a member of Armstrong Fluid Technology) is a global leader in the supply of high-pressure and high-volume fluid pumping stations.
For over 100 years, RMI’s research and manufacturing facilities have consistently delivered innovative, practical solutions to operate in the most extreme of environments for customers across the globe.
An early innovator in high-pressure hydraulic pumps for longwall mining and industrial applications, RMI works to continually improve performance and reliability using industry-leading technology that enhances productivity, energy efficiency and reduces operational cost.
RMI Pressure System is part of the Armstrong Fluid Technology group, with facilities in the UK, China, North America, Australia and India.
by Madhavi Kuberan | Feb 16, 2023 | News
RMI Pressure Systems has announced the appointment of Kathryn Poke as its general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
A global leader in high pressure and high-volume fluid pumping stations, RMI Pressure Systems has a primary manufacturing facility in the UK and operations in China, the US, India and Australia – supporting equipment in countries around the globe. The company has over a century’s experience in designing, manufacturing and supporting this technology.
The appointment of Ms Poke supports RMI Pressure System’s expansion strategy in new and existing markets and will see her continuing in her previous role as the company’s global head of engineering. Her new role will take her into the full scope of the business from customer engagement, sales, supply chain and operations.
“With RMI’s extensive experience in important markets like China, we have a great deal to offer other regions – even beyond our traditional markets of mining and steel plants,” she said.
Highlighting the sustainability contribution made by the company’s high pressure reciprocating pumps, she said a focus of her new role will be demonstrating to markets the energy and water efficiency of RMI’s technology.
“We plan to work more closely with customers in mining, steel and other industries to implement their sustainability ambitions,” she said. “Many of these operations are still using dated centrifugal pump technology with efficiencies often below 70%; our specialised pumps achieve 95% efficiency, providing huge opportunity for energy savings, carbon footprint reduction and cost economy.”
This future facing pump technology also achieves significant water savings – for example, in descaling operations in steel plants – which is a growing sustainability issue in most regions of the world.
“Our customer markets have seen important advances in fields such monitoring and safety, to become more responsible corporate citizens,” she said. “RMI can help customers to make similar sustainability improvements through their key equipment such as pumps.”
Joe Keenan, global managing director of RMI Pressure Systems, welcomed Poke into her new role – highlighting the strategic importance of taking the company into markets it had not previously developed.
“Kathryn’s depth of engineering experience and knowledge of our technology equips her perfectly for this vital position,” said Keenan. “With her background in both product development and operations, she will allow us to bring considerable value to customers in her target regions.”
In addition to her responsibilities at RMI, Poke has also been an active promoter of broader industry in the UK through her involvement with the Association of British Mining Equipment Companies (ABMEC). As a council member of ABMEC, she was recently invited by King Charles III to a business reception at Buckingham Palace where he spoke about bolstering UK businesses through the Prince’s Trust.
She supports the growing focus on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in many schools, as this helps to raise interest of female students in pursuing opportunities in the engineering sector.
“I was often the only woman in my engineering classes, and generally received very little encouragement in my chosen field of study,” she said. “It is encouraging to see more schoolgirls becoming interested in the variety of careers open to them in previously male-dominated occupations.”
Poke spent the early years of her career at Holden & Brooke, which was subsequently acquired by the Armstrong Group – where she worked in the engineering team before moving into product development. She became product manager there before joining group subsidiary RMI Pressure Systems. Her next move was into the director of engineering role, which encompassed both systems engineering as well as research and development.
She entered the working environment with a Higher National Diploma in Electrical Engineering, and soon after completed a Bachelor of Engineering degree at the University of Manchester.
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