Dustless Plaster Pump

Feature summary

• 95% reduction in dust: mixing nozzle ensures no dry particles enter the atmosphere
• Seal spraying time cut to 25%: holds enough product to spray an entire seal without stopping or refilling
• 50% less setup time: easy to use, with simple, intuitive controls
• Low-maintenance: long-life parts, with a 12-month life on rotary valve rather than fortnightly replacement, no consumable wear pads

The Dustless Pump: a game changer for productivity and safety

When we looked closely at pump technology, not much had changed since the early 1900s. Pumping grout, plaster and concrete to an underground operation is laborious, highly unreliable and hard on equipment, requiring plenty of maintenance and part changes. Not to mention the process of cleaning out a line slowing down an operation.

We know productivity is king in an underground mining operation. That’s why our Dustless Pump is engineered for peak efficiency.

The dustless operation brings major production benefits, including:

• Ability to use without time windows
• No need for exclusion zones
• Zero production interruptions
• Pumps four times quicker

Then there are the safety benefits to your team and ours:

• Limited airborne contaminants – both for breathing and visibility
• Less manual handling of plaster and cement products
• Reduced risk of injury with component changeouts

Real-life results

We trialled the Dustless Pump in September 2021 at Glencore’s Oaky Creek North underground operation. The aim was to directly compare the dust reduction during spraying operations with existing industry-standard technology.

Testing process

• We set up identical work areas on the longwall, with environmental, ventilation and procedural requirements met.
• We measured ventilation parameters prior to spraying, to determine the baseline environmental conditions.
• We measured observed atmosphere dust levels during spraying, using a Hund Wetzler Dust Monitoring Unit.
• We didn’t use any spray bars or additional dust control measures (although these can be used with our pump), to provide the cleanest comparison.

95% dust reduction achieved

The results demonstrate an average 95% in dust reduction at three key points:

• Nozzleman location
• Mid-point between pump and nozzleman
• Return ventilation side of nozzleman

And if the numbers don’t convince you, here’s a visual demonstration: