- Email: [email protected]
Idex acquires FTL Seals Technology
NEWS matrix can be dissolved by certain solvents and, sometimes, even by water. This effect, which is also known as ‘‘leaching’’, is more marked in applications involving deionised water. This elastomer compound is used to make O-rings, O-ring-type seals in special shapes and seals for valves and fittings. It is suitable for use in all applications in the food and drink, and pharmaceuticals industries, where deionised water is present. It has a broad range of authorisations. It meets the specifications of the European standard DIN EN 681-1WB and the US standard NSF 61. It also meets the requirements of the drinking-water regulations in Germany DVGW (KTW, W 270 and W 534), the UK (WRAS) and France (ACS) without restrictions, and complies with the strict requirements of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for both foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals. The high purity of this material is further emphasised by its USP Class VI approval. Contact: Freudenberg Process Seals GmbH & Co Kg, Lorscher Straße 13, D-69469 Weinheim, Germany. Tel: +49 6201 80 891900, Fax: +49 6201 88 891969, Email: [email protected], www.freudenberg-process-seals.com
during an aggressive high-pressure wash-down, says the firm. MRC Marathon end-covers also feature a drain option to reduce risks of increased bacteria counts caused by water that can be trapped internally. Drainage holes can be opened easily as required. These end-covers ideally suit Marathon composite or stainless steel bearing housings in a variety of mounting styles and can accommodate shaft diameters ranging from 0.75 inches (20 mm) to 1.5 inches (40 mm). All covers have been tested to withstand a 100-bar (10MPa) pressure-wash to achieve the highest levels of security in service. Mounting is accomplished quickly and easily by inserting the cover’s tabs into the bearing unit’s housing groove and then simply snapping it into place. According to SKF, these covers add value to the MRC Marathon bearing unit product-line, which has been engineered to endure the harsh operating conditions under which equipment in the food and beverage sectors operates. All units are corrosion-resistant, virtually maintenance-free and incorporate optimised seals and lubricants. Contact: SKF USA Inc, 890 Forty Foot Road, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: +1 716 661 2727, Web: www.skf.com/us
Company News Freudenberg Process Seals GmbH & Co Kg has developed an elastomer compound for challenging applications that involve deionised water. Called 70 EPDM 291, it is targeted at applications in the food and drink, and pharmaceuticals industries.
Covers protect Marathon bearing units during wash-down
S
KF USA Inc is offering a range of MRC end-covers for its Marathon series bearing units to eliminate exposed shaft-ends and promote compliance with increasingly stringent health and safety regulations governing the food manufacturing and processing industries. The covers have been designed for a wide range of bearing unit types and provide an extremely secure fit to help prevent dislocation
Idex acquires FTL Seals Technology
U
S engineered fluidics systems and components firm Idex Corp has acquired UK-based FTL Seals Technology Ltd (FTL), which specialises in the design and application of high-integrity rotary seals, bearings and other custom products for the oil and gas, mining, power-generating and marine markets. Located in Leeds, FTL has annual revenues of approximately £15 million. It will operate with Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd (PPE), acquired in April 2010, within Idex’s Health and Science Technologies segment. FTL was acquired for a cash consideration of approximately £24 million. Commenting on this acquisition, Andrew Silvernail, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Idex, said: ‘We are extremely pleased with FTL’s decision to become part of Idex. FTL is a terrific complement to PPE.’
