A pulp and paper mill in the southern United States has reduced water consumption by 90 percent and improved equipment reliability following a mechanical seal upgrade implemented by John Crane, a provider of flow-control technologies.
The upgrade addressed persistent seal failures in the mill’s cellulose fibre production process, which had been causing frequent maintenance interventions and excessive water use.
John Crane recommended the deployment of its Type SB2 USP dual cartridge mechanical seal system, designed for demanding slurry and abrasive pulp applications. The system incorporates upstream pumping seal face technology intended to stabilise seal operation and reduce the amount of barrier fluid required.
Prior to the upgrade, the facility experienced mechanical seal failures approximately every three weeks. The existing sealing arrangement also consumed roughly three gallons of water per minute, with limited conservation measures in place.
Following installation of the new sealing system, mean time between repairs increased to more than twelve months. Water consumption fell from three gallons per minute to approximately 0.3 gallons per minute.
The improvement has reduced unplanned production interruptions and lowered maintenance requirements at the facility.
Industrial seal technology and water management in pulp production
Industrial seal technology plays an important role in controlling fluid leakage and managing water consumption across many process industries, including pulp and paper manufacturing.
Mechanical seals are commonly used on pumps that transport fibre slurries and process liquids throughout pulp production systems. When seals fail or operate inefficiently, they can lead to fluid losses, higher energy use and increased maintenance requirements.
The upgraded system installed at the mill includes a seal reservoir and a five-micron filtration system designed to maintain a controlled sealing environment and protect sealing surfaces from contamination.
According to project engineers, these measures help stabilise seal performance while extending operational life under abrasive process conditions.
The improvements have reduced overall water demand while increasing operational uptime in the mill’s fibre processing operations.
Cost savings and reliability improvements
The mechanical seal upgrade was completed within several weeks, including system preparation and installation support from John Crane’s field service team.
Since commissioning, the mill has achieved an estimated $75,000 reduction in total cost of ownership through lower maintenance costs, fewer repairs and improved production continuity.
The successful deployment has encouraged the facility to evaluate similar upgrades across additional slurry pump systems.
More coverage of industrial water management technologies is available in the H2O Global News industrial section.
