MechChem Africa January-February 2023

Pump rental offers benefits that are hard to beat

While there is sometimes a case for buying dewatering pumps and associated equipment outright, renting offers so many advantages that it should always be given close consideration. This is the view of Lee Vine, managing director of dewatering and dredge pump rental specialist IPR. W hile there is sometimes a case for buying dewatering pumps andassociatedequipment outright, rentingoffers advantages that arehard tobeat saysLeeVine,managing director of dewateringanddredgepump rental specialist

IPR, addingthat IPRisseeingastrongshift towards therentalmodel. “We startedup just sevenyearsagoand, sincethen,we’vehadtocontinuously add pumps to our fleet to meet ever growing demand from a range of industries, most especiallymining and construction,” he says. “Wenowhavemorethan200pumps inour rental fleet, abletohandle almost anypumping task. Our line-up includes submersibledrainage and dewateringpumps, slurryandsludgepumpsanddiesel-drivenpumps.We also offer dredging systems and hydromining solutions.” Vine believes that one of the prime advantages of renting is the elimi nation of upfront capital expenditure, which – depending on the type of equipmentrequired–canbeconsiderable. “Manycompanies–particularly if theyarestart-upsorareexperiencingtoughtradingconditions–simply cannot afford tomake this type of financial commitment,” he says. “If this is the case, rental is the ideal solution.” He points out that purchasing does not make business sense if the equipment required is onlyusedonan intermittent basis. “If you’re going tobuypumps, for example, thenyouneed toget themaximumutilisation outof them. Ifyouonlyhaveanoccasional needforpumping, thenIwould strongly recommend renting. It is madness to buy expensive equipment and then leave it standing for long periods.” Ownership also brings with it the problems of maintenance. “Pumps need to be maintained and this normally means that people with the re quired competence need to be permanently employed to undertake this task,”hesays. “WhenyourentfromIPR,weprovidethisservice.Ourskilled andexperienced techniciansundertakeall servicingandmaintenanceon site on a 24/7 basis. We also, of course, ensure that machines are in top condition before being sent out to customers.” Whenitcomestopumping, thereisnosuchthingas ‘onesizefitsall’ and Vine says this is another compelling reason to rent rather than buy. “IPR candrawfromitsextremelywiderangeofpumpsandotherequipment to providesolutionsthataretailoredtothecustomer’sneeds.Bycontrast,we often notice that companies that elect to purchase their own equipment endupusingpumps that are totallyunsuitedtothe taskathand. Theyare using thembecause that is all they have available.” By renting from IPR, customers also get the benefit of the latest technology. “Obviously, not every unit in our fleet will be the very latest

model but, generally, our inventory consists of new or relatively new machines that offer, amongst other things, excellent fuel efficiency,” says Vine. “Customers can rest assured that wewill never supply out-of-date equipment that is no longer fit for purpose.” While rental is the backbone of IPR’s business, the company also sells pumpsandotherequipment. It is thesoleagent insouthernAfrica for the well-establishedAtlasCopcodiesel-drivenpumpsets aswell as theAtlas Copco range of submersible pumps. AsVinecomments, “We’recertainlynot sayingthat customers should always rent. Under the right circumstances, direct ownership of assets such as pumps can be the best route to follow. We recognise this, which is whywe are geared to rent or sell.” IPR is based in modern premises in Jet Park, Johannesburg, where it has awell-equipped engineeringworkshop that allows it to provide fully customised pumping and dredging solutions to ISO9001 standards. www.pumprental.co.za IPR has more than 200 pumps in its rental fleet, enabling almost any pumping task to be handled.

IPR also offers dredging and hydro mining rental solutions.

Available from IPR is the Atlas Copco PAC H64, which offers a maximum flow rate of 460 m 3 at a maximum head of 150 m.

12 ¦ MechChem Africa • January-February 2023