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VIA battery factory in Southeast Asia kept having pump problems. Their pumps kept failing, and fixing them cost a lot of money. They called us for help.
The problem was not new. Acid was eating away the inside parts of their pumps. What stood out was how often the maintenance team had to fix it. After a short check, we found a simple fix. It saved them over $22,000 a year in repair costs, lost time, and spare parts. This blog shows what we did, why it worked, and how you can see if your own plant has the same hidden problem.
Background: high acid + nonstop pump failure
The factory runs all day and night. They make big batteries for cars and backup power. The job uses a lot of strong chemicals, especially sulfuric acid.
One pump was in charge of moving high-acid liquid. It failed every 4 to 6 months. That might not sound bad, but the costs added up fast. Every time it broke, they lost time, paid overtime, and bought more parts.
This pump was supposed to handle chemicals. It came from a top brand. The maker said it was “acid-resistant.” But in real use, it didn’t last. The pump ran all the time. The strong acid and long run times created a tough setup. Acid got into the seal area and made the seals wear out fast. Once the seal broke, the bearings failed soon after.
Every time the pump failed, they had to take it apart. The team replaced seals, bearings, and sometimes the shaft sleeve. These parts are not cheap. And failures often happened at night or during busy times. That led to more problems: late orders, lost batches, and tired workers.
Here’s something many people miss: chemical charts only tell you if a material can survive acid. They don’t show how it acts when used 24/7. There’s a big difference between “resistant” and “reliable.”
We started by checking what materials were used inside the pump. We also looked at how often the pump ran and how hot it got. All the clues were there. We just had to put them together.
Solution: API 685 pump + fluoroplastic lining
After we saw the failure pattern, we didn’t just replace parts—we changed the whole pump design. The old pump had mechanical seals. That’s okay for some jobs, but not for 24/7 acid duty. The seals took too much damage. Every leak caused more problems.
We told them to try an API 685 magnetic drive pump. This pump has no mechanical seal. That alone removed the main weak point. It uses magnets to turn the impeller. The motor and the pump are fully sealed apart. That means acid can’t get into the bearing area. These pumps are made for strong chemicals and nonstop work.
We went further. We picked a pump lined with fluoroplastic. This material holds up great against strong sulfuric acid, even when hot. Metal parts can slowly rust or pit. Fluoroplastics resist damage and last longer.
The new pump didn’t need big changes to the pipes. It fit well and had similar flow. We helped the team install it, align it, and check that it ran right. We also trained them on how to use it.
Since the change, the pump has run for over 18 months with no failures. No seal changes. No bearing damage. Just smooth, steady work.
Result: 9 months without replacement
Before the new pump, the factory had 2 to 3 major failures a year. Each one cost a lot in parts, labor, and lost time. After they got the API 685 pump with plastic lining and magnets, things improved fast. Nine months in, they didn’t have to touch it. No seal kits. No new bearings. No 2 a.m. emergency calls.
During a routine check, the team found no wear at all. The motor ran fine. No noise, no shaking. Temperatures stayed in the safe zone. Even the engineers were happy—the flow was steady, so batching got easier.
The new pump cost more at first. But after nine months, it already paid for itself. They saved over $22,000 in spare parts and lost time. That number doesn’t even count better delivery times or happier staff.
One worker said it best: “It’s the first time I’ve forgotten we even had a pump there.”
This result isn’t luck. When you remove the weak parts—like seals that can’t take acid—you stop the cycle of damage. And when you match the right material to the right job, the equipment just lasts longer.
