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A large-scale frac sand producer operating in Texas brought under control the contamination-related failures in its centrifugal slurry pumps, which had been occurring roughly every two weeks, by using an automatic lubrication system. According to a case study published by Dodge Industrial, no pump failures occurred for more than a year after 34 OPTIFY Intelli-Lube units were installed on 11 pumps, and annual cost savings of over USD 1.73 million were calculated.
Harsh operating conditions were shortening bearing life
The application took place at a facility in Texas that produces more than 3 million tonnes of frac sand per year and has a loading capacity of around 15,000 tonnes per day. Frac sand used in hydraulic fracturing operations goes through a multi-stage production process including washing, drying, crushing and classification. Centrifugal slurry pumps play an important role in conveying the material during this process.
The main problem with the pumps was the ingress of water and corrosive substances into the bearings. The facility was carrying out continuous manual greasing to flush contaminants away from the bearings and had even assigned a full-time employee to this task. However, in the harsh operating environment, manual lubrication could not consistently provide the protection the bearings needed.
According to data shared by Dodge Industrial, the slurry pumps were going out of service roughly every two weeks for contamination-related reasons. Each failure was calculated to cost around USD 120,000, including spare parts, labour and unplanned production losses.
Switching from manual to automatic lubrication
Plant management initially evaluated several options, including increasing manual greasing activities and using different lubrication systems. In the end, Dodge Industrial’s OPTIFY Intelli-Lube automatic single-point lubrication system was applied to the pump bearings.
The system automatically delivers a set amount of grease to the bearing at defined time intervals. The lubricators are also connected to the OPTIFY condition monitoring platform, enabling remote monitoring of system status and tracking of cartridge replacement needs. As a result, lubrication no longer depends on an operator physically attending the pump at set intervals.
34 automatic lubricators installed on 11 pumps
As part of the project, a total of 34 OPTIFY Intelli-Lube units were fitted to 11 slurry pumps at the facility. Lubrication quantities and operating intervals were set via the OPTIFY platform according to the needs of the application.
According to the case study, after the system was commissioned, the pump failures that had previously occurred roughly every two weeks stopped. No pump failures were recorded for more than a year after the initial installation. Routine maintenance work for manually greasing the bearings was also eliminated.
Following these results, plant management is reported to be planning to extend the system to other pump bearings and to other critical bearing applications at the site.
Annual savings of over USD 1.73 million
According to the calculation in Dodge Industrial’s case study, the total impact of the application on material, unplanned downtime and labour costs reached annual savings of USD 1,731,440. The calculation is stated to be based on a one-year documented cost comparison prepared by the manufacturer.
The application also shows that lubrication in heavy-duty pump systems is not merely a periodic maintenance task. Especially in operating conditions involving water, abrasive particles and corrosive substances, lubrication carried out in the right quantity and at the right intervals can have a direct impact on bearing reliability and plant availability.
In this example, using automatic lubrication together with a condition monitoring infrastructure has moved maintenance from a reactive, post-failure approach to a more controlled and traceable structure.
Project summary
Application: Centrifugal slurry pumps
Problem: Bearing contamination and pump failures caused by water and corrosive substances
Solution: OPTIFY Intelli-Lube automatic lubricators
Installation: 34 units on 11 pumps
Previous failure frequency: Roughly every 2 weeks
Result: No pump failures for more than 1 year
Reported annual savings: USD 1,731,440
Author
Pompa Vana
Pump Valve and Systems MagazinePompa Vana · September-October 2026Read the latest issue free →