BOB’S BIT
O
ur feature this month describes continuing work to assist with the measurement of emissions, with the potential to make identification of the significant sources of leakage rather easier. In the industry we now take for granted that seals leak, and it is really a matter of finding the equipment to measure the individually small amounts of gas or vapour that find their way across or through the seal. It is easy to overlook the progress that has been made over the last 30 years. During survey work I was involved with in the mid-1970s the attitude was, we cannot see anything so it is not leaking. The suggestion that “we can smell it so it must be” was not welcomed, but subsequent measurements suggested that the emission of vapour could be at least equivalent to a steady drip. And while the initial focus concentrated on pumps and mechanical seals, as we now know the huge number of valves and gaskets turned out to be an even greater contributor to overall emissions. I am reminded of this as in the week of preparing this column I have been asked to talk to a mainly non-technical audience about seals, and in this case some potentially toxic leakage. To such a group the suggestion that a seal, when operating normally will be expected to leak a small, but quantifiable amount, is a revelation. In the public’s perception a seal is a seal. In fact, as part of the talk I have pulled out an old report on very low leakage, to remind myself that in the 1960s when NASA developed a keen interest in reliable seals it even defined “zero leakage”. And “zero” was less than 10–6 cc/s for critical pipe connectors on gas systems. We do not expect the infrared detector to be able to measure these very low levels of emissions, but it is very useful to see some work quantifying potential application areas. I was very interested to see the introduction of infrared cameras capable of identifying leaks, but having played with one the question remained: what level of leak could it identify? There is a very obvious benefit of being able to inspect from a safer distance, enabling much faster inspection for the larger emission sources that require rapid attention. Bob Flitney
3 April 2013
Sealing Technology
NEWS ‘The company creates value for its customers by focusing its superior application knowledge on designing highly engineered sealing systems and products. Married with PPE, and its tremendous knowledge of materials science and manufacturing, we see significant opportunities for both revenue and operational synergies.’ Contacts: Idex Corp, 1925 West Field Court, Suite 200, Lake Forest, IL 60045-4824, USA. Tel: +1 847 498 7070, www.idexcorp.com FTL Seals Technology Ltd, Bruntcliffe Avenue, Leeds 27 Business Park, Morley, Leeds LS27 0TG, UK. Tel: +44 113 252 1061, www.ftltech.co.uk Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd, Greenbank Road, Blackburn BB1 3EA, UK. Tel: +44 1254 295400, Fax: +44 1254 680182, Web: www.prepol.com Precision Polymer Engineering Llc, 1754 Technology Drive, Suite 244, San Jose, CA 95110, USA. Tel +1 408 441 2043, Fax: +1 408 441 1042, Email: [email protected]
Technical Editor’s comment: This is an interesting acquisition. Two previously independent, and very different, UK seal companies, are now part of a US corporation. FTL Seals Technology Ltd has traditionally worked in liaison with a number of major manufacturers.
Riverstone Holdings signs agreement to buy Utex Industries
I
n the USA, Riverstone Holdings Llc is to acquire fluid sealing company Utex Industries Inc from Rhone Capital Llc. Equity for the deal is coming from Riverstone Global Energy & Power Fund V Lp. The financial terms of this transaction were not disclosed. The deal, which is subject to certain regulatory approvals, is expected to close as this issue of Sealing Technology goes to press. Founded in 1940, Utex Industries manufactures engineered sealing and other speciality products used in a variety of applications, and equipment related to onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling and production, power generation, mining, water treatment, and other industrial sectors. Many of the company’s products are used in severe operating environments, where high pressures and temperatures present particular challenges that require unique and customised 4
Sealing Technology
technology and products. The majority of Utex Industries’ products are ‘‘consumables’’ with short life-cycles and need to be replaced at regular intervals to avoid failure in critical, capital-intensive applications. Mike Balas, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Utex Industries, commented: ‘The management team at Utex is excited about establishing this new partnership with Riverstone. We have great respect for the firm’s management team, which clearly understands Utex’s end markets and long history of providing quality sealing and other engineered products for its customers’ critical applications.’ ‘I would also like to thank the Rhone team for being a great partner to Utex over the past few years – fully supporting our business plan and helping us select the perfect partner for the next phase of our growth and development as a company. We look forward to the next phase of Utex’s development with Riverstone as our partner.’ Balas will continue as CEO of Utex following the closing of the transaction. John Lancaster, a partner at Riverstone, added: ‘This investment is consistent with Riverstone’s prior investments in niche manufacturing companies that provide engineered consumable products for which demand is driven by the increasing challenges of deep, high-pressure and service-intensive oil and gas drilling and production operations. Mike and his talented team have amassed an impressive track record of success and we look forward to partnering with him and the company to build on that record.’ Contacts: Utex Industries Inc, 10810 Katy Freeway, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77043, USA. Tel: +1 713 467 1000, Web: www.utexind.com Riverstone Holdings Llc, 1000 Louisiana, Suite 1450, Houston, TX 77002, USA. Tel: +1 713 357 1400, Web: www.riverstonellc.com Riverstone Holdings Llc (London office), 3 Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3EP, UK. Tel: +44 20 3206 6300
Federal-Mogul establishes new joint-venture in China
F
ederal-Mogul Corp is establishing a new joint-venture in Changsha, China, for producing large-bore piston rings. It says Federal-Mogul Zhengsheng (Changsha) Piston Ring Co Ltd will provide
high-technology piston rings primarily for four-stroke industrial engines in the commercial shipping, railway, energy and off-road sectors. The move, which will see Federal-Mogul’s second large-bore ring plant being set up in China, will extend the firm’s product portfolio of two-stroke and four-stroke industrial rings in the Chinese and broader Asian markets. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval of the joint venture. ‘The market for leading technology and world-class large-bore rings is growing as there is increasing demand for industrial engines to meet the latest emissions standards. This new investment is another important step for Federal-Mogul to localise the supply of globally recognised Goetze and DAROS large-bore rings,’ said Weibo Weng, Vice President, Federal-Mogul (China) Co Ltd. The business is located in the Changsha Industrial and Technological Development Zone, and will operate from a new facility that is currently being finalised. The local partner involved in the joint venture will incorporate its Changsha Zhengsheng Piston Ring Ltd Corp into the newly-formed firm. It will retain a minority share of the business and will remain active in supporting customer relationships and business development. Federal-Mogul says that it intends to upgrade production lines and introduce new product technology, including systems for applying chrome–ceramic coatings, to produce low-emission, long-life, four-stroke rings for customers in China. High-quality piston rings are critical to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of large-bore industrial engines under demanding conditions and multi-year duty cycles. Using integrated global engineering and manufacturing, Federal-Mogul provides parts and services to industrial engine manufacturers worldwide, including MAN, Wartsila, Doosan, Mitsubishi, Caterpillar and MTU. ‘We look forward to providing products and services to existing customers of Changsha Zhengsheng and to further expand our product portfolio to offer a wide range of high-technology piston rings to customers throughout China and Asia,’ added Weng. ‘This joint venture gives us new market access and enhances the products and services available to customers in the region.’ Contact: Federal-Mogul Corp, 26555 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, USA. Tel: +1 248 354 7700, Fax: +1 248 354 4530, Web: www.federal-mogul.com
April 2013
during an aggressive high-pressure wash-down, says the firm. MRC Marathon end-covers also feature a drain option to reduce risks of increased bacteria counts caused by water that can be trapped internally. Drainage holes can be opened easily as required. These end-covers ideally suit Marathon composite or stainless steel bearing housings in a variety of mounting styles and can accommodate shaft diameters ranging from 0.75 inches (20 mm) to 1.5 inches (40 mm). All covers have been tested to withstand a 100-bar (10MPa) pressure-wash to achieve the highest levels of security in service. Mounting is accomplished quickly and easily by inserting the cover’s tabs into the bearing unit’s housing groove and then simply snapping it into place. According to SKF, these covers add value to the MRC Marathon bearing unit product-line, which has been engineered to endure the harsh operating conditions under which equipment in the food and beverage sectors operates. All units are corrosion-resistant, virtually maintenance-free and incorporate optimised seals and lubricants. Contact: SKF USA Inc, 890 Forty Foot Road, Lansdale, PA 19446, USA. Tel: +1 716 661 2727, Web: www.skf.com/us
Company News Freudenberg Process Seals GmbH & Co Kg has developed an elastomer compound for challenging applications that involve deionised water. Called 70 EPDM 291, it is targeted at applications in the food and drink, and pharmaceuticals industries.
