With so many product lines and acronyms, it can seem as though all of the pumps produced by KSB GIW, Inc. are a bit random. However, our products are more related than you may realize. Each pump is a unique part of a giant family tree, and, like any family, we have all shapes and sizes, a few historically significant members, and a handful that stand out on their own!
Each KSB GIW, Inc. product is part of a rich tapestry more than a century and a quarter old that has brought us to where we are today: A manufacturer of a diverse range of slurry pumps and products for our equally diverse mining and manufacturing customers across the globe.
Strong roots
Like any family tree, ours starts with strong roots. The company we all know today as KSB GIW, Inc. began in 1891 as a small, privately owned foundry and machine shop located in Augusta, GA. It was incorporated as Georgia Iron Works (GIW) in May of 1892 primarily as a production facility of high-grade heavy sawmill machinery and ornamental iron. In 1914, Georgia Iron Works began manufacturing spare parts for the solids-handling pumps used in the Florida phosphate industry. Soon thereafter, GIW began designing and manufacturing their own slurry pumps to meet their phosphate customers’ growing demands. This quickly became the sole focus of their production, permanently placing GIW in the slurry pump market as an Original Equipment Manufacturer of mining pumps.
Inside the original foundry on the Augusta Canal.
Originally, KSB GIW, Inc. produced low-speed (LS) and high-speed (HS) pumps. The LS pumps were available in two designs: A and B. As evolution would have it, GIW eventually discontinued the LS-B and HS pump lines, leaving the LS-A — or what is now formally known as the LSA — the oldest established product line still in production today.
Big branches
Today, KSB GIW, Inc. manufactures a variety of pumps. The GIW® LCC can be considered the father of the HVF and LCV products, while the GIW® LSA pump is the grandfather to all of the other product lines.
The LSA offspring all share the original mechanical end design; however, they all differ when it comes to the wetted end. Three or more products feature different hydraulic and pressure design aspects.
The GIW® LSA is regarded as the "grandfather" of the majority of the GIW product line.
Of course, no family tree would be complete without its fair share of “crazy uncles” who don’t seem to be related to anyone in particular. Although KSB GIW has retired most of these outliers, we have manufactured a handful of distant relatives that meet the needs of unique applications.
Additional acronyms from the GIW® Slurry Pumps family tree are as follows:
MDX – Mill Duty Extreme
HVF – High Volume Froth
RAMSL – Remotely Adjusted Mechanical Suction Liner
DWD – Double Wall Dredge
TBC — Tie Bolt Construction
TDW - Tailings Dewatering
LCC — Life Cycle Cost (originally meant Low Capital Cost)
WBC — Wide Bolt Circle
LHD — Low Head Dredge
MHD — Medium Head Dredge
DWD - Double Wall Dredge
Still growing
It’s fascinating to look back at this ever-growing tree and see how our customer focus has impacted our designs and manufacturing. These unique projects helped us branch out into the pump lines we have today. With pump impellers ranging in diameter from 9 inches to 9 feet, we’ve adapted and grown with our customers — and will keep doing so.
KSB GIW continues to be a mainstay in the global mining and dredge markets through cutting-edge technology, seasoned design, professional engineers, and a state-of-the-art testing facility.
Anyone with a specific slurry pumping need is invited to put KSB GIW, Inc. to the test. We are here to assist and welcome the opportunity to put our expertise to work for you!