Innovative alternative to mechanical seals

Sealing products producer Garlock’s Hydra-Just system is a reliable, leak-free rotary sealing system.

It consists of a minimal number of components and comes completely split which eliminates the need for a costly dismantling process or backup equipment.

Machinery can be serviced without having to uncouple the motor.

“Because this system provides cool, dry operation, with no product dilution, overall water consumption is significantly reduced. Unlike mechanical seals, this sealing system can withstand fluctuations in water pressure and is more effective in high pressure/low flow conditions,” explains industrial equipment supplier BMG seals and gaskets division operations manager Michael Bissett.

“Conventional packing must leak to perform and common system upsets adversely affect the performance of mechanical seals. With this system, which uses braided rings in conjunction with other high-performance materials, a truly leak-free rotary seal is created, with no risk of catastrophic failure,” he elaborates.

This allows users to optimise uptime and schedule maintenance around production needs as opposed to rescheduling production around seal failures.

The low maintenance Hydra-Just seals are easy to install and can go anywhere that a single mechanical seal is currently being used. This sealing system has high abrasion and chemical resistance which means efficient operation, even in demanding environments.

Important components of this system are the flowmeter, needle valve and pressure gauges that regulate and measure the pressure of seal water. The barrier pressure ring efficiently directs seal water pressure in such a way as to maintain equal force on the inboard and outboard seals.

Since these seals do not use a machined seal face, this system can tolerate moderate amounts of wear in the stuffing box. Garlock products are supported by BMG’s technical advisory and 24-hour support service throughout Southern Africa.