Covers protect Marathon bearing units during wash-down
S
KF USA Inc is offering a range of MRC end-covers for its Marathon series bearing units to eliminate exposed shaft-ends and promote compliance with increasingly stringent health and safety regulations governing the food manufacturing and processing industries. The covers have been designed for a wide range of bearing unit types and provide an extremely secure fit to help prevent dislocation
Idex acquires FTL Seals Technology
U
S engineered fluidics systems and components firm Idex Corp has acquired UK-based FTL Seals Technology Ltd (FTL), which specialises in the design and application of high-integrity rotary seals, bearings and other custom products for the oil and gas, mining, power-generating and marine markets. Located in Leeds, FTL has annual revenues of approximately £15 million. It will operate with Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd (PPE), acquired in April 2010, within Idex’s Health and Science Technologies segment. FTL was acquired for a cash consideration of approximately £24 million. Commenting on this acquisition, Andrew Silvernail, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Idex, said: ‘We are extremely pleased with FTL’s decision to become part of Idex. FTL is a terrific complement to PPE.’
BOB’S BIT
O
ur feature this month describes continuing work to assist with the measurement of emissions, with the potential to make identification of the significant sources of leakage rather easier. In the industry we now take for granted that seals leak, and it is really a matter of finding the equipment to measure the individually small amounts of gas or vapour that find their way across or through the seal. It is easy to overlook the progress that has been made over the last 30 years. During survey work I was involved with in the mid-1970s the attitude was, we cannot see anything so it is not leaking. The suggestion that “we can smell it so it must be” was not welcomed, but subsequent measurements suggested that the emission of vapour could be at least equivalent to a steady drip. And while the initial focus concentrated on pumps and mechanical seals, as we now know the huge number of valves and gaskets turned out to be an even greater contributor to overall emissions. I am reminded of this as in the week of preparing this column I have been asked to talk to a mainly non-technical audience about seals, and in this case some potentially toxic leakage. To such a group the suggestion that a seal, when operating normally will be expected to leak a small, but quantifiable amount, is a revelation. In the public’s perception a seal is a seal. In fact, as part of the talk I have pulled out an old report on very low leakage, to remind myself that in the 1960s when NASA developed a keen interest in reliable seals it even defined “zero leakage”. And “zero” was less than 10–6 cc/s for critical pipe connectors on gas systems. We do not expect the infrared detector to be able to measure these very low levels of emissions, but it is very useful to see some work quantifying potential application areas. I was very interested to see the introduction of infrared cameras capable of identifying leaks, but having played with one the question remained: what level of leak could it identify? There is a very obvious benefit of being able to inspect from a safer distance, enabling much faster inspection for the larger emission sources that require rapid attention. Bob Flitney
3 April 2013
Sealing Technology
NEWS ‘The company creates value for its customers by focusing its superior application knowledge on designing highly engineered sealing systems and products. Married with PPE, and its tremendous knowledge of materials science and manufacturing, we see significant opportunities for both revenue and operational synergies.’ Contacts: Idex Corp, 1925 West Field Court, Suite 200, Lake Forest, IL 60045-4824, USA. Tel: +1 847 498 7070, www.idexcorp.com FTL Seals Technology Ltd, Bruntcliffe Avenue, Leeds 27 Business Park, Morley, Leeds LS27 0TG, UK. Tel: +44 113 252 1061, www.ftltech.co.uk Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd, Greenbank Road, Blackburn BB1 3EA, UK. Tel: +44 1254 295400, Fax: +44 1254 680182, Web: www.prepol.com Precision Polymer Engineering Llc, 1754 Technology Drive, Suite 244, San Jose, CA 95110, USA. Tel +1 408 441 2043, Fax: +1 408 441 1042, Email: [email protected]
Technical Editor’s comment: This is an interesting acquisition. Two previously independent, and very different, UK seal companies, are now part of a US corporation. FTL Seals Technology Ltd has traditionally worked in liaison with a number of major manufacturers.
