SEEPEX’s Smart Joint Access is engineered to strengthen blasting performance by simplifying inspection.
For rock blasting operators calling for accurate and consistent loading of explosive emulsions, SEEPEX has risen to the challenge.
The company, with more than 50 years of experience delivering progressive cavity pump solutions across a range of industries, has now engineered pumps with Smart Joint Access to ensure the precise transfer of abrasive, corrosive, and viscous media.
“Pumps with Smart Joint Access are engineered to enhance equipment availability in demanding mining environments, with a large inspection opening enabling rapid joint checks, supporting consistent performance and maximising uptime,” SEEPEX global business development manager – mining Magalie Levray said.
“Low displacement reduces oil requirements and supports low total cost of ownership, while equal wall stator design delivers high-pressure capability in a small footprint.”
Technicians can inspect the pump joint without disassembling the unit, significantly reducing maintenance time and enhancing equipment availability.
The progressive cavity pump principle helps preserve the integrity of the emulsion while ensuring accurate dosing across multiple boreholes. Reduced internal leakage and improved heat dissipation further extend the service life of key wearing components.
Combine these capabilities with SEEPEX’s advanced progressive cavity pump technology and operators can achieve continuous, reliable operation even in space-limited, high-pressure environments.
“Operators can inspect joints quickly and rely on precise pumping of shear-sensitive and abrasive emulsions,” Levray said. “This is particularly critical in rock blasting, where every borehole counts for productivity.
“Even minor deviations in pumping can cause delays or reduce product quality, so Smart Joint Access strives to help operators achieve controlled fragmentation – an essential prerequisite to successful rock blasting operations.”
Operational gains in open-pit mining
The Australian mining industry is a global leader in the production of iron ore and gold, with Western Australia hosting some of the world’s largest open-pit operations. In the Pilbara and Goldfields regions, where iron ore and gold, respectively, are produced at-large, rock blasting is a critical process for ore extraction and pit wall preparation.
Smart Joint Access provides operational advantages to meet the challenges of large-scale production, where pumps must endure abrasive media, fluctuating pressures and harsh climatic conditions while remaining serviceable.
A compact hydraulic drive means the pumps can be easily installed on mobile units.
And by completing pre-operation inspections of the pump joints, operators can carry out consistent and uniform emulsion dosing during blast hole loading, as part of standard maintenance and setup procedures.
During operations, stable, controlled pumping is maintained, while the mining company benefits from customer-specific designs.
“With Smart Joint Access, an inspection opening can be configured on either side of a suction housing,” Levray said. “This optional design feature allows operators to specify the opening position to suit left or right truck mounting, simplifying installation planning and reducing overall integration costs.”
For technicians, the value is clear: Smart Joint Access enables joint inspections to be completed in minutes rather than hours, reducing uncertainty before blast hole loading.
Controlled pumping preserves emulsion integrity and ensures stable flow for uniform energy distribution in each borehole. For operations and procurement teams, this translates into higher uptime, predictable maintenance and lower lifecycle costs.
For more information on Smart Joint Access, visit seepex.com
This feature appeared in the Autumn edition of Pump Industry.
