Monthly Archives: July 2019
- July 30, 2019
PTFE and its many applications
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has an interesting history and has been used in a number of ways over the years. There is, of course, the best-known PTFE brand Teflon® – the miracle cookware coating. But PTFE is also used in aerospace and computer wiring, and it’s even coated the fiberglass dome of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. But the Metrodome isn’t the only sports-related application for PTFE. Because it’s so slippery and resistant to extreme temperature changes and chemical reactions, PTFE is an excellent component for many parts such as: bearings, gears, and of course, seals – like those used in so many motorsport vehicles. So, what role does PTFE play in the exciting world of motorsports?
PTFE in racing cars and trucks
TRITEC Seal’s PTFE rotary lip seals can be found in the race cars of nearly every
- July 23, 2019
Article re-posted with permission from Parker Hannifin Sealing & Shielding Team.
Original content can be found on Parker’s Website and was written by members of the O-Ring & Engineered Seals Division. Jacob Ballard - research and development engineer, Jason Fairbanks - market manager, and Nathaniel Sowder - business development engineer.
- July 22, 2019
What is DiamondFace Technology?
DiamondFace is an innovative microcrystalline diamond coating for mechanical seals. It is extremely hard and offers high wear protection, excellent heat conductivity, maximum chemical resistance and low friction. The coating adhesion also exceeds all known practical requirements. This increases the service life of mechanical seals several times over, the maintenance intervals are extended accordingly and the life cycle costs are greatly reduced.
The diamond thin-layer technology was developed in 2007 by EagleBurgmann together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST), the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials (IWM), the Condias GmbH, and the Forschungszentrum Jülich. EagleBurgmann has established DiamondFace for mechanical seals as a series-produced product - the very first on the market.
The technology behind it is a microcrystalline diamond layer up to 15 μm thick which is applied to the seal face under vacuum at temperatures of 2,000 °C (3,632 °F) by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). The properties of this diamond layer are where you benefit. Primarily from its extreme hardness and robustness.
Increased Service Life of Mechanical Seals
Mechanical seals are a factor that has a decisive effect on the cost-effectiveness of your operation because their wear determines the productivity of the entire system, whether it is a pump, agitator or compressor. What causes damage to the seal faces? One reason is dry running which is often unavoidable due to insufficient lubrication or when gas-lubricated seal faces get in contact. The resulting temperature rise causes the seal to wear. And ultimately results in system downtimes.EagleBurgmann has solved this problem which directly affects the success of your plant. Thanks to DiamondFace, the service life of mechanical seals is increased several times over, the maintenance intervals are extended accordingly and the life cycle costs are greatly reduced. The advantages for the operator are clear:
- July 17, 2019
Recent gasket failures in flanged joints of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) piping.
Problem
HDPE piping joints are typically thermal fusion welded joints, but flanges may also be used. When flanges are used, an HDPE flange adapter with a metal backing ring is fused to HDPE piping, as shown in Figure 1. The HDPE flange adapters are used to connect to other flanged fittings, such as valves, elbows, tees, etc., with gaskets inserted between the flanged fittings.
Incident Description
In 2018, two HDPE flange adapter gaskets on two different valves that were part of an underground fire suppression system at a Department of Energy (DOE) nuclear facility in Amarillo, TX failed, causing several weeks of unplanned interruptions to nuclear
- July 11, 2019
A Lubrication Leak Doesn't Always Mean a Seal Failure
A well-known technique for increasing pump reliability is sealing the bearing housing with non-contacting bearing isolators rather than contact seals. Because contact seals use contact as their sealing method, they have a more limited life expectancy, since they can wear at the point of contact or groove the shaft. When this occurs, lubricant will escape to atmosphere and contaminants will enter the bearing housing, leading to bearing failure. Though more expensive, bearing isolators effectively retain lubricants and exclude contaminants while providing a virtually infinite life expectancy. This increases mean time
- July 08, 2019
Mechanical Seals & API 682 4th Edition
A sealing system, consisting of a mechanical seal and an associated supply system that is balanced by individual applications, is the utmost guarantee for a reliable sealing point and uninterrupted pump service. The performance of the seal is greatly influenced by the environment around the seal faces, making the provision of suitable, clean fluids as well as a moderate temperature an essential topic.
