financial impact of solving tribological problems in the sealing industry, The
Our modern lifestyle is dependent on advanced sealing systems in producing the products and services we use. A mechanical seal is required to operate in many fluids at various pressures, temperatures and speeds. Some fluids are extremely poor lubricants and result in tribological problems that are very costly to an equipment user. Fundamentals of sealing technology are presented, along with solutions to various sealing problems found in industry. Case studies of savings through increased reliability and reduced cost of ownership are presented.
Every aspect of our lives is influenced by mechanical seals. In the home, major appliances such as washing machines, garbage disposals, water well pumps, swimming pool pumps and sump pumps, help to improve our quality of life. Even the production of the products that we use in our homes is dependent on processes that use mechanical seals. Consider that almost all of the food we consume, for example dairy products, beer, and sugar, are processed with equipment using seals that meet FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requirements. The pharmaceutical products we consume are also dependent on mechanical seals to maintain product purity during their processing. As consumers we enjoy the electric power supplied to our homes to provide light and run appliances for work and entertainment. Natural gas is supplied to heat our homes. The newspapers that we read are dependent on pulp and paper manufacturing. All of these industries use seals in the production of their products.
In the transportation industry, mechanical seals play an important role in getting us to where we want to be. The water pump in our automobile is sealed with a mechanical seal. The fuel we use in our cars is dependent on refinery processes that use mechanical seals not only for the production of gasoline, but also to protect the environment from hazardous process emissions contaminating the air we breathe. Sealing technology is used to seal the stern shafts of ships and the hundreds of auxiliary pumps used in the operation of the ship. Airplanes are dependent on auxiliary systems using seal technology to control the aircraft.
Mechanical seals, unlike other machine elements such as bearings and gears, are cooled and lubricated by the fluid being sealed. These fluids may be at pressures and temperatures that are hostile to a good lubricating environment. Shaft speed is another factor that must be considered in the equation for seal life.
In the refining and chemical process industries alone, over 20 billion dollars are spent annually in the repair of equipment. Many of these maintenance repairs involve the solution of a problem in the field of tribology. Every dollar saved in the maintenance of equipment is profit that is added directly to the bottom line in the operation of a company.
COST OF EQUIPMENT OWNERSHIP
The total cost of equipment ownership includes procurement, equipment, installation, startup, operation, maintenance and disposal. Of these, the most important areas of savings are maintenance and operations. Other areas are basically fixed-cost through the life of the equipment. Procurement, startup and disposal costs will normally be less than two percent of the total ownership cost. Pumps are purchased on the basis of a 20-year life. It makes sense then that the equipment purchased fit the application or service intended for maximum life and efficiency. All too often, overhung process pumps are repaired every three to four months, 12-14 months, or 14-18 months. In some cases, repair is every four to five years. The cost of repair will vary depending on the plant location and the amount of work done to the pump. Repair of an ANSI pump can range from $1600 to as high as $4500 per pump. A summary of life and cost for an ANSI pump is given in Table 1. If the least amount of work is done, i.e., just replacing the seal, the life will be the same or shorter in comparison to more expensive repairs. Users who take the time to repair the pump and replace more than the seal have a longer Mean Time Between Maintenance (MTBM). These users have also taken the time to determine the cause for short seal life and have corrected any installation problems. This is significant as the result can be a major reduction in maintenance and possibly operating costs. Pumps are the highest item in a processing plant’s maintenance budget. Many of the problems encountered relate to cooling and lubricating the seal with the process fluid. These can be grouped into two categories: mechanical and operational.
The mechanical grouping covers those items that create irregular motion for the seal. This is the result of misalignment, pipe strain, and vibration transferred to the seal faces.
The operational grouping covers those items that affect the environment of the seal. This is the result of low Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH), loss of seal flush, and process problems that change the condition of the fluid being sealed. This grouping will result in wear and distress at the seal faces. This frequently occurs on fluids that have a light specific gravity and easily turn from a liquid to a gas. However, fluids that carbonize rather than turn to a gas also create another tribological problem to be solved.
