SPECIFYING PUMP SEALS
Mechanical seals have
become increasingly popular in industry. Many companies develop a set
of pump seal specifications to make it easier for their people to select
one or more seals for an application. The lack of a company
specification can cause problems with inventory, installation and
interchangeability of seals. Plants are accepting seal components with
unidentified materials, making troubleshooting an impossible task for
them.
A good company
specification for pump seals will include the following:
-- Pump Seal materials with the widest range
of chemical compatibility,
-- Pump Seals that are easy to install,
-- Pump Seals with features that make seal
repair easy and low cost,
-- Pump Seals that require the least amount of
inventory and spare parts,
-- Pump Seals that operate over a wide range
of temperature, pressure and speed, and
-- Pump Seal designs that allow the easiest
conversion of packed pumps to pump seals.
A typical plant will use
some or perhaps all of the following five types of pump seals:
• A single cartridge-mounted balanced seal,
• A dual cartridge-mounted balanced seal,
• A balanced outside seal for low pressure applications,
• A balanced seal installed inside the stuffing box, and
• Metal bellows pump seals for chemical and high temperature
applications