Our Challenge
A food and beverage manufacturer for several national brands was a customer of OTC, who for years had been providing service work on pumps for the manufacturer's wastewater department.
An older chocolate pump had a seal that was worn out and could not be repaired. The seal led to significant product leaks. In addition to the more than $70,000 in wasted product every year, the leak cleanup required significant maintenance man-hours, which added to the cost.
Due to its location on the factory floor, simply replacing the pump could be problematic. Any solution had to fit into the currently provided space. It also had to be easily maintained and eliminate the mess and leaks of the current equipment.
The manufacturer asked the pump experts at OTC for help.
Our Solution
After reviewing the facility and the production and pump requirements, OTC proposed replacing the old pump with a new Viking chocolate pump with an O-Pro seal. This is a self-lubricating seal that is designed to be leak free and reduce the need for maintenance.
To meet the site and space requirements, OTC custom-built a stainless-steel base for the pump. This ensured the new equipment would fit where it needed to after installation.
Results
Installation of the new pump was smooth, the base fit perfectly, and pump startup was problem free. The new pump has been operating without leaks since it was installed. This has eliminated the wasted chocolate and the cost of leak cleanup. The facility has a cleaner working environment.
The manufacturer is very happy with the results, and the pump is performing as designed. Maintenance personnel are extremely happy with the pump and seal performance. Due to the success of the project, leadership has begun looking at other pump applications that could be improved.