Case Ref
TD3104601
Country
Spain
A silicon lip seal fitted to a rubber lumps reactor at a chemical plant in northern Spain failed after just ten days, resulting in the serious leakage of oil from the gearbox.

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Designed to seal oil flooded bearing chambers
Q and A

With Alvaro Masero Vesga

Was this an existing customer?

Yes. We had already provided them with single and double mechanical seals.

What was the problem with the existing lip seal?

Friction between the shaft and the seal was causing wear on both, ultimately leading to oil leakage.

How did AESSEAL learn about the problem?

I had given them a presentation on how to improve the reliability of the plant's rotating equipment, in which I talked about our LabTecta® range. After the presentation, they realized that the LabTecta® could help them in that application, and so they contacted me.

How did the replacement process continue?

They sent me the section of the equipment on which they wanted to install the upgrade. I prepared a second presentation focused on that equipment, and they decided to go ahead with the upgrade, replacing the lip seal with our LabTecta® FS. The AESSEAL® team designed a customized LabTecta® FS specifically for their equipment, and after seeing the design, the customer was convinced that it would work. The actual replacement was carried out some weeks later by the company’s technicians under my supervision, during the factory’s scheduled maintenance shutdown.

Why was the LabTecta® the better option?

The technology on which the LabTecta® is based is completely different from that of the lip seal. LabTecta® is a more modern sealing concept which is much more suitable for this type of application. The design of the LabTecta® FS prevents friction between the shaft and the seal. It also prevents dirt or moisture from entering the equipment from the outside, and prevents oil from leaking out. Since then I have supplied the company with another LabTecta® FS for another piece of critical equipment, and last year in a big project, they decided to install the LabTecta® OP as standard in all their pumps.

Is the company satisfied with the work AESSEAL has done?

They are very satisfied. After more than four years the LabTecta® has prevented any further leakage of oil and has removed a serious environmental hazard. The client's staff always tell me how comfortable they feel working with us because of our quick response times. In addition, our personalized service and our products give them confidence, and the improvements we have made help them to do their job better. As a result we have been able to develop sales in other plants within the same group. We have even been able to sell engineering mixer seals thanks to our reputation for the quality of our products and the standard of our customer service.