Do you want to change your conventional packing to a mechanical seal?
This gonna be a change for your industry. Mechanical seals are cost-efficient
and will save your time and money, but most people installed it in the wrong
manner. You should also take care of them as they required proper maintenance.
This blog will help you out in understanding more about a mechanical seal, conventional ways of
packing, and compression packing,
read it out for more.
Let’s start with the basics, why pumps
need to be sealed, and how a centrifugal pump operates.
The fluid goes into a centrifugal pump
through the suction nozzle at the middle of a rotating impeller. As the
impeller rotates, its vanes fill with fluid, then force it out to the pump
casing where it exits the pump through the discharge nozzle.
Sadly, the pressure created by the
discharge will force fluid back to the impeller, where it tries to exit by way
of the rotating drive shaft. The pump manufacturers know about this flaw and
they want to minimize this leakage by improving the design, but the leakage
won't be stopped completely. Some sort of sealing method must be applied to
minimize the leakage. It can be anything from Sheet Rubber to Gasket
Materials.
Using conventional packing as a seal
The conventional Packing materials were
initially the sealing way of choice, by using soft, and flexible materials. In
this modern era, a wide range of packing materials and procedures are available
with a variety of applications. It's still a popular method of sealing pumps
because of its low initial cost, convenient installation, and prefabricated materials.
However, it can be an expensive venture with time as they need more
maintenance, and also allow more fluid loss than mechanical seals.
Benefits of using Mechanical seal and
Spiral wound gaskets
The
topmost benefit of using a mechanical
seal is the unbelievable reduction in fluid leakage. That reduction in
leakage also has several effects on your industry. Things like a secure work
environment without any problems like a wet floor, bearing failures caused by
leaking fluid, no excessive wear, and tear on the shaft sleeve damage from
packing.
The
maintenance department looks for savings in time and budget. No more
replacements in packing. Let’s look at the best option for a mechanical seal now, Spiral Wound Gaskets.
● Spiral wound gaskets offer a variety of roles like padding,
sealing, leak prevention, mounting, safety against environmental pollutants,
and reducing vibration.
● They can perform well in high-pressure,
high-temperature, and corrosive environments; and require lesser clamping
forces than solid gaskets.
● By their chevron-shaped profile, these gaskets
provide padding like a spring; thus being reliable for multiple work
environments.
● Due to their reliability and strength, these
gaskets also prevent gear failure and the following expenses.
●
Spiral wound gaskets can be made to suit a wide range of operating
conditions by combining different winding materials and metals, and are also
very easy to install.
Now if you made up your mind of changing
all your industrial packing to mechanical seals, make sure you contact someone
who is professional in them. Mechanical seals are confusing pieces of
equipment, with a wide range of materials and applications to choose from. Get
one that suits your Industry and its operations.