Timken enters agreement with Federal-Mogul
Canton, Ohio-based, Timken Corp. recently entered into an agreement with Southfield, Mich.-based, FederalMogul Corp. to launch a new line of industrial seals in both the United States and Canada.
advertisement
Under the agreement, Timken will market and sell National® industrial seals under its own brand and packaging. The new seals will be available exclusively to authorized Timken industrial distributors and select original equipment manufacturers. The seals can be used in such applications as manufacturing, off-highway, power transmission and oil refineries.
Federal-Mogul says it will continue to market National Oil Seals to its industrial customers outside of the U.S. and Canada. The agreement will not include sales to the automotive and heavy-duty aftermarket.
BAG/POUCH Sealing
Bag/Pouch Sealing
New hot bar heat sealers ensure quality seals by controlling accuracy and repeatability
New hot bar heat sealers provide consistent repeatable seal quality for controlled packaging/heat sealing applications. Model AS/2 features individual digital control and display of temperature, pressure and dwell time to ensure superior control accuracy and repeatability. Each sealing parameter is tied to an alarm with a lock-out feature to prevent cycling if parameter is outside of established limits. Also, the units are equipped with external output ports for temperature, pressure and dwell time for in-process control verification and calibration. The AS/3 sealer, which also has external output ports, offers touchscreen PLC control of temperature, pressure and dwell time with password protection, data acquisition and communications capabilities and full process alarms with lockout. Units are available in 12- and 24-inch lengths. Demonstration units are available for in-house evaluation.
Sencorp Systems, DT Industries Plastics Group, (508) 771-9400, ext. 7495
Item #344
Automatic heat sealer consistently forms strong, attractive seals
Speed: up to 70 bags/sachets per minute
BD-II automatic heat sealer consistently produces attractive, high-quality seals by using a band-sealing principle that controls temperature instead of voltage. The unit handles lightweight bags/sachets of polyethylene, vinyls, coated papers and other materials at a speed of 9.3 meters per minute, depending on bag or sachet size. The BD-II comes with a height-adjustable conveyor and casters for easy moving. Conveyor can be tilted from the horizontal position to about 45 degrees to accommodate operator and/or product. Optional equipment includes continuous coding, hot printer, emboss coder, special pattern compression sealing rollers and gusset rollers for gussetted bags/sachets, dust cleaner and a wide conveyor. Custom-designed units are available.
American-Newlong Inc., (317) 787-9421
Item #345
New heat-sealer retrofit permits heat sealing of environmentally preferred polyolefins on radio frequency bag machines
New conversion equipment allows any size radio/frequency (R/F) polyvinyl chloride (PVC) bag machine to be retrofitted for environmentally preferred non-R/F sealable polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyethylene, ionomer, polystyrene, polyester and liquid crystal polymers. The cost-effective equipment is well suited for medical packages such as intravenous, drug and blood bags, which are made of PVC and generally incinerated for disposal.
Heat Sealing Technology Inc., (617) 244-9133
Item #346
New continuous rotary band sealers present a versatile solution for flexible packaging applications
New MPS 6100 and 6500 Series continuous rotary band sealers are easy-to-use, decrease downtime and increase flexibility with add-on options which include trimmers, printers, embossers, conveyors and more. Available in table-top, standalone or conveyorized models, the versatile heat sealers accommodate virtually any flexible sealing application.
Emplex Systems Inc., (800) 265-1775, ext. 248
Item #347
New four-side seal machine performs on-line printing on sterile medical device packages
Speed: up to 250 packages per minute
The new automatic electronic four side seal machine accommodates high-speed sterile pouching of medical devices in combination with on-line flexographic.package printing. The machine packages a range of products into sterile pouches with dimensions up to 14 x 50 x 1 inch and prints a 12 x 12-inch area on-line.
The on-line flexographic package printing system–which uses nontoxic, ultraviolet-curable inks in sealed cartridges–produces complete package artwork on foils, films, paper and Tyvek during the packaging process. Independent control of the five main drive modules (infeed, side seal, cross seal, cut and print) assures accurate, repeatable and validatable operation.
Seals and gaskets: New methods cut water, energy consumptio
During the past several years, the dry-running mechanical seal has gained considerably on compression packing as the most environmentally acceptable and water/energy saving method for sealing rotary shaft equipment in the pulp and paper industry. However, recent innovations have allowed the compression packing industry to take a huge leap forward with its own dry-running designs.
