Sealing, coupling and reliability solutions to protect rotating equipment in harsh mining environments (Part 2)

Firstly, the nature of the rotating equipment being used, the harshness of both the conditions in which the technology operates, and the materials involved. We also looked in more depth at the seals and couplings involved.

Here we explore the benefits of suitable packing and sealing support solutions and sustainable water stewardship.

Durable packing to reduce wear

Our packing portfolio includes five core styles of high‑quality, non‑asbestos second‑ and third‑generation yarn technologies, with additional site-specific options.

These offer cost-effective sealing for large, rugged equipment, help extend mean time between failure (MTBF) and reduce equipment total cost of ownership (TCO).

Styles 1345 and 1349 are the options for most mining applications and are effective for multimedia, light- and medium‑slurry services. Using Style K1730 in union with the C1065 provides site‑wide coverage across auxiliary, process and slurry pump applications, as well as multimedium valve services.

Meanwhile, John Crane styles C1064 and 1993 are ideal for abrasive services where packing extrusion and sleeve or shaft wear are a concern, while the Style K1771 and K1771 KSC solutions work site‑wide, handling even the most aggressive and high‑pressure slurry applications.

Seal support systems

Mining and mineral extraction operations often take place in remote, harsh mining environments. Seals must perform at the edge of their operating capabilities, and operators can help extend machinery uptime by using seal support systems. Our barrier fluid reservoirs, heat exchangers and flush systems support optimal mechanical seal performance.

And many in our portfolio offer enhanced safety around critical pumps and hazardous fluids, and each solution complies with ASME VIII, ASME B31.3, AD2000, ATEX, CE, PED and SELO, as needed.

What makes a good support system?

In the context of the mining and minerals industry, support systems must meet three key criteria. They must be robust, simple to run and crucially help every mechanical seal last longer in the context of lubrication and cooling challenges.

For example, John Crane Safeunit™ delivers a continuous, adjustable pressurised flush to prevent solids from entering the seal chamber, creating a complete seal water control and monitoring system.

Similarly, our Global Standardised Upstream Pumping Support System manages the flow of clean water to optimise the performance of any John Crane dual mechanical seal using USP face technology, while John Crane SafeJet™ is an automatic, compact, in-line, seal water filter. It uses our “flow-through” filter technology, which employs several laminar filter elements for self-cleaning.

Sustainable water stewardship

Creating optimal conditions for effective water management means using technology that reduces water waste, so operators can tick the boxes for efficiency, dependability, reliability and sustainability. And the common denominator for sustainable water stewardship is reducing water consumption through efficient sealing systems.

John Crane has been helping our customers reduce process leakage since 1917. Every mechanical seal is engineered to minimise waste, reduce owner maintenance and maximise operational uptime.

The shifting regulatory landscape and increasingly stringent guidance make environmental compliance something of a moving target. But the key is to treat efficiency and sustainability equally, achieving operational cost savings while hitting ESG targets. Getting more value from well-established technology investments is another way to act more sustainably and support operational efficiency.

John Crane Performance Plus™ service solutions

John Crane Performance Plus™ is a modular service framework designed to maximise the performance of your plant’s rotating equipment and other critical assets.

Together, we can create a tailored package of maintenance and reliability services to meet your operational needs. Our flexible, expert support is backed by the world’s largest mechanical seal service network with over 200 manufacturing, sales, and service centres worldwide that ensure we are always close to your operations.

Mechanical Seal Reliability Management Programme: This helps ensure improved reliability and production across the plant while reducing safety incidents, fugitive emissions and total cost of ownership. Meanwhile, we support our maintenance and repair service with the world’s largest mechanical seal engineering network. That is more than 200 manufacturing, sales and service centres globally. See how close we are to your operations here.

Innovation underpins our asset condition management services, which is ideal for mining operations in remote sites. We offer asset health monitoring using vibration, thermography, ultrasound, fluid analysis, pump performance testing and fugitive emissions detection and quantification, all supported by remote digital monitoring through the John Crane Sense® Monitor solution.

In an intensive, always-on industry like mining and minerals, extended or unplanned downtime reduces the operator’s ability to reach output targets, so an incremental programme of seal and support system upgrades is achievable during scheduled maintenance downtime and will quickly prove cost-effective as the MTBR for plant rotating equipment is extended.

Upgrading rotating equipment – the case for change

For many in the industry, change comes slowly. The current default sealing methodology is often a packed gland with high water usage, which usually goes unnoticed until it fails.

Also out of sight are the potential savings in terms of downtime and resources. However, the shift from packing to mechanical seals can offer immediate dividends in terms of increased performance, extended runtime and MTBR in extreme conditions that push equipment to the limit.

Longer-term benefits of switching to mechanical seals include equipment longevity, achieving ESG goals and improvements in operational efficiency and environmental responsibility. Meanwhile, investing in comprehensive protection for rotating equipment can significantly improve equipment availability, operating costs and process runtime.

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