How To Select the Right Sealing Technology for an Application



It’s no secret that selecting the most effective sealing technology is the first step in increasing rotating equipment reliability. However, with so many options available like braided compression packing, mechanical seals, and air seals, making this high-stakes decision can be paralyzing.

In a recent pumpsandsystems.com article, SEPCO’s Steve Hall and Chuck Tanner breakdown how to match sealing technology to the appropriate industrial application to decrease downtime and increase overall system reliability.

What Factors Must Be Considered When Selecting a Seal?

Heavy leakage from a screw conveyor moving gypsum needing sealing technology
Heavy leakage from a screw conveyor moving gypsum

So, how do end users and equipment manufacturers determine the best sealing technology? The potential applications can be broken down into three categories:

  • Environmentally Safe Fluids: “Clean, environmentally safe fluids can often be sealed with braided compression packing. Hundreds of packing fibers are available, and these can be combined with several different lubricants and coatings for compatibility […] In instances where leakage from the stuffing box is prohibited or not ideal, a mechanical seal may be used instead.”
  • Environmentally Hazardous Fluids: “Hazardous or corrosive fluids must be sealed with a double seal configuration and be lubricated with an exterior barrier fluid, such as water, synthetic lubricant, or glycol. Another option is magnetically sealing these applications.”
  • Dry Powders or Heavy Mixtures: “Mixers, blenders, agitators and screw conveyors are some equipment types that move or mix powders or heavy slurries […] For these applications, a recommended solution is the noncontact air seal.”

Read the complete article on pumpsandsystems.com to learn more!

About the Author
Anna Claire Howard is a contributing writer, editor, and content marketing specialist for Sealing Equipment Products Co. Inc. (SEPCO) and has been since Spring 2019. Before those two big life changes, she was the content marketing specialist for Fluke Accelix; assistant editor for Grand View Outdoors, publisher of Bowhunting World, Predator Xtreme, Whitetail Journal, Tactical Retailer, and Shooting Sports Retailer; managing editor for Media Solutions, Inc., publisher of Gear Solutions, Wind Systems, and Thermal Processing magazines; assistant editor for MSI; and the editorial intern for B.A.S.S., LLC, publisher of Bassmaster Magazine and Bassmaster.com. In these B2B/B2C roles, Anna Claire developed an appreciation for the industrial sector, as well as the operators and technicians who make up the workforce. You can find her on LinkedIn at bit.ly/ACHowardLI.