A slurry pump’s throatbush is one of the components that can wear down the fastest, reducing pump efficiency. Making adjustments to reduce the gap between the throatbush and the impeller often happens while the pump is in operation to avoid impacting production, but this can put the safety of personnel at risk. To combat that, Weir Minerals created a new automated throatbush adjustment technology. “By mechanizing the adjustment procedure, personnel are removed from the line of fire, and the accuracy of axial movement is increased,” said Ron Bourgeois, director of Weir’s slurry pumping technology group. On alloy throatbushes, the technology adjusts all four bolts simultaneously to guarantee accurate positioning. For rubber throatbushes, which require a gap between the throatbush and impeller, Weir has an automated rotating solution that maintains an optimum gap to avoid particles tearing the rubber as they flow through. Weir has also integrated the technology with its IIoT Synertrex platform, which will collect and analyze data from the adjustment system to offer predictive maintenance suggestions based on past adjustments.