Perfluoroelastomer seals significantly reduce the total pump system cost
August 25, 2022
High energy prices coupled with fierce market competition, making the chemical companies must strengthen cost control and improve system efficiency. The pump products as the most common chemical industry equipment, its energy saving is an effective way to save costs. This article describes the purpose of reducing overall costs by selecting a quality seal to extend pump operating time.
In the past, when the cost of purchasing was only concerned, companies only considered the purchase price when purchasing equipment, even though the product could only last for one year. The high-performance elastomeric seals used in pump products are considered as disposable parts with unpredictable service life. Nowadays, as technology evolves, prospective planning for the life of equipment becomes easier, and some companies are beginning to consider the issue of cost reduction.
Impact of seals on costs Costs due to accidental downtime generally far exceed the initial purchase price of premium elastomeric seals. The cost of a single seal is between 50 cents and a few hundred U.S. dollars, while seal failure results in a much higher production cost. In 2005 and 2006, during visits to European seal manufacturers, distributors, and end users, we learned that in the absence of a spare product (on-line backup pumps do not incur downtime costs) due to failure of standard seals Downtime costs about $ 3800 per hour per pump. It's already under suspension, the two hours it takes to replace the seal, and the quick connection and activation of the program are all taken into account. Pump failures also result in additional costs, such as environmental, safety and quality costs.
This means short-term savings do not translate into long-term value when manufacturers choose low-cost elastomeric seals spare parts. On the contrary, quality parts may bring more savings. The difference is that measuring its value during use is not at the outset. Extending mean time between repair (MTBR) plays a very important role in reducing costs and increasing manufacturing parameters such as speed and quality.
Successful seal performance requires careful inspection of process conditions, elastomer properties, and seal design. Any lack of will result in reduced service life of the seal and the possibility of sudden failure of the seal. Chemical corrosion, high temperature and mechanical stress are common adverse factors.
Perfluoroelastomer Seals Kalrez Perfluoroelastomer components resist the attack of more than 1,800 "offensive" chemicals and are suitable for harsh environments up to 327 ° C. Long-term resistance to chemicals, swelling and high temperatures can help you minimize costly seal failure while also extending MTBR, reducing maintenance and operating costs and increasing yield.
For example, CDR pump, located in Senago, Italy, has significantly extended the service life of O-rings operating in "offensive" fluid environments by shifting the Kalrez Series 6375 Perfluoroelastomer Seals. Dow AgroSciences, based in Drusenheim, France, has extended the service life of dynamic and static seals from one day to two months through the conversion of PTFE to Kalrez Series 6375 perfluoroelastomer.
These high-performance perfluoroelastomer seals improve safety by controlling short-term emissions and preventing industrial fluids from contaminating. Because chemical manufacturers understand that reducing environmental risks will undoubtedly pay an expensive price. And the demand for laws and regulations will continue to urge manufacturers to work toward a cost-effective environmental solution. For example, the EU Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC, 96/61 / EU) will enter into force in October 2007, which will force processing plants to reduce the volatility caused by accidental leakage, evaporation, combustion or leakage Loss of organic compounds.
Seal replacement situation Seal replacement is undeniable reality. Whether due to malfunctions or due to routine planned system safety, service, quality or economy considerations, the seals need to be inspected and replaced once, twice or repeatedly, and this replacement involves component and downtime costs . We have identified four seal replacement scenarios in order to estimate which sealing solution will have a significant impact on total system cost: 1. a seal that will last for the life of the processing equipment; 2. a replacement due to a failure 1 Times or 2 times; 3. Repeatedly replaced; 4. Regular maintenance replacement.
In the first case, the seal does not have to be replaced because the seal can be maintained for the life of the pump or other equipment. Strictly speaking, it is not necessary to use perfluoroelastomer parts from the standpoint of cost, but the seals may need to be replaced once or twice during the life of the equipment due to failure or repair. Using a perfluoroelastomer seal is the most cost-effective solution because failure can result in downtime costs.
In the second case, the seal needs to be changed several times. Perfluoroelastomers offer longer life than conventional sealing materials when working in the areas of high temperature and aggressive chemicals, resulting in cost savings.
The cost of downtime caused by changing existing seals is generally constant when safety, service, quality, or economy are the ones that need to be replaced on a regular basis. The switch to perfluoroelastomer seals additional costs should be overhaul interval double, triple or even quadruple to extend the offset.
