Mechanical Seals: Green in More Ways than One

Mechanical seals are the future of manufacturing due to their longevity, efficiency, and lower long term costs. As environmental regulations ramp up year by year, it’s best to always aim for the most eco-friendly solution to your manufacturing needs. It will save you money in the long run and prevent any headaches of having to transition when new regulations come around.

Loss of Product

The primary benefit of mechanical seals is that they are much more effective at retaining product than traditional gland packing. Normally, packing material is placed around where a shaft and its housing are joined, stuffing any leaks. Over time packing material degrades, also damaging the pump, causing inevitable leakage. With so many materials requiring zero-loss in regards to the environment, these methods are no longer viable. This leakage also causes loss of revenue due to spilled product.

On the other hand, mechanical seals work by creating three sealing points. The most important and intricate portion of the seal is the middle portion where the rotating and stationary portions meet. This section must be lubricated enough to rotate, but tight enough not to allow any leakage, which is the primary concern when dealing with the environmental regulations. These surfaces are microscopically flat, ensuring a tight seal so that fluid cannot escape.

Mechanical seals can also be designed to prevent emissions in the air. A properly engineered and installed mechanical seal will eliminate virtually all leakage and waste. It is important to regularly maintain and inspect these seals, as when they fail it tends to be more catastrophic than the gradual decay of gland packing. Double sealing systems can prevent this kind of large malfunction, giving you time to repair or replace the seal.

Corrosion

Not only are mechanical seals safer, they also cause less damage to the equipment they are attached to. Gland packing will corrode whatever they are plugging as friction grinds down both the packing material and the shaft. Mechanical seals can also be designed to be resistant to highly corrosive materials, which are safety and environmental hazards.

Waste

Not only does gland packing cause a lot of product waste, the packing itself is an environmental issue. Unless you are using biodegradable materials packing, which is often made of plastics and other harmful synthetic materials, every roll of packing will end up in a landfill. Mechanical seals are often made of metal or rubber, which can be more environmentally friendly. As laws on use of short term plastic usage increase, – some areas even banning plastic bags – it’s important to stay ahead of the curve so that new systems aren’t implemented in a rush; especially with a device like mechanical seals, which save money in the long run.

Efficiency

Product and equipment efficiency is a good start, but mechanical seals also provide another efficiency incentive. Mechanical seals also reduce energy usage, saving money and the environment. The reduced friction on moving parts when using mechanical seals provides a more fluid range of motion; machines don’t have to work as hard as when they are grinding against packing. This can lead to huge savings and prevent excess consumption of energy.

Design and Installation

All of the aforementioned benefits of mechanical seals hold up only if they are properly designed for the job and installed correctly. To ensure you are getting the right seal for the job, or to create a custom solution for a unique problem, contact Real Seal. They have experts with years of experience in coming up with unique manufacturing solution, providing environmentally sound guidance and ensuring a safe and efficient system.