by Angelin Sharmila | Jul 24, 2023 | News
With the viability of steel industry seriously impacted by high energy costs, RMI Pressure Systems will be showcasing its energy-efficient high-pressure reciprocating pump solutions at the Association for Iron and Steel Technology (AISTech) conference in May.
The steel industry’s largest annual trade show and exposition, AISTech 2023, will be held in Detroit, Michigan from 8-11 May. Among the key issues on delegates’ minds will be the dramatic increases in energy costs, as well as inflation and rising capital costs, according to Sean Heary, RMI Pressure Systems’ Global Sales Manager.
“Other challenges facing the industry include the disrupted supply chain resulting from Covid-19 economic lockdowns, followed by the Russia-Ukraine war,” said Heary. “The sector is looking for lower capital and operating costs, which is what RMI Pressure Systems can deliver through our years of experience with best-in-class plunger pumps.”
At its exhibition booth (1177) at AISTech, the company will be sharing insights with visitors on its hydraulic power packs and systems for heavy industry – for applications including descaling, forging and extrusion. It will also be promoting its solutions for high-pressure flow applications such as cleaning, cooling and dust suppression.
“Our pumps feature a quality and robust design that facilitates extended operating life, optimal uptime, productivity and low total cost of ownership,” he said. “RMI reciprocating pumps deliver 95% energy efficiency; variable speed technology reduces pressure when it is not required, so there is less wear and tear on system components – for longer life.”
The two models in the RMI Pressure Systems’ S Series range – the TRIMAX three-plunger pumps and the QUINMAX five-plunger pumps – have proven volumetric efficiencies up to 98%. Their fluid end components are designed with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to maximise efficiency.
RMI Pressure Systems business development manager John Brown highlighted the importance of partner-based solutions that result in lower operating costs.
“By listening to the customer voice, we are able to design and deliver solutions that suit specific requirements,” said Brown. “Our strong engineering and manufacturing capability – built from over a century in this business – has allowed us to us to develop and improve our product offerings.”
With its global installed base, RMI Pressure Systems has local service infrastructure in key markets to support customers, he said. The company’s manufacturing hub in Manchester, England, includes an in-house research and development capability to drive continuous innovation of its products and solutions. It has operations in the UK, Europe, US, China, India and Australia.
Sean Heary
Joining RMI Pressure Systems last year as Global Sales Manager, Mining and Industrial, Sean Heary is supporting the expansion of the company’s sales opportunities across the globally with special responsibility for Europe, Middle East and Africa.. He has spent many years in the natural resources and mining services industries, and has extensive international experience in business development, sales and services. He has held senior roles in leading multinational companies in the mining sector, and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia. Born and raised in Perth, he speaks English and some Russian, and is currently based in Germany.
by Angelin Sharmila | Jun 26, 2023 | News
Responses to questions from International Metalworking News Asia
From Sabrina Zhang, Director for Aftermarket Sales, Services and RMI Operations in China
1) What are the global trends in the high-pressure pumps industry?
Users of high pressure pumps are increasingly focused on energy efficiency and sustainability. We have seen this trend clearly in China. Just a decade ago, for instance, our patented ODIN® (On Demand Intelligence) control logic system was a significant innovation in the local market – using variable speed control to optimise performance and save energy. Today, it is common to see longwall mining tenders specifying the inclusion of variable speed drives in a system. Customers really pay attention to efficiency, as this can deliver considerable financial savings.
We have also seen rapid developments in the technology and design of high pressure pumps, including the material used. This has led to more robust products and user-friendly control systems.
Predictive maintenance has also been an important focus in China, combined with remote monitoring of high pressure pumps systems. This has a special relevance for underground mining, as it allows personnel to perform more of their work from surface – enhancing both safety and productivity as personnel do not need to travel to the coalface as often, and can spend less time in potentially hazardous zones. In addition to monitoring, the operator can even control aspects of the pumps remotely.
2) Have you noticed any changes in the expectations and requirements of your customers in China (APAC) since the Covid-19 pandemic?
