A chemical manufacturer in Louisiana transports a variety of water-treatment chemicals to customer locations across its service network. The company relied primarily on competitor rotary lobe and helical gear pumps equipped with stainless steel shafts and gears.

While both pump technologies had been used successfully in certain applications, each presented significant operational challenges:

• The rotary lobe pump had a high initial purchase price and expensive rebuild costs.
• The helical gear pump experienced sealing issues and was difficult and costly to rebuild.
• Both pump designs were prone to locking up when residual product remained in the pump after tank washing or extended idle periods.
• The complexity and cost of rebuilding the helical gear pumps often resulted in replacement rather than repair, increasing overall lifecycle costs.

Through discussions with the customer and their local Viking Pump Transport distributor, Hart Industries, it became evident that the use of stainless steel components was not driven by chemical compatibility requirements. Rather, the stainless steel gears and shafts in the helical gear pump were selected to help prevent pump seizure, which could occur when pumps were not thoroughly cleaned or were left idle for extended periods.

Immediate Cost Savings

The first thing the client noticed was the significantly lower purchase price of the RTPg30.

Unlike helical gear pumps, the RTPg30 internal gear design minimizes shaft exposure to the pumped liquid and reduces internal wear points. As a result, Viking determined that costly stainless steel gears and shafts were unnecessary for this application. This alone reduced the client’s initial capital investment.

Exceptional Performance

Following installation, drivers immediately noticed one unexpected advantage: the RTPg30 operated extremely quietly.

One driver remarked:

"I didn't even realize the pump was running because it was so quiet."

The RTPg30 was then tested on one of the client’s most viscous products—a fluid that had previously caused priming difficulties with competing pumps. The RTPg30 primed quickly and consistently without issue.

Leak-Resistant Operation

The client also reported zero external leakage throughout the trial period.

This performance was attributed to Viking's L-Pro™ dry-run capable double-lip seal technology, combined with a design featuring fewer potential leak paths than competitive pump technologies.

Faster Unloading

Another key performance improvement was unloading speed.

With a best-in-class displacement of approximately 0.28 gallons per revolution, the RTPg30 significantly outperformed both the helical gear and rotary lobe competitor products. The customer estimated unloading times were reduced by approximately 15 minutes per load, improving driver productivity and reducing overall delivery cycle times.

Simplified Maintenance

Although the RTPg30 continued to perform at high levels throughout the trial, Viking demonstrated the pump's rebuild process using a 3D-printed training model.

The client’s maintenance team was impressed by the simplicity of the design.

Compared to the competitor rotary lobe pump—which has rebuild kits costing nearly the equivalent of two new RTPg30 pumps—and the helical gear pump, which often requires specialized tools, drilling, tapping, and hydraulic pressing during rebuilds, the RTPg30 could be rebuilt internally with minimal effort.

For the first time, our client saw an opportunity to perform pump rebuilds in-house rather than outsourcing maintenance work.

Lower Lifecycle Costs

The advantages became even more compelling when rebuild costs were reviewed.

RTPg30 rebuild kits are typically priced at approximately 30% of the cost of a new pump, allowing customers to maximize asset life rather than replacing pumps prematurely.

After evaluating both operating and maintenance costs, the client concluded that the RTPg30 delivered substantial savings while simultaneously improving reliability, unloading performance, and ease of maintenance.

Solution:

By standardizing on the Viking Pump RTPg30, this water treatment chemical manufacturer achieved:

• Lower initial pump investment
• Reduced maintenance and rebuild expenses
• Faster unloading times
• Improved priming performance on viscous products
• Leak-resistant operation
• Easier in-house maintenance
• Increased asset life and return on investment
• Greater reliability across its fleet

The RTPg30 enabled our client to shift from a reactive maintenance strategy toward a lower-cost, higher-performance pumping solution that supports long-term operational efficiency.

Every year, transportation companies look for opportunities to increase productivity, reduce costs, improve efficiency, and do more with less. The right equipment can make a significant difference in fleet performance, maintenance cost, and driver productivity.