When BHP Billiton needed a high-quality, reliable hot water high-pressure jetting unit built for harsh mine site conditions, Pumps Australia Pty Ltd was given a clear challenge: design and manufacture a heavy-duty, Australian-made system that could perform day after day in demanding environments.
The result was a purpose-built hot water high-pressure jetting unit engineered for strength, reliability and long-term mine site use.
Pumps Australia designed and manufactured a heavy-duty hot-dipped galvanised trailer capable of handling rough off-road and corrugated road conditions. The trailer was built to carry the X’treme PX21 unit, powered by a Yanmar diesel engine with electric start.
Unit Specs
- 21Lpm at 3800Psi Class A unit – one man operation
- Hot water Temperature to 160c
- Continuous operation
- Stainless steel enclosure
The unit was designed as a Class A, one-man operation machine, delivering 21 litres per minute at 3,800 PSI, with hot water temperatures up to 160°C. It was built for continuous operation and housed in a stainless steel, sound-attenuated enclosure. The hot water boiler system featured seamless German coils rated to 5,000 PSI, originally operating with a 240-volt ignition system.
The unit went on to perform reliably on site for six years, cleaning mine site drills, shovels, trucks and a wide range of other heavy equipment. During that time, it required only routine maintenance and proved its value in some of Australia’s toughest operating conditions.
Following updated mine site safety requirements, BHP Billiton engineering later requested that the units be converted to a fully 12-volt DC system. The new requirements did not allow inverters or 240-volt systems on site.
Pumps Australia’s research and development team undertook extensive testing over a three-month period to develop a practical and reliable solution. The final system operated using only the 12-volt charging circuit of the diesel engine, with no generator, no inverter and no complicated circuit boards.
As part of this development, Pumps Australia created a 12-volt DC ignition system capable of producing up to 20,000 volts DC. This system provided a sharper, more reliable ignition while meeting mine site safety requirements.
The 12-volt system has now been operating successfully across mine sites throughout Australia for more than four years. Its simple, robust and reliable design has made it a proven solution for industrial and mining applications.
Pumps Australia continues to manufacture a wide range of hot and cold high-pressure jetting units, including petrol, diesel and electric models. The company’s largest diesel hot and cold jetting unit delivers 32 litres per minute at 7,000 PSI and is available with a 12-volt mine-site-safe system.
All units are manufactured at Pumps Australia’s 4,300 m² facility in Perth, Western Australia. The company also offers custom design and build services, backed by a large inventory of spare parts and a full operating service centre.
From standard equipment through to custom-built mine site systems, Pumps Australia continues to deliver reliable, high-performance jetting equipment built for Australian conditions.
For more information, contact:
John Warne
Mobile: 0402 032 314
Office: 1800 790 915