Timothy Suprise of Durametallic Corp. says that while compression packing still holds up to 65% of the pulp and paper market, in the long run, installation of mechanical seals can provide a more efficient and less expensive operation than packing.
With new cartridge and split seal designs, Suprise points out that mechanical seals have become much more “user-friendly,” meaning that they no longer require the time and effort once required to disassemble the equipment for installation. “Often times, these seals can be installed on large shaft equipment in less time than it takes to remove existing packing and repack a pump, agitator, or hydropulper,” he says.
Mechanical seal manufacturers also solved water consumption and effluent problems that had pulled some pulp and paper manufacturers away from compression packing. With what is referred to as a dry-running technology, Durametallic, for one, has designed a gas barrier technology utilizing instrument air or a nitrogen gas source.
Gas barrier technology enables a mill to operate double mechanical seals with zero emissions at drastically reduced energy requirements, according to Suprise. An added bonus to this technology is its ability to enhance the capability of off-design operations, especially with pumps that have had a tendency to cavitate when handling fluids, while also reducing 25 to 40% of a mill’s water requirements.
In the pulp and paper industry, Suprise adds that dry-running mechanical seals are used mostly in the chemical services applications, particularly as a way to add value to bleaching operations as well as the more demanding acid pumps in the pulp mill.
COMPRESSION PACKING. According to Al Harrelson, manager of engineering at Garlock Inc.’s mechanical packing div., compression packing manufacturers noticed that they were losing business to the more environmentally friendly and economical mechanical seals. After considering energy consumption and effluent concerns, he says, compression packing producers realized they needed to develop their own dry running technology to remain competitive.
“With traditional compression packing braids, a certain amount of lubricant is always required to leak out of the seal to act as a binder between the packing rings and the shaft,” Harrelson explains. “This used to be our only way to prevent frictional heat buildup.”
Harrelson says that compression packing had managed to remain competitive prior to a dry running design due to several factors. The first factor was the higher product and inventory costs associated with mechanical seals.
Although a mechanical seal manufacturer would argue that the device would eventually pay for itself in water and energy cost savings, he points out that a mill’s mechanics required special training to be able to properly maintain and install the mechanical seals. In addition, the runout, shaft finishes, and bore finishes of the pumps usually had to be upgraded to like-new conditions to work properly with a new mechanical seal.
With this in mind, Harrelson explains that compression packing manufacturers such as Garlock developed a technology utilizing high-temperature, low-friction graphite die-formed tape rings instead of traditional braided packing.
“Pure graphite is one-to-one with steel in its thermal expansion and con. traction properties,” he says. He adds that the thermal conductivity properties of graphite allow the material to conduct any heat that is generated between the rings and shaft to the outside box bore walls where it can be given off. “This means that the material doesn’t require leakage to occur to keep frictional heat down,” he says.
Although he says that he believes there will always be a need for braided packing in certain areas of the mill, the most recent developments in this dry running technology have helped the compression packing business to suddenly appear more revolutionary than its rival mechanical seal competitors.
NEW SEALING COMPOUND, Even more revolutionary, perhaps, is a technology from Tom-Pac Inc. of Montreal, that has recently begun to take hold in the pulp and paper industry. According to Thomas Daly of Northeast Mill Supply, the self-lubricating sealing compound called TP-4000 offers an alternative to conventional compression packing or mechanical seals. TP-4000 is a colloidal mixture of lubricants, amalgamated with Aragraphe fiber, then pressure treated to ensure uniform dispersion. The compound can evenly surround a shaft and act as a lubricated plug, eliminating pressure points. With minimal friction, it also offers significant energy savings in pumps, agitators, and other rotating or reciprocating equipment.
Seals prolong switch life in harsh environments
Available in various sizes and configurations, silicone rubber sealing boots and custom dynamic seals protect and prolong life of electromechanical components in stressful environments. They come in matching panel colors/functions, are UL-listed and QPL-approved, and meet applicable MIL-Specs. Seals are used in airborne, medical, military, off/on-road heavy equipment, processing industry, and various in-plant and commercial product applications.
