ISSN 1350-4789
June 2006
www.worldpumps.com
Four UK seal companies receive Queen’s Awards This year 145 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise were announced by Her Majesty the Queen on the occasion of her 80th birthday on 21 April. Of the 17 awarded to engineering companies, four were made to seal companies – two for innovation, and two for international trade. The innovation awards were made to AESseal and Precision Polymer Engineering, and the international trade awards to John Crane’s Turbomachinery Division and TRP Sealing Solutions. In addition, Victrex – the supplier of PEEK material – won an award for International Trade. AESseal Plc received the Award for the patent pending invention and manufacture of the magnetic bearing protection seals called MagTecta. This seal, originally described in the June 2004 issue of Sealing Technology, receives the award for offering one of the most reliable bearing protection systems on the market. It can significantly extend the life of bearings and operate effectively at higher rotational speeds than traditional lip seals. Not only does the innovation prevent bearing contamination by moisture, it also helps to protect the environment from the oil leakage that are an integral feature of many of the bearing seals that it replaces. ‘We have grown our business by innovating and providing exceptional customer service in the supply
The Type 28 gas seal is the core product supplied by John Crane Turbomachinery Division to seal rotary compressors and high-speed pumps.
of mechanical seals to prevent the leakage of fluids and gases from rotating equipment,’ says Alan Roddis, the company’s Technical Director. ‘All of the equipment that we were sealing also had bearings, most of which were being sealed with lip seals that are ineffective at preventing dirt and moisture getting into the oil and preventing some of the oil leaking out. Our Development Team invented the world’s first double magnetic bearing isolator, the MagTecta. This is a more effective sealing device, which will extend equipment life and for which we are delighted to receive a Queen’s Award.’ The company reports that on the back of the sales performance for this new product, it has established a Bearing Protection Division with several additional innovations, either already launched or soon to be launched to the market. It is also celebrating its seventh Queen’s Award, having previously received two for Export Achievement, two for International Trade and two for Innovation. Precision Polymer Engineering Limited received the Award for developing a new high-performance elastomer material, Perlast G67P. This perfluoroelastomer is used in seals for tools fitted in semiconductor wafer manufacturing equipment. Traditionally, the seals deteriorate with time and release filler particles which contaminate the wafers being produced. Seals made with the new product do not contaminate the wafers when filler is released. In addition they have low permeability and long life, reducing seal costs by up to 75%. Peter Cloney, Managing Director of Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd, comments: ‘We are delighted to have won The Queen’s Award. It’s a huge surprise and a great honor. Innovation is a central part of what we do. More than anything else, our objective is to create leading- edge technology in materials for sealing applications.’ Other markets which can benefit from the use of this material are found in the bio-analytical sector, such as gene technology, where micro-contaminates within the process can distort evaluation and results. The Award for International Trade to John Crane UK Ltd, Turbomachinery Division, recognizes that
New seal introduced for mixers The outside face seal (OFS) is a new design from Meco Seals intended for high-temperature and high-speed applications, where double-face seals manufactured by the company can overheat. The OFS is for the containment of vapor in vertical-shaft vessels and operates without a purge or flush system. The patented seal is also designed to maintain constant seal-face pressure as components wear. It is also designed to accommodate long, cantilevered shafts with high runout and angular misalignment. It will permit significant axial motion, making it suitable for applications where there are shaft float and thermal expansion. A minimum of 6mm diametric shaft run-out is built into all seals. Contact: Meco Seals, 216 Bay Point Road, Georgetown, ME 04548, USA. Tel: +1 207 371 2210, Fax: +1 207 371 2169, Email:
[email protected], Web: www.woodex-meco.com
Contents News In Brief
1–6 4
Features: Perfluoroether elastomer for wide fluid and temperature capabilities 7–12 High-speed test at boundary conditions
12–13
Patents
13–16
Events Calendar
Continued on page 2.......
ISSN 1350-4789/06 © 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This journal and the individual contributions contained in it are protected under copyright by Elsevier Ltd, and the following terms and conditions apply to their use: Photocopying Single photocopies of single articles may be made for personal use as allowed by national copyright laws. Permission of the publisher and payment of a fee is required for all other photocopying, including multiple or systematic copying, copying for advertising or promotional purposes, resale, and all forms of document delivery. Special rates are available for educational institutions that wish to make photocopies for non-profit educational classroom use.
15