Riverstone Holdings signs agreement to buy Utex Industries
I
n the USA, Riverstone Holdings Llc is to acquire fluid sealing company Utex Industries Inc from Rhone Capital Llc. Equity for the deal is coming from Riverstone Global Energy & Power Fund V Lp. The financial terms of this transaction were not disclosed. The deal, which is subject to certain regulatory approvals, is expected to close as this issue of Sealing Technology goes to press. Founded in 1940, Utex Industries manufactures engineered sealing and other speciality products used in a variety of applications, and equipment related to onshore and offshore oil and gas drilling and production, power generation, mining, water treatment, and other industrial sectors. Many of the company’s products are used in severe operating environments, where high pressures and temperatures present particular challenges that require unique and customised 4
Sealing Technology
technology and products. The majority of Utex Industries’ products are ‘‘consumables’’ with short life-cycles and need to be replaced at regular intervals to avoid failure in critical, capital-intensive applications. Mike Balas, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Utex Industries, commented: ‘The management team at Utex is excited about establishing this new partnership with Riverstone. We have great respect for the firm’s management team, which clearly understands Utex’s end markets and long history of providing quality sealing and other engineered products for its customers’ critical applications.’ ‘I would also like to thank the Rhone team for being a great partner to Utex over the past few years – fully supporting our business plan and helping us select the perfect partner for the next phase of our growth and development as a company. We look forward to the next phase of Utex’s development with Riverstone as our partner.’ Balas will continue as CEO of Utex following the closing of the transaction. John Lancaster, a partner at Riverstone, added: ‘This investment is consistent with Riverstone’s prior investments in niche manufacturing companies that provide engineered consumable products for which demand is driven by the increasing challenges of deep, high-pressure and service-intensive oil and gas drilling and production operations. Mike and his talented team have amassed an impressive track record of success and we look forward to partnering with him and the company to build on that record.’ Contacts: Utex Industries Inc, 10810 Katy Freeway, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77043, USA. Tel: +1 713 467 1000, Web: www.utexind.com Riverstone Holdings Llc, 1000 Louisiana, Suite 1450, Houston, TX 77002, USA. Tel: +1 713 357 1400, Web: www.riverstonellc.com Riverstone Holdings Llc (London office), 3 Burlington Gardens, London W1S 3EP, UK. Tel: +44 20 3206 6300
Federal-Mogul establishes new joint-venture in China
F
ederal-Mogul Corp is establishing a new joint-venture in Changsha, China, for producing large-bore piston rings. It says Federal-Mogul Zhengsheng (Changsha) Piston Ring Co Ltd will provide
high-technology piston rings primarily for four-stroke industrial engines in the commercial shipping, railway, energy and off-road sectors. The move, which will see Federal-Mogul’s second large-bore ring plant being set up in China, will extend the firm’s product portfolio of two-stroke and four-stroke industrial rings in the Chinese and broader Asian markets. Completion of the transaction is subject to customary conditions, including regulatory approval of the joint venture. ‘The market for leading technology and world-class large-bore rings is growing as there is increasing demand for industrial engines to meet the latest emissions standards. This new investment is another important step for Federal-Mogul to localise the supply of globally recognised Goetze and DAROS large-bore rings,’ said Weibo Weng, Vice President, Federal-Mogul (China) Co Ltd. The business is located in the Changsha Industrial and Technological Development Zone, and will operate from a new facility that is currently being finalised. The local partner involved in the joint venture will incorporate its Changsha Zhengsheng Piston Ring Ltd Corp into the newly-formed firm. It will retain a minority share of the business and will remain active in supporting customer relationships and business development. Federal-Mogul says that it intends to upgrade production lines and introduce new product technology, including systems for applying chrome–ceramic coatings, to produce low-emission, long-life, four-stroke rings for customers in China. High-quality piston rings are critical to ensure the smooth and efficient operation of large-bore industrial engines under demanding conditions and multi-year duty cycles. Using integrated global engineering and manufacturing, Federal-Mogul provides parts and services to industrial engine manufacturers worldwide, including MAN, Wartsila, Doosan, Mitsubishi, Caterpillar and MTU. ‘We look forward to providing products and services to existing customers of Changsha Zhengsheng and to further expand our product portfolio to offer a wide range of high-technology piston rings to customers throughout China and Asia,’ added Weng. ‘This joint venture gives us new market access and enhances the products and services available to customers in the region.’ Contact: Federal-Mogul Corp, 26555 Northwestern Highway, Southfield, MI 48034, USA. Tel: +1 248 354 7700, Fax: +1 248 354 4530, Web: www.federal-mogul.com
April 2013