Englewood, NJ, February 18, 2005 … APM HEXSEAL; is pleased to announce the expansion of its line of silicone rubber sealing boots and custom dynamic seals for switches, potentiometers, and circuit breakers… all of which protect and prolong the life of these electromechanical components in harsh stressful environments.According to John Arnold, APM National Sales manager, “more sizes, and configurations have been added to the line to satisfy the ever expanding application of these components throughout the world. Dust, dirt, moisture, salt air, ice, snow, fungus, lubricants and solvents … take a toll on delicate contact mechanisms, thus reducing their life and reliability.” Arnold further stated, “frequently overlooked is the need to also seal the control’s mounting hole to prevent seepage from the elements as well as accidental spillage of coffee and cokes that can easily penetrate and contaminate delicate circuitry mounted below. In our new global economy, the world is our proving ground, and we’re constantly being asked to solve and design dynamic custom silicone seals that also embrace associated components such as connectors and back planes.”
HEXSEAL[R]s are extensively used in airborne, medical, military, off & on-road heavy equipment, processing industry and a myriad of in-plant and commercial product applications. Available in matching panel colors/functions, they are UL listed, QPL approved, and meet the most stringent applicable MIL-Specs.
What’s The Difference Between Strapping Machines And Packing Machines?
Strapping machines enable many items to be bundled securely together by way of a metal or plastic band. This band is then cinched tight by a ratcheting handle and kept in place by a metal buckle that’s applied by a special banding tool. There are many companies that manufacture a variety of different types and styles of machines that perform basically the same function. Many companies use strapping machines to secure their products to transport pallets or crates as well as strapping many products together on their own, such as piping and metal rods.
The strapping machine works by pulling and fastening a band of metal or plastic around the products and keeping them immobile during transport. Whether it’s across town or around the globe, many companies rely on the strapping machine to get the products to market safely and securely. Some basic training is usually required to be able to strap and fasten products properly. Not performing the required steps in just the right order can make for a load that is loose and may shift. This will mean a dangerous load not only for the driver of the transport truck but also for the person unloading the products by forklift. If the strapping isn’t tight enough, it can slip off and the load can become very unstable and dangerous.
Packing machines are used to place products into packing boxes or crates to make them ready for transport to the market, or to the customer directly. Some packing machines utilize special electronic eyes that can actually sense when the product is within its range of movement and it will pick up the product and place it in the box or crate. Packing materials such as Styrofoam beads or peanuts are then poured in to provide a cushion against breakage and jarring during transport.
The packing machine also can close up and seal the box as well as place an inked stamp or label on the box in preparation for shipment. Some packing boxes and crates are strapped together on a pallet by way of a strapping machine before being moved into the back of a truck for transport. Some packing machines can even handle breakable items such as plates and ceramic tiles without damaging the products at all. This takes a specialized machine of course, which usually means that the machine will cost a lot. Many packing machines also weigh the product and case or box before shipping it out in order to calculate shipping or mail costs. This is usually all done by way of an onboard program within the machine that is connected to a computer. This program keeps track of all inventories in this way and can tell what products are on hand and which ones have been sent out of the warehouse to the customer.
There are probably packing machines at manufacturing companies that package up strapping machines for shipment, which seems a little redundant. Packing machines can make repetitive packaging jobs much easier to handle and keep track of for companies that specialize in this business.
Heavy Equipment Salvage
Replacement of minor or major parts in heavy equipment with parts salvaged from condemned heavy equipment is carried out in order to save money and reduce idle working period of heavy equipment. With the advent of the World Wide Web, it is now possible to locate specific spare parts for heavy equipment by searching in the internet.
Salvage yards specializing in heavy equipment wreckage take out most of the working parts and store them for reselling to buyers who need such spares. The buyers also benefit from the heavy equipment salvage yards because otherwise they may have to replace heavy equipment with new ones incurring heavy expenditure.
While rummaging through heavy equipment salvage, it will be prudent to check whether the spare identified is in working condition and whether it is the correct spare for the heavy equipment. Otherwise, you will end up with unwanted and unworkable junk.