Most readers will be familiar with the very strict lockdowns in China over the three years of the Covid-19 pandemic; during this time, coal mines still needed to meet certain production targets so that the country had electrical power. Our customers therefore needed reliable and uninterrupted access to spare parts and service. The severe disruptions to the global supply chain meant that we had to keep more inventory – both at our factory in Shanghai and at our warehouses close to our customers.
We also ramped up our localisation strategy to deal with the logistical uncertainties of importing goods; this led to more local sourcing, so that we could shorten our lead times to customers. With the travel restrictions, we also located service engineers closer to the mine sites so that they could visit customers regularly and maintain a high level of technical service.
One of the main outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic was that equipment manufacturers and suppliers had to find innovative ways to improve the resilience of their supply chains. Among the ways we achieved this as RMI Pressure Systems was by upgrading our Shanghai production facilities and diversifying our sourcing strategy.
3) How do you view the adoption of high-pressure systems in the Asia Pacific region?
High pressure reciprocating pumps are employed in many industry sectors from mining and steelmaking to oil and gas – with various applications requiring their own performance specifications or even materials of construction. There is a competitive market in the supply of these high pressure systems, although there is a wide variety in the quality of offerings and their reliability. As an early entrant to the market in China, RMI Pressure Systems have been differentiated through our robust design and our manufacturing expertise. These factors give customers high uptime levels and longer equipment life – for a lower total cost of ownership.
4) What is your role in driving growth for your products and solutions in China?
There are three main areas of focus in my role within RMI China, starting with aftermarket sales – which I have already managed for the past five years. This is a critical area of our responsibility to existing customers, keeping their RMI pumps well maintained and productive. In this way, we have built a loyal customer base that trusts our systems and support.
The second key aspect of driving RMI’s growth in China has been the process of earning certification from the MA Centre, which we achieved in April this year. The MA Centre is the Chinese agency responsible for approving and certifying the safety of mining products before they can be used underground. This opens up the market substantially for us, as we now qualify to participate in many more tenders where our products match the technical tender requirements. Up to this year, we have only been permitted to submit proposals for about three tenders each year; this number now increases potentially to hundreds of opportunities. Of course, our success will rely on our ability to be cost-competitive among many local suppliers. Our localisation strategy is aimed at doing this, while maintaining the high quality for which our pump solutions are known.
Thirdly, we are continuing to develop our marketing channels in China for new system sales, adding to the partnerships we have with local agents, representatives and distributors.
5) Which business segments make you feel confident about the opportunities ahead for the company in the next year; and are you noticing demand emerging from any new industry or segment?
With our recent MA certification, there are exciting opportunities to grow our presence in the longwall coal mining segment of the market – where we have been established for over 30 years. We expect to increase our new system sales, as we are now able to participate in many more tenders in this segment – and can build on our strong reputation in this industry.
In addition to powering longwall equipment underground, our high pressure reciprocating pump systems also play a role in dust suppression and cleaning in coal mines. These applications point to a range of other industries that could be potential markets for these systems, such as water and wastewater treatment.
6) What do you think are the key manufacturing priorities in APAC for 2023 and how can your technology give the industry a positive outlook for the future.
Our key manufacturing priorities at the moment are to continue building resilience in our supply chain, while at the same time progress our localisation strategy. These two imperatives are allowing us to diversify our sourcing, to improve pricing and lead times – which in turn will assist us in our efforts to improve cost-competitiveness.
Another important element of our manufacturing strategy is to incorporate more intelligent technology in our system solutions to customers. Beyond our expertise in pump design and manufacture, we are also responding to customers’ needs for automation and intelligent mining strategies. This means gathering and analysing data on pumps’ operating functions, to predict what maintenance is required – thereby avoiding unscheduled downtime. Operators can run our pumps from a centralised operating room, improving safety and efficiency.
Our intelligent emulsion mixer unit, for instance, can measure the concentration of the oil-water mix and keep the concentration within the required parameters. We also use our patented control logic system ODIN® (On Demand Intelligence) to proactively collect the combined face pressure signal and powered roof support initiation of the longwall mining systems – to enhance their performance. This kind of technology is an essential part of building economies that are safe, productive and sustainable.
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.
by Nicola Cox | Sep 12, 2022 | News
(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.”
by rmiadmin | Jun 16, 2020 | News
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
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