A Southern African pump manufacturer found that its horizontal centrifugal pumps, as a result of high pressure, had a problem of water escaping from the gland packing—the material that should form a watertight seal around the shaft. This resulted in dirty water being sprayed on to the non-drive-end bearing assembly and, in turn, resulted in seizure, failure, and a high maintenance and down-time cost to replace the bearing assembly. Vesconite works as an alternative material that does not swell or delaminate and has the added advantage of being suitable in dirty environments. For more information, visit www.vesconite.com.