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.
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.
(Pictured L-R – Kathryn Poke, Gautam Putcha, Joe Keenan, Sam Bennett, Richard Mayhew and Anup Putcha).
RMI Pressure Systems is pleased to announce that Joe Keenan has joined the company to serve as Global Managing Director, Industrial Fluid Flow Solutions.
Joe brings with him over 25 years of experience in the mining industry, having held senior positions with companies around the world, including Orica Mining Services where he served as Senior Vice President for USA and then President, Latin America.
Joe graduated with a BSc in Geology from Laurentian University in Canada and then later received his MBA from Edinburgh Business School. In 2008, he attended the Leadership program at INSEAD Business School in Singapore and, in 2010, completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard.
As the global leader for the RMI Pressure Systems mining and industrial business, and head of the North American Gas Transmission business, Joe will oversee the sales, engineering, product management, operations and services functions in the UK, EMEA, USA, China, India and Australia.
Joe commented “I am looking forward to working with this incredibly talented and diverse team and continuing the growth of this iconic brand. The business has aggressive growth plans and a deep R&D pipeline which is grounded in the voice of our customers. I feel confident that the business has the right market focus and technical expertise to drive RMI forward.”
RMI has previewed the new AGILIS® fully integrated system for longwall coal mining at the recently held China Coal and Mining Exhibition 2019, in Beijing.
AGILIS is the world’s first integrated system specifically designed to increase the productivity of longwall coal mining. Using innovative industry-leading technology, AGILIS achieves unrivalled performance capability and efficiency that delivers enhanced value and profit at a lower installed cost.
AGILIS has been specifically designed to increase both uptime and productivity via an integrated smart motor drive and system controls. The system is capable of accelerating from 0 to full speed in less than 1 second, 10 times faster than the industry standard response rate. Intelligent controls and synchronised parallel pumping drive this rate of acceleration, eliminating hydraulic power lag to the roof supports and increasing uptime and productivity at the coal face.
When you consider a typical coal face extracts 8 million ton of coal every year, the increased productivity AGILIS generates, has the potential to increase profit by up to $5.6m per annum.
Real-time data is captured via SCADAä online connectivity for Active Performance Management, to monitor the operational health of the pumping system and to ensure that the equipment runs efficiently at all times. System degradation can be detected at an early stage and adjusted, to ensure maximum uptime at all times.
Lower first installation costs
Enhanced productivity cost-saving efficiency has been prioritised throughout the development of AGILIS. The plug and play design saves both labour costs and time during the initial installation and commissioning. Whilst the integrated system eliminates cables between traditional variable frequency drive (VFD) and pump motor for a lower installation cost.
Space saving
RMI pump systems are designed for confined underground spaces. The new AGILIS a smaller footprint than alternative products and built in redundancy resulting in one less pump required on a typical system and a minimum 25% space saving.
Reduced maintenance costs and replacement parts
Product life is extended through a combination of variable speed, parallel pumping operation: The pumps operate in tandem based on the system’s current needs, typically at lower speeds with reduced offloading, reducing wear and tear on system and pump components. Inbuilt ODIN® technology improves response and reduces damaged caused to seals and hoses caused by pressure surges and spikes. As a result, AGILIS maintenance schedules can be extended which reduces costs and ensures maximum uptime. Core components of the system are specifically designed as ‘plug and play’ for quick and easy replacement for when maintenance is required.
Environmental benefits
AGILIS also delivers a reduced impact on the environment. The system requires less water consumption with no external cooling being required, and the high efficiency and parallel pumping technology reduces energy consumption and therefore lowers CO2 emissions. Whereas a typical coal mine experiences a 2% loss of emulsion due to leakages, mostly caused by damage incurred to hydraulic components, AGILIS’s operating system cuts the level of emulsion loss by minimising pressure spikes on components such as seals and joints and operating noise is also lower enhancing worker safety and compliance to workplace standards.
“We’re delighted to announce the launch of AGILIS,” commented Kathryn Poke, Engineering Director at RMI. “In addition to its low operational cost and green credentials, we’re proud that the integrated system has the potential to boost coal face productivity by up to 5%. Here at RMI, we are prioritising the development of our sustainable mining portfolio and, with the launch of our latest, innovative mining technology solution, are leading the way in the digital era.”
AGILIS is a fully certified product, meeting ATEX, IECEx and MA requirements, suitable for Ex 1 M2 Ex d 1 Mb mining environments.
