The majority of pumps used for dewatering, slurry handling and a number of other processes in the quarrying industry tend to be centrifugal [roto-dynamic) types, that is they have rotating parts that create the force that moves the water. If the process stream contains abrasives (which it invariably does), hard materials are used for the impellers, back plates, wear plates and shafts. The more demanding the process, the harder the materials used. There is a well known pump industry statement that most pump breakdowns are caused by seal failure. Mechanical seals are used to overcome seal wear, and while seals are seen as the weakest link in the chain and tend to fail first, they are not always the root cause of the problem.
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