This guiding booklet provides a condensed overview of all piping plans established by the API 682 4th edition guidelines. Each illustrated piping plan is briefly described, and a recommendation that considers the media characteristics in terms of the relevant application and corresponding configurations is given to help you reliably select your sealing system. Furthermore, the content of this booklet has been enriched by providing clues – so-called ‘remarks and checkpoints’ – where EagleBurgmann
- July 04, 2019
When it comes to designing and developing seals, the aerospace and industrial industries need a basis to allow production anywhere in the world.
One of the first PTFE (Teflon) standards, AMS3678, describes Teflon and the addition of fillers. This was used in conjunction with Mil-R-8791, which is one of the Mil specs describing a backup ring device.
The origin of all these specs dates back to the creation of the O-ring.
The Origin of the O-Ring Patent
In 1939, Niels A. Christensen was granted a U.S. Patent for “new and useful improvements in packings and the like for power cylinders.” These referred to improved packing rings made of “solid rubber or rubber composition very dense and yet possessive of great liveliness and compressibility.” These products were suitable for use as packings for fluid medium pistons (liquid or air). The improved packing ring is the modern O-ring.
There was a progression of standards for the O-rings created by individual countries, such as AS568, BS 1806, DIN 3771, JIS B2401, NF T47-501, and SMS 1586. Eventually, AS568 became more accepted in the industry.
The backup ring was originally created to help improve the O-ring’s ability to resist extrusion. Teflon was widely used as one of the materials for backup ring devices. Standards were created to unify the production of this Teflon device.
The Progression of Mil Specs
The progression of standard changes has led to AMS3678/1 for Virgin PTFE through AMS3678/16. These standards describe a group of Virgin- and filled-PTFE materials accepted by the industry for manufacturing seals and back-up ring devices.
Mil-R-8791 was canceled in February 1982. This spec was superseded with AS8791, which eventually evolved into AMS3678.
AMS3678 is a tool used by customers and Teflon suppliers to create uniformity in the manufacturing and processing of seal and bearing materials. The standard is inclusive of most of the compounds upon which the industry was built.
When customers approach with an old “mil spec”, they are pushed to the new AMS spec which is currently active. Eclipse manufactures to the spec so their customers will have the confidence that they manufacture to a known standard.
When crossing custom materials from well-known sources, customers are driven to an accepted spec that is equivalent to the original source of the material. This helps customers sell their products with internationally-known materials rather than custom, home-grown compounds that are often intended to single source those materials.
There are several qualifications of the spec that suppliers must observe. This includes dimensional stability tests. This test ensures the material has been properly annealed, and that the seal or backup ring will fit and function as it was originally intended.
Eclipse is uniquely qualified to supply parts to the latest AMS3678 specification. They understand the scope of the specification which allows us to ship parts with fully traceable certification.
AMS3678 helps validate a material to a customer to ensure they get the same material processed the same way with each order. Beyond this, there are other ways to determine what makes a part process-capable.
- July 02, 2019
Wine Manufacturing with GYLON®
Gylon 3504
The GYLON® Style 3504 gasket is made of PTFE with aluminosilicate microspheres. It is designed for use in many acids, some caustics, hydrocarbons, refrigerants, and more.
Gylon 3545
The Garlock 3545 style is a highly compressible microcellular PTFE with a rigid PTFE core for improved handlability. Garlock 3545, made with Gylon material, is designed to compress and conform to irregular or damaged surfaces, making it suitable for flanges that generate lower compressive stresses, such and glass-lined flanges and equipment.
INDUSTRY
Food & Beverage – Wine Production
CUSTOMER
An award-winning, family owned & operated winery in the heart of a major US wine-growing region.
BACKGROUND
The customer crushes, presses, ferments, bottles, and labels all of their wines at their winery, but having traditionally utilized EPDM gaskets, they faced ongoing issues with seal reliability. This was occurring during various stages of the winemaking process, but especially so during the sterilization procedures between each batch, with subsequent leaks creating issues in production reliability, housekeeping, and potential contamination.
CHALLENGES FACED
Business was growing rapidly so new equipment had been installed, but at the same time the number of maintenance windows was reducing. Therefore the customer was looking for a more reliable and sanitary product to improve efficiency and help to protect the sensitive product. As well as the need to remain absolutely compliant with industry standards, the customer also placed utmost importance on prevention of any adulteration of their award-winning wine. As well as working around limited windows of opportunity for production trials the critical and expert opinion of wine tasters was therefore essential to ensure full approval of any component change in the process.