For more information about AGILIS, please visit www.rmipsl.com
High pressure pump manufacturer, RMI Pressure Systems Limited, has enhanced its digital communications and brand presence with a brand new website and social media profiles.
The new look website (www.rmipsl.com) has been designed to be easy to navigate, with responsive design for use on a variety of devices and engaging content to enhance the user experience.
Core pages provide visitors with details of the full RMI product range, with individual product pages for new Agilis, Quinmax and Trimax pumps which include quick links to download materials such as brochures, case studies and data sheets. Further pages provide information on RMI’s service capabilities and key sectors served.
The new media centre also allows visitors to keep up to date with the latest news and developments from RMI and includes links to the social media channels which RMI recently joined which include linkedin, twitter, and wechat.
Simon Parker, Global Leader for RMI, commented ‘Being close the market and our customers is fundamental to our business so the updated RMI website and new social media channels have been developed with the aim of providing our customers with easy access to our core product information as well as enabling us to communicate more regularly and effectively to enhance customer engagement and interaction’.
Visit www.rmipsl.com or follow RMI on linkedin, twitter and wechat (@rmipsl).
The task of producing coal from a longwall mine has been made more efficient with the use of more reliable equipment which is able to deliver high outputs. The process of installing and recovering mining equipment at the coal face is both time consuming and labour intensive, meaning that coal production drops extensively. In order to assist in reducing the overall time lost to the recovery phase, RMI Pressure Systems has developed three surface or ground salvage units designed to improve the efficiency of the recovery of the hydraulic roof support structures.
The efficiency of a mine is ultimately what keeps it working, so mine operators are continually looking to improve performance. The process for designing and selecting roof support systems for longwall mining must be rigorous to ensure the safety of all those working in the mine. It is therefore important to be able to recover this equipment, once the mining in a certain area has been completed, as efficiently as possible. This retrieval process requires the use of salvage pump units, which can be installed to provide hydraulic power while the main systems are disconnected and relocated.
RMI is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high pressure, high flow pumping systems and has been designing solutions for the mining industry for many years. The salvage units provide self-contained pumping units which have extensive safety features and are designed to ensure safe and reliable operation in the harsh mining environment.
The standard salvage pumping unit is fitted with the proven S300 Trimax pump which is driven by the on-board 110kW electric motor, which provides a typical duty of 202 l/min at 208 bar. These basic specifications can be altered to suit specific customer requirements to ensure that the delivered system will provide reliable hydraulic power during the retrieval process.
The pump assembly is fully flameproof and comes complete with a starter unit with remote start/stop facility as well as strobe lighting to indicate the running condition. The tank assembly provides inlet and return lines which are fitted with filters to ensure the hydraulic fluid is kept free from contamination and promote longer component life.
The salvage units are each contained within a steel framed skid, which is fitted with both forklift truck slots and lifting eyes to ensure safe and secure transportation. The frame is equipped with four manually adjustable legs to ensure the pump and fluid tanks can be levelled to maintain correct operation.
Luke Gibson, General Manager, RMI Australia, comments “RMI has been designing solutions for the mining industry for many years. With the majority of applications in remote areas, with limited access and where unplanned downtime is very expensive, reliability is an essential quality required of our equipment. We have an enviable reputation for designing efficient and reliable equipment, which has been used across the world in the longwall mining industry for many years.”
The salvage units can be hired or purchased to suit the operational requirements of each mine, while the individual specifications can be arranged to ensure optimum operating performance. For further information on the product, or to learn more about RMI Australia services, please contact the RMI Australia sales office, details can be found on the www.rmipsl.com.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1: RMI Longwall Salvage Unit
Photo 2: RMI Longwall Salvage Unit
Photo 3: Longwall mining
About RMI Pressure Systems
For more than a century, RMI has been producing premium-quality high-pressure pumps for global mining and industrial applications. An early innovator in the design and manufacture of high-pressure systems for Longwall mining, today RMI employs the expert resources at its UK engineering research centre to great effect, introducing new solutions designed to reduce process complexity and optimise customers’ productivity.
The collaborative relationships RMI forms with clients creates a climate of proactive response, inspiring progress and resulting in consistently high service levels. At RMI, we aim to deliver enhanced value and reliability to customers, focusing our efforts on helping them to become more productive by cutting operational costs and boosting output. We can only achieve these advancements by listening to – and learning from – the issues that are important to our clients. It is this unwavering commitment to the learning process that helps RMI drive innovation with, and for, the customer. It elevates our ability to better serve our customers – and, ultimately, the world in which we live.
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