If you are lucky, you can easily identify a working spare from the collection of junk in the heavy equipment salvage yard, without spending too much money or much time in getting the required spare. Salvage yards come in handy, if the heavy equipment used by you is no longer in the production assembly of the manufacturers, spares could be identified only through sources like heavy equipment salvage yards.
Heavy equipment salvage mostly relates to recycling of automobile parts – transmissions, engines etc. – and heavy equipments – back hoes, tractors, hydraulic pumps and dozers etc.
Some of the latest heavy equipment salvage firms have an online inventory tracking system. If you could not locate a specific spare in one of the branches, they track the availability of the spare in other locations and try to get it to you without delay. Since heavy equipment salvage is being relied upon by most of the heavy equipment owners, these firms never discard a spare and always come up to meet the demand.
The technology has advanced to such a stage that it is now possible to salvage specific spare parts by quoting their serial number or identification tag and find out whether the part is available. Now salvage units for specific manufacturers of heavy equipment also exist and does business pertaining to that particular brand and models.
Heavy equipment salvage firms also conduct auctions to sell heavy equipment and trucks, in both salvage and good conditions. Besides the various brands of heavy equipment the salvage firms also handle heavy tires for recycling.
Construction Equipment Auctions - Your Education Starts Now
Surely you’ve heard about construction equipment auctions. But even if you have, do you know why they are gaining recognition and why a lot of interested parties now prefer to shop for their equipment in these venues? No? Well then, it’s about time you were schooled in the advantages of looking for and finding construction equipment for sale or lease in auctions. Your education starts now.
Don’t worry too much about catching up, though. Like most others, all you really need to know to buy into this craze is the basics. These fundamentals are also known as the three main reasons why construction equipment auctions trump all other sources of construction tools and machinery out there.
So keep reading. Your diploma is waiting for you at the end of this article.
1. Economy.
Even though it practically goes without saying that money is the first and foremost reason people want to make the most of construction equipment auctions, since you’re new here, I’ll say it anyway. One thing you should know is that the rumors of incredible bargains and great savings aren’t just rumors ?they’re 100% true.
Yes, it isn’t unusual to find some equipment in these auctions that sells for a mere fraction of the price it would fetch elsewhere. Good to know, whether you’re getting in the construction business or are just planning on getting a job done, since saving a pocketful of dough should benefit you in the long run by providing you with ample resources to expand your business and buy other pieces of equipment, or give you some extra cash to spend.
2. Variety.
Construction equipment auctions also offer an extensive selection of equipment. In these auctions, all types and brands of tools and machinery are available to you ?which is more than you can say about buying from licensed dealers and products manufacturers, who limit your options to the equipment their line carries.
Quite a problem, since you tend to compromise versatility (and in doing so, effectiveness as well) by restricting yourself to one type or brand of equipment. No product line is without its flaws, so whatever shortcomings that line has can easily become yours as well.
You will never be truly versatile without gaining the necessary tools to do the job. For instance, how do you expect to complete a marine construction project without the right [marine construction equipment]? If your sole equipment sources specialize in building or highway construction, do you really think you’d end up doing a bang-up job? You don’t have to be on this class’ honor roll to know the answer to that.
3. Convenience.
This just in: with the advent of the Internet, economy and variety aren’t the only reasons to get on board with construction equipment auctions anymore. Now that these auctions have found their way into the World Wide Web, convenience is now as big a reason as the other two are.
Surfing the Net for websites that accept bids on various equipment is an almost effortless pursuit. These days, it’s possible to bid from the comfort of your own home and see how an auction plays out without leaving your seat. What more can you ask for?
Congratulations, graduate! You’ve just completed your course. Now here’s some constructive criticism to go with that diploma: stop pining for a good deal and make it happen by participating in construction equipment auctions.
Sealing Oilfield Valves and Down-Hole Oil Tools
Sealing oilfield tools and valves is perhaps one of the most difficult jobs for any seal. High temperatures and pressures, corrosive chemicals, and abrasive particles make this a nearly impossible task for most off-the-shelf seals. With careful engineering and modern materials, though, seals can be built for this task that do the job they’re asked of.
