Charles Warman

WARMAN, Charles Harold AM Hon FIEAust WASM Hon DSc (1910-2008)

Charles Warman was a visionary and an innovator. He revolutionised the global mineral processing industry by improving slurry pump design, and he invented what became known the Warman pump.

Charles Harold Warman was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia on August 29, 1910. At 15 years of age, Warman won a scholarship to attend the Western Australian School of Mines where he graduated in Engineering in 1931. During the latter part of his studies, from 1929 to 1930, he worked for the WAGR at Midland Junction. In the early 1930s, he worked as a draftsman at a gold mine in in Kalgoorlie, where he recognised that improvement in slurry pump technology was needed and set out to improve the designs. His first patent was taken in out in 1934 for a ball thrust bearing.

By 1938 he had made several improvements to slurry pump design and had taken out patents on his ideas. He improved the pump seal so that it was simple to replace and required little maintenance. He introduced a revolutionary replaceable rubber lining and impeller, something that had never been done before. This greatly extended the life of the pump.

Warman set up a private consulting practice while continuing to upgrade the Warman Pump. It wasn’t until after World War 2 that manufacturing of the pump began in earnest at a Kalgoorlie manufacturing plant, “Engineering Service Company”, operated in partnership with Warman. By 1948 his pumps were being used in the USA, Malaya, India and China.

A key reason for the growth of the Warman pump was that it was extremely reliable, and operators could trust it. It was this trust that enabled them to focus on other things in the plant and not have to worry about the pump stopping their business. As demand increased, offices were set up in Sydney and Perth. By the end of the 1950s, the pumps accounted for 90 per cent of the Western Australian slurry pump market.

Innovations continued with pumps designed for a number of tough applications. The pump took the market by storm due to its superior performance and long life and became the global standard. By the 1960s, Warman has manufacturing licences across the globe. The Warman Series “A” Pump was considered the world leader, a position retained to this day. Rapid growth continued for the Warman Pump in the 1970s, with licences set up in Japan, the United States, South Africa, Europe, the Philippines, South America and more. To reflect this growth, the company was renamed Warman International, but Warman retained its roots through expansion at its Sydney manufacturing facility, developing it into the only plant in the world where slurry pumps are designed, totally manufactured and tested in the one self contained site.

Warman International continued to expand in the 1980s, with an increase in exports throughout South America, and manufacturing in China. The first manufacturing plant in Chile was set up in 1990. Thanks to this continued growth and the expansion of Warman products, sales increase by 75 per cent despite a global financial dip. In 1999, Warman International joined the Weir Group — the beginning of a new chapter. The early part of 21st century saw the global reach of the Warman Pump extend, strengthening its presence in Latin America, North America and Europe. In 2008, South Africa’s CH Warman was acquired by Weir Group, consolidating all aspects of Warman pumps. With Weir Minerals, the Warman Pump continued to break new ground and lead the industry with innovative designs and products.

In 1988, the Warman Design and Build Competition was set up to help foster innovation in engineering students. Now in its 30th year, this competition is managed in conjunction with the Mechanical College of Engineers Australia.

A graduate and past lecturer of Curtin University of Technology’s Western Australian School of Mines (WASM), Dr Warman was one of WASM’s most accomplished graduates and was named by Engineers Australia as one of the top ten Australian Engineers of the century. He was inducted into the Australian Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame on 2009 and was recognised for his extraordinary and unique lifelong contribution to the Australian minerals industry by being awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Science by the University of New South Wales in 1983. He was also awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for services to engineering, the mining industry and the community in 1997.

Just as significant, he also played an important role in the early days of the development of iron ore mining in Western Australia by helping to develop the Mt Newman Iron Ore operations. His diverse consulting work also included design of a brickworks at Kalgoorlie and promotion of Alunite.

Dr Warman also established MD Research in Sydney in 1969, where he supported and contributed to education, postgraduate scholarships, student competitions and infrastructure development.

Dr Warman passed away on 11 July 2008, aged 97. He was well recognised by his engineering peers being awarded the prestigious AGM Michell medal in 1980, being made an honorary fellow of the Institution of Engineers in 1985 and being awarded the Sir Peter Nicol Russell medal in 1989.

Prepared by Phil Plaisted for the centenary book 'Anything is possible' in March 2019.