EagleBurgmann saves up to 70% of wash time

In the petrochemical industry, plant reliability is crucial and downtime can have significant economic consequences. For EagleBurgmann Italia S.r.l., cleaning mechanical seals during maintenance and overhaul is a demanding technical process. The company worked with Safetykleen to improve cleaning performance, reduce processing time and strengthen operator safety and compliance.

The company and its needs

EagleBurgmann Italia S.r.l. is a leading multinational company specialising in industrial sealing technologies. As well as manufacturing different types of mechanical seals, the company operates three repair centres specialising in after-sales service across a range of industries.

Mechanical seals operate in demanding conditions and can accumulate complex contamination during use. During maintenance and overhaul, the components must be thoroughly cleaned to remove these deposits before they can be returned to service.

One of EagleBurgmann’s main challenges was removing cracked hydrocarbon deposits. These stubborn residues form during refining processes and harden over time, adhering strongly to metal surfaces. Traditional cleaning methods using rags and solvents were ineffective, time-consuming and could compromise equipment quality.

The company also needed to prevent cross-contamination. EagleBurgmann’s service centres support customers across sectors including petrochemicals and food and beverage, making effective separation and decontamination essential.

The collaboration with Safetykleen has enabled our service centres to optimise the cleaning times of processed components.

Matteo Birindelli, Head of the Smart Service Centre and Head of the Reliability Team, EagleBurgmann Italia Srl

The Safetykleen solution

At EagleBurgmann’s repair centres in Bulago di Molgora and Ravenna, Safetykleen installed a complete range of equipment, including ultrasonic tanks, automatic washers and semi-automatic cleaning fountains. Ultrasonic cleaning is at the heart of the cracked-hydrocarbon treatment process, using specific frequencies and temperatures to deliver effective results.

For the Catania centre, Safetykleen took a different approach, supplying detergents and specialist chemicals for the customer’s existing machines while maintaining the required cleaning standards through tailored formulations.

Automation is a key part of the solution. Safetykleen replaced the previous manual methods with automated cycles that provide consistent, repeatable results, reduce operator exposure to hazardous substances and optimise processing times.

Results

The Safetykleen solution has delivered significant improvements to EagleBurgmann’s mechanical seal maintenance processes:

Improved cleaning quality: The new process effectively removes complex contamination, including cracked hydrocarbons that were previously difficult to treat.

Reduced processing times: Automation and tailored cleaning chemistry have optimised maintenance cycles, reducing cleaning times by up to 50–70% in some cases.

Improved environmental and safety compliance: The Safetykleen solution supports compliance with environmental and workplace safety requirements associated with industrial cleaning processes.

Greater process automation: Replacing manual methods has reduced operator exposure to hazardous substances and improved working conditions across the service centres.