Let’s first examine the oilfield environment. No longer are wells just drilled a few thousand feet to tap shallow oil fields. Those fields have been pretty much exploited over the past century and are starting to dry up. Many are being mostly shut down because they don’t produce as well as those 10,000+ feet down. When you get that far down, often the temperatures are in the 400 F (200 C) range with pressures as high as 40,000 PSI (275 MPa) Traditional rubber or even PTFE seals have no chance of withstanding those environments.
Oil valves and tools must also withstand one of the most corrosive substances in existence, Hydrogen Disulfide gas. This eats through steel and stainless steel springs to render them useless in short order. If metal springs are used in these seals, they must be made of one of the nickel super-alloys, Inconel, Hastelloy or Elgilloy. These are the only that can remain unaffected by exposure to H2S without affecting their service life.
Seal jackets for the oil field environment must be made of polymer alloys to maintain their integrity under the high temperatures and pressures. Unfilled PTFE (Teflon) would squirt out of the gland like toothpaste from a tube if exposed to these pressures. Combinations of inert fillers like chopped glass or carbon fibers, minerals and graphite are needed along with combinations of polymers, like PFTE (Teflon) and PPS (Ryton.) Other polymers have proven themselves useful as well.
The seal must be pliable enough to fill the micro-finish of the seal gland wall while being sturdy enough not to extrude through the clearances being sealed. This is a tall order and often cannot be accomplished with a one-piece seal, so backup rings are often used to close off, or at lease minimize the extrusion gap. These are generally made of polymers with a higher modulus (stiffer) than the seal rings, since they are not required to seal, only to close off the gap. Clever designs using multiple rings cammed against each other create the ideal sealing condition - a near zero extrusion gap.
Designing seals for the severe environment of oilfield valves and down-hole oil tools is a combination of proper mechanical design and of proper seal materials. Correct design can make for reliable, save equipment, while the converse, improper design can lead to disaster.
Superior Packaging Equipment Supply For Your Vigorous Marketing And Cost Efficiency
Packaging is an integral part of product marketing and promotion. However packaging equipment is employed to bring about a special packaging and design evaluation that helps in aggressive promotion of your products. Hence all the designs, colours, attractive features, etc come from superior packaging equipment. The branding and marketing takes place through the product presentation and design. Product packaging equipment, stretch wrappers, shrink wrappers, labeling systems and cushioning equipment act as backstage players.
Packaging equipment supply has been a booming industry. This packaging equipment is increasingly being demanded by corporate houses who engage in product manufacturing, diversification, marketing and distribution. Some of the main packaging equipments are case sealers, stretch wrappers, shrink wrappers, bagging equipment, sealing equipment, labeling equipment, strapping equipment, tray erecting equipment, void fill, etc. The main companies engaged in packaging equipment supply are Lantech, 3M, Orgapack, ITW, Shanklin, Sealed Air, Quadrell, Southern Packaging Equipmnts to name a few.
Many firms have come into packaging equipment supply as it is a booming sector. The packaging equipment supply includes the supply of all the packaging equipment, old and new. Used packaging equipment rental is in fact an integral part of day to day dealings of packaging equipment supply. Some packaging equipment firms are renowned for packaging equipment supply and supply all the packaging equipments listed above. These are low in terms of costs and are more customized. Several used packaging equipment and new packaging equipment maintenance programs are carried out from time to time to check the depreciation in these capital assets. All this is done through highly qualified and professional engineers.
Packaging equipment supply is a key area of the packaging equipment firms. Packaging equipment rental and used packaging equipment are other areas of these dealers these days. Used packaging equipment is a key industry as it helps in cutting costs of production. Packaging equipment rental is also another option available, aimed at cutting costs. The biggest advantage of used packaging equipment and packaging equipment rental as a part of the packaging equipment supply is the economies of scale achieved through their employment.
Cutting costs has always been a motto of packaging equipment industry and this has been successfully demonstrated by them. There are leading packaging equipment supply dealers who charge no transportation costs and repair costs. Used equipment rentals and used packaging equipment supply is a testimony to the fact.
Thus the inclusion of all these packaging equipment in your daily manufacturing and packaging can help you to cut costs and do some vigorous sales.