NEWS
Techsil Ltd’s contract gasketing service uses six-axis robot dispensing systems to create bespoke gaskets.
nicely with our existing product portfolio. This service has particularly captured the interest of manufacturers in the lighting, electronics, automotive and packaging sectors.’ ‘Techsil’s contract gasketing service uses sophisticated six-axis robot dispensing systems that provide the perfect bespoke gasket every time. Short cycle-times save time and money. If a manufacturer has small volumes or has intermittent production, then subcontracting the FIPFG system will be cost-effective.’ Dispensing only one component ensures that even very small sealing gaskets can be produced accurately without any problems. However intricate the part, a perfectly engineered foam gasket can be applied – from micro-dispensing of gaskets to replace O-rings, to high-volume application of foam to doors of switch cabinets. Furthermore, the thixotropic properties of the foam ensure that very complicated tridimensional shapes and cross-sectional variations can be accommodated, says the company. Contact: Techsil Ltd, 34 Bidavon Industrial Estate, Waterloo Road, Bidford on Avon, Warwickshire B50 4JN, UK. Tel: 44 1789 773232, Fax: 44 1789 774239 Web: www.techsil.co.uk
FSA sets up vital online source of information on mechanical seals
T
he Fluid Sealing Association (FSA) has announced the launch of its new Web-site feature, KnowledgeBase. The content is developed and maintained by members of the FSA Mechanical Seals Division as a service to manufacturers and users of mechanical seals. It currently offers over 35 4
Sealing Technology
files of content and videos, each covering and explaining specific topics. The safe, reliable and cost-effective operation of mechanical seals and their support systems depend not only on the product design and materials of construction, but also on the proper specification, application, and maintenance of the products. The FSA says that it has created a digital knowledge base that provides easy navigation to key information to educate and inform users on these topics. ‘The FSA KnowledgeBase is intended to be a vital source of highly reliable technical information regarding mechanical seals and support systems. Anyone who has an interest in improving their seal knowledge and remaining abreast of the latest mechanical seal industry best practices is encouraged to reference this as their primary source of information,’ said Jason Ferris, Chair of the Mechanical Seals Division. ‘As the FSA seeks to continue to enhance the value provided by this tool to the mechanical seal user community, we encourage users to provide feedback on how the FSA KnowledgeBase can be improved by submitting input through the available link on the KnowledgeBase homepage.’ The KnowledgeBase is actually segmented into four different subject repositories: mechanical seals, gaskets, pump and valve packings, and expansion joints. These will accommodate a planned extension of the KnowledgeBase to other product areas that are included within the scope of the FSA. However, at the time of writing, content has only been loaded into the mechanical seals repository. Content in all four repositories will continue to be developed, formatted and published – so all users are encouraged to visit the KnowledgeBase often to access the latest submissions. Along with the new KnowledgeBase, the FSA Web-site features technical data and publications, industry standards, training materials and extensive product information, with a list of manufacturers. It also includes the popular ‘Sealing Sense’ articles, which answer frequently asked questions on fluid sealing practices, and the Mechanical Seals Life Cycle Cost Estimator – a tool for use when specifying capital projects or upgrading existing rotating equipment technology. Contact: Fluid Sealing Association, 994 Old Eagle School Road #1019, Wayne, PA 19087, USA. Tel: +1 610 971 4850, Email:
[email protected], Web: www.fluidsealing.com, Web: www.fsaknowledgebase.org
Blog focuses on increasing the reliability of industrial equipment
A
.W. Chesterton Co of Groveland, Massachusetts, USA, has launched a new blog targeted at plant managers, reliability engineers, maintenance supervisors and other professionals interested in learning how to make their equipment run more efficiently and last longer. The ‘Reliability Matters” blog addresses a wide range of reliability topics – from best practices in sealing fluids in pumps, valves and hydraulic/pneumatic equipment to new equipment protection technologies. The posts will specifically help companies reduce their use of energy and water. Blog authors include Chesterton product line managers, engineers and applications engineering staff. ‘Our teams work closely with the customers in the field and over the phone every day to help solve specific application problems,’ said Marco Hanzon, Vice President of Global Marketing, Chesterton. ‘With this blog we aim to share that expertise and real-world experience to help plant staff increase productivity and reliability with less day-to-day stress.’ Some initial posts include: • ‘Selecting the Right Retrofitting for Your Mobile Mining Equipment’; • ‘What is a Dual Seal and When to Use One (Dual Seals: part 1)’; and • ‘5 Key Features of Good Mechanical Seal Design’. Some posts will focus on the equipment challenges in specific industries to coincide with Webinars and videos that cover challenges facing specific markets. Contact: A.W. Chesterton Co, 860 Salem Street, Groveland, MA 01834, USA. Tel: +1 978 469 6446, Web: www.chesterton.com
John Crane contributes to discussions on managing gas emissions
A
n expert from John Crane was part of a United Nations discus-
June 2017
NEWS sion that examined the critical role gas will play in achieving the international organisation’s sustainable development goals. Paul Hosking, Senior Product Marketing Manager, was invited to showcase how the firm’s technology is reducing methane emissions in sectors of the natural gas industry by up to 95%. He recently gave a presentation at the UN’s Economic Commission for Europe’s (UNECE) Committee on Sustainable Energy to the Group of Experts on Gas. The group provides a forum for multistakeholder dialogue on sustainable and clean production, distribution and consumption of natural gas in the UNECE region. It has established a task force to develop best practice guidance on reducing methane emissions along the gas value-chain. In the natural gas sector, centrifugal compressors equipped with oil seal technology are generally acknowledged as the leading source of methane emissions offshore, and the fourth most significant onshore. John Crane says that it pioneered the development of non-contacting gas seal technology in the 1960s and the innovation was first used commercially during the 1980s. Used as an alternative to oil seals, gas seals substantially lower operating costs, improve reliability and reduce emissions. ‘In contrast to the older oil seal technology, gas seal technology eliminates the need for oil lubrication and the resulting need to address methane that becomes entrapped in the oil,’ explained Hosking. Now widely recognised and adopted in almost all new projects worldwide, gas seal technology also can be retrofitted to the many centrifugal compressors equipped with oil seals that are still in operation. As an area of interest this emission source, and the technology John Crane invented to manage it, is highly relevant to the group. ‘As the market leader, John Crane is perfectly placed to showcase this technology and demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of this technology when retrospectively applied to existing equipment. Gas seal technology is proven, and the ability to retrofit oil seal technology with gas seal technology and deliver methane savings is proven,’ continued Hosking. ‘Our expertise in this area has recently led to the development of a lifecycle cost calculator that enables a full analysis of the economic case for retrofit from oil seals to gas seals and the next best alternatives. In many cases it is a win–win for business and the environment. Indeed, gas seal technology is one of very few technologies that has the potential to simul-
June 2017
taneously meet the needs of industry, governments and other stakeholders.’ The UN’s Committee on Sustainable Energy’s Group of Experts on Gas contains representatives from major energy companies, industry bodies, government representatives and academic experts. Contact: John Crane, 227 W. Monroe Street, Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606, USA. Tel: +1 312 605 7800, Fax: +1 312 419 1960, Web: www.johncrane.com
Record sales for Aesseal secure further future investment
A
esseal Plc, a UK-based specialist in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals and support systems, recently reported that March 2017 saw record sales for the firm, at just under £16 million – nearly £2 million more than the previous record-breaking month for the business. Incidentally, the company also reached a record landmark of £100 million in net assets. Chris Rea, Managing Director, Aesseal, and the firm’s founder, has hailed the success as a ‘magnificent achievement’. He said: ‘In a time of decline for all of our major competitors, because of the low price of oil and the lack of business in that area, this is a magnificent achievement.’ Furthermore, the business is on target to beat a target of £160 million sales for 2017. Rea continued: ‘Part of it has come from the weakness of sterling, which means that international sales have been translated into a higher sterling number. We have also been helped by the fact that we had a 23-day month, as in 2017 Easter was in April. Nonetheless, March saw another important milestone in that our group had £100 million of net assets after depreciation, supporting our £160-million-plus 2017 sales target.’ It may appear questionable overinvesting in the business, however Rea stated: ‘In my view, investment in our future is a key contributor to our ongoing success and that with higher levels of investment in people and infrastructure like machine tools and information technology, we get sustainability and with it, security for all of us.’ ‘In short, we did get a record sales month and coincidentally the £100-million mile-
stone of net assets invested in the business could be a part of the reason for a sustainable business.’ Contact: Aesseal Plc, Mill Close, Rotherham S60 1BZ, UK. Tel: +44 1709 369966, Fax: +44 1709 720788, Web: www.aesseal.com
Conferences and Meetings News HERVICON + PUMPS 2017 set to take place in September
R
eaders are reminded that the international scientific and engineering conference Hermetic Sealing, Vibration Reliability and Ecological Safety of Pump and Compressor Machinery, HERVICON + PUMPS2017, will be held at Sumy State University, Ukraine, on 5–8 September 2017. Specific topics relevant to sealing to be covered by this conference include: • static seals, axially moveable and rotating shaft seals, improvement of reliability and efficiency of sealing units of pumps and compressors; and • problems of tribology and metrology for seals and bearings, and new materials and technologies. In addition, the III International Forum on Computer Modeling, Design, Manufacture and Operation of Pump Equipment, PUMPS2017 (organised by and with financial support of the Hydraulic Machines and Systems Group and Ukrainian manufacturer of pump equipment JSC Sumy Plant Nasosenergomash) will be held during the event. The VII seminar, run under the theme ‘Problems of Safe Operation of Compressor and Pump Equipment in Chemical Industry’, ECCON-17, also takes place within the framework of the conference. Contact: Sumy State University, 2 Rimsky - Korsakov Str., Sumy 40007, Ukraine. Tel/Fax: +38 0542 3335 94 Email:
[email protected] , Web: hervicon.sumdu.edu.ua
Sealing Technology
5