PUMPS: GIW renews commitment to customer support

[caption id="attachment_1003723439" align="aligncenter" width="527"] The GIW Minerals TBC high pressure pump.[/caption] GROVETOWN, Georgia – Many GIW pump customers in the mining industry faced struggles over the past few years. In 2017, the market flattened out and began turning upward. GIW Industries was not exempt from the market’s volatility. Although the year was not without its challenges, GIW was able to assist our customers in achieving some major successes. Here’s a recap of the past year and a look toward what the rest of 2018 has in store. The most significant highlight of 2017, according to GIW president and managing director Wolfgang Demmler, was the speed of the turnaround in the mining market, especially in oil sands and hardrock mining. “We saw an increase in commodity prices and oil prices – a trend that started at the end of 2016,” Demmler said. “That’s very positive, and we expect that to continue for the next two to three years.” Along with the market upswing, GIW experienced a significant increase in orders last year. This led to the opportunity for GIW to develop a custom solution for a major Canadian oil sands operation near Fort McMurray, Alberta. Like many oil sands operations, this customer’s facility faced frequent, costly shutdowns due to underperforming and malfunctioning pumps. Its existing pump struggled to achieve 1,300 hours of runtime before requiring part replacements. Experts at GIW developed a customized GIW Minerals TBC-67 High Pressure Pump that achieved more than 4,000 hours of operation between shutdowns. The TBC-67 pump was so successful that the customer will introduce similar product enhancements to GIW pumps at other sites. It is GIW’s customer-centric business model that enables the company to customize slurry pumps ideally suited to the end user’s needs. To further serve customers, GIW has introduced an improved ordering system. “We have connected some major customers with our online ordering tool, the KSB Web Shop,” Mr. Demmler said. “This is a win-win solution because it will speed the order processing efforts on both sides.” GIW plans to roll out Web Shop to other international customers who are running SAP. Demmler expects a strong 2018. The focus will be on ramping up capacity so the company can fulfill demand and refill stock. Customers who want to take advantage of the improved markets will benefit from GIW’s focus on shorter delivery times. “We’re developing a quick-ship program,” Demmler explained. “Our goal is to deliver up to four pumps, of our standard range, in four weeks.” With a tradition of forward thinking, customers can rest assured knowing GIW will support them long into the future just as they have done since 1892. Find the perfect pump for your operation at www.KSB.com/ksb-us/Products_and_Markets/Mining/.