The Situation

Mining, Aggregates, and Energy Industries operate advanced technology equipment in some of the world's harshest environments. An operation's viability and profitability can hinge on its equipment’s reliability and performance. Several companies were facing costly issues tied to airborne contaminants, dirty fuels, and inefficient service intervals. Real-world examples included:

  • A West Virginia coal mine operating in extremely dusty, abrasive conditions
  • A concrete producer with 20+ sites and 250 trucks struggling with dirty diesel
  • A large aggregate company facing gearbox failures in its crusher systems
  • A global oil and gas company aiming to extend oil drain intervals and maintain reliability

The Challenge

Each company faced a unique operational hurdle:

  • Dust Ingestion: Extreme dust loadings expose engines to the risk of rapid wear and failure.
  • Fuel Injector Wear: Despite meeting fuel standards, the diesel was not clean enough for their latest Tier 4 HPCR engines, leading to both premature filter plugging and injector damage.
  • Gearbox Contamination: Premature wear due to poor filtration in lubrication systems.
  • Short Service Intervals: OEM service schedules =  limited uptime and high maintenance costs.

The Solution

Donaldson stepped in with targeted filtration solutions for each issue:

Donaldson Blue® Air Filters 

  • High-efficiency Ultra-Web® media to capture and retain smaller airborne dusts
  • Enabling extended service intervals when serviced by restriction

Donaldson Clean Diesel Kit 

  • Deliquescent T.R.A.P.™ breathers reduced contamination ingress to bulk tanks
  • Fuel polishing filters at dispense points and pumps ensured ultra-clean diesel

Kidney Loop Filtration System

  • High-efficiency Blue® filters continuously polish gearbox oil
  • Engineered a custom manifold to meet flow and pressure requirements

Donaldson Blue® Lube Filters

  • Synteq™ media and durable construction withstands extended drain intervals
  • A fleet-wide evaluation ensured filters matched specific operational needs

The Result

Each customer saw measurable improvements in uptime, cost savings, and reliability:

Coal Mine Engine Performance

  • MTU 4000 Series engine operated without unplanned downtime for nearly 9 years 
  • Fleet availability remained at 90%, with filtration costs cut by up to 75%

Cleaner Diesel, Longer Service

  • No unscheduled injector replacements in over four years
  • Diesel was 60x cleaner; service intervals doubled from 400 to 800 hours

Gearbox Life Extended

  • Contaminant levels dropped by 8 ISO codes
  • Gearbox lifespan increased by 3.5x due to 125x cleaner oil

Improved Oil Service Intervals

  • Drain intervals doubled using upgraded lube filters
  • Reduced filter, oil, labour and used consumable disposal costs 

Donaldson’s filtration specialists are ready to help you:

  • Extend your equipment’s lifespan
  • Maximize uptime and availability
  • Prevent catastrophic failures
  • Reduce maintenance costs
  • Use data to identify and prevent wear
  • Implement predictive maintenance schedules