Greetings!
Believe it or not, stop signs used to be yellow with black lettering. This was because red dye would fade over time. However, by 1954, sign makers began using a fade-resistant, porcelain enamel (another term for glass lined), and it was declared that stop signs would be as we know them today, red with white lettering.
Glass lined items are part of our every day lives. It's an extremely important industry that requires care and maintenance of highly expensive equipment. At Glasslined Technololgies we pride ourselves in providing a holistic approach to maintaining top of the line equipment in our unique industry. Need support? We'd appreciate the opportunity to provide you with a competitive quote for equipment testing, maintenance, repairs, reglassing or training.
If we can ever assist you, please let us know!
Stay Safe,
James Lakeman & The Glasslined Technologies Team
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The mechanical seal assembly isolates the contents of the reactor from atmosphere at the point of entry of the agitator shaft.
Depending on the type of service, a single or double seal may be used. Single seals should only be used for applications where the vessel contents are not harmful to personnel or the environment. Other factors should be considered as well. Always refer to your manual.
Double seals are to be used when vessel conditions exceed those which permit use for a single seal. Examples of when double seal should be used are high pressure and temperature. In these conditions the seal must be used in conjunction with a lubrication system. The double seal provides a system that provides a much more robust sealing capability than the single seal because of the additional seal. Should the contents leak past the first seal, the second seal will reduce the chance of the product escaping.
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Double seals (typically known as T-8 and T-9) form a chamber outside the vessel that contains lubricant at a pressure higher than the maximum vessel pressure. It is recommended that this chamber be pressurized with a suitable lubrication system to 25 psi over the maximum anticipated reactor pressure. It is imperative to maintain this chamber pressure to keep the rotating seal face in contact with the stationary seal face. Should the reactor pressure exceed the seal chamber pressure, the rotating face will separate from the stationary face allowing the vessel contents to enter the seal chamber. If this were to occur, the sealing faces of the mechanical seal could be damaged. Additionally, if the product is corrosive, it could be a safety risk to personnel and the environment as well as damage the seal housing and the unglassed section of the agitator shaft. |
Internal of the seal housing, each seal is firmly affixed to the agitator shaft by setscrews. The rotation of the agitator shaft is coupled by the retainer to the carbon scaling washer on the seal via a positive interlocking notched drive array. The precision-lapped surface of the carbon scaling washer on the seal, rotating against a lapped mating surface of the stationary seat eliminates leakage and seals in the lubricant pressure.
Sealing action along the agitator shaft is obtained by a spring-mounted PTFE wedge (typically on the bottom seal known as a T-9) or by an elastomeric O-ring (typically on the top seal known as a T-8). The specific type of O-ring used is determined by the chemical environment and the drive size.
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Thank you for taking the time to read our monthly newsletter. As a small token of our appreciation, we are giving away a $200.00 Visa Gift Card to anyone who enters at the link below. There is no purchase necessary to win. Register by 8.23.21 for a chance to win. The winner will be drawn on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 - just in time for Labor Day! |
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Gearboxes: Also Known as Drives |
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Proper gearbox maintenance is key to a long life of your unit. In most units, the normal service interval should be 2500 hours or 6 months. Compare the two pictures below and you can see the difference between a properly maintained gearbox versus a poorly maintained one. The properly maintained gearbox has a good wear pattern, and has not been overheated. Excessive heat and/or improper lubrication will cause pitting in the teeth. Routine maintenance is important as it removes the old oil that may no longer provide proper lubrication.
The oil level and type are extremely critical to the life of the unit. The gearbox oil is much like the oil in your vehicle. With normal use and heat cycles it loses its ability to protect the internal parts due to viscosity breakdown. Unlike your vehicle the gearbox does not have a filter to catch any debris, so the used oil may be subject to metal shavings and debris in it. Do not be too alarmed to see some metal in the used oil. The key is to change the oil a scheduled intervals before it breaks down.
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This Gear Shows Pitting from Improper Lubrication |
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This Gear Shows Properly Lubricated Gear |
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There are many different types of site glasses on the market that allow you to accurately maintain the proper oil level. We believe the “L” shaped sight glass pictured below is best type to allow proper level monitoring. The level indicated on the sight glass is especially important. Unmarked sight glasses should be marked an inch up the vertical section of the glass. The key is to ensure the oil is at a level slightly above the centerline of the gearbox. The proper oil level will ensure that the gears are submerged which will greatly reduce heat and friction on the gears. Proper oil level results in a longer life.
The recommended oil is important as well. It must NOT be an EP (extreme pressure) lubricant. As seen in the second picture, this brass gear has pitting in the teeth which can indicate an EP additive was in the oil. You can see the degradation of the area over and under the teeth where the gear has been attacked. As opposed to the first picture, the brass gear is neither pitted nor attacked and has a proper wear pattern. It should have a VI (viscosity index) of 90 minimum. An example of an approved lubricant is AGMA #8 or AGMA #8A. Always check your manual for your unit’s specifications.
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When our technician opened this housing, the gearbox spewed an unidentified ooze. Lubrication material should be an AGMA 8A lubricant rather than pudding.
This unit was destroyed thus requiring over $25,000 in repairs to return the vessel to operation.
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Consulting
Provide consulting services for clients in the chemical, plastics, flavor, pharmaceutical, and petrochemical industries throughout North America.
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Inventory
We maintain an inventory of spare and replacement parts. If we do not have it we can find it for you.
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On-Site Repair &
ReGlass Services
On your site we perform anniversary inspections, consultation; tantalum repairs including patches and plugs; reactor and drive installations and repair; mounting or dismantling agitation systems.
Trained staff re-glass your vessels, baffles, agitators, hubs and parts. We have multiple furnaces in our extensive facility and use proprietary compounds and glass to produce a better than new result.
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Glasslined Technologies is committed to providing the best service possible. From a variety of services offered by constantly innovating, we strive to flourish in this industry.
Please take a moment and let us know how we did. Share your Glasslined Technology experience, here.
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