A retrofit programme at a German sugar production facility has reduced sealing water consumption by approximately 80%, saving more than 6.2 million litres of water during a single production season while improving the reliability of critical process equipment.
The project, delivered by John Crane, upgraded the mechanical seals on four continuously operating pumps used in sugar processing. The improvements reduced the amount of water required for seal cooling and lubrication without replacing the existing pumps.
The results demonstrate how targeted equipment upgrades can help industrial manufacturers reduce water consumption while maintaining operational performance in demanding process environments.
Industrial water savings through equipment upgrades
Water is widely used to cool and lubricate mechanical seals in industrial pumping applications. In sectors such as food processing, where equipment operates continuously for extended periods, even modest reductions in water use can generate significant savings.
Before the retrofit, the four pumps required between eight and 12 litres of sealing water per minute. Following installation of the new sealing systems, consumption fell to approximately one to two litres per minute for each application.
Across four pumps operating continuously throughout a 180-day sugar processing campaign, this equated to a water saving of more than 6.2 million litres.
Improving reliability during sugar production
In the sugar industry, processing campaigns operate around the clock during the harvesting season, placing significant demands on pumping equipment.
Prior to the upgrade, the existing mechanical seals were typically failing every three to four months due to high operating temperatures, abrasive process media and crystallisation within the system.
The programme covered four pump applications handling thin juice, thick juice and recirculation process streams, operating at temperatures between 80°C and 133°C.
Extending seal life while reducing maintenance
John Crane engineers assessed each installation before selecting mechanical seal configurations suited to the operating conditions and available installation space.
The retrofit allowed the customer to retain its existing pumps while upgrading the sealing systems using Type 587, Type 5620 and SB2 Upstream Pumping (USP) mechanical seals together with appropriate barrier fluid support systems.
According to John Crane, the upgraded installations have operated without a reported seal failure since 2019, increasing seal service life from an average of three to four months to several years.
Supporting long-term water resilience
As industrial facilities seek to reduce water consumption and improve operational efficiency, upgrading existing assets is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to full equipment replacement.
Aziz Sallie, Vice President, Commercial and Service at John Crane, said the project demonstrated how improvements in mechanical sealing technology can deliver both environmental and operational benefits.
“Saving more than 6.2 million litres of water during a single production campaign is a significant result, but this is also a compelling reliability story. These pumps operate in hot, abrasive process conditions where seals had been failing every three to four months. With no reported seal failures since 2019, the customer is seeing measurable value in water efficiency, maintenance and long-term performance.”
The customer is now planning further conversions across additional equipment as part of its wider programme to improve operational efficiency and reduce water consumption.
