Extending Equipment Life through Improved Sealing Technology

摘要

Bearing failure in power generation equipment significantly impacts operating expense and profitability due to costly equipment rebuild and equipment downtime. The primary sources of bearing failure are lack of lubrication and contaminant ingress. Industrial sealing devices are the primary protection against bearing failure. When the sealing device fails, bearing failure is imminent. Therefore, extending the life of sealing devices extends bearing life and in turn improves equipment uptime. The primary measurements of equipment uptime are: Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Mean Time To Repair (MTTR). Each of these metrics is discussed in detail including their primary methods of calculation. Once established as measurable values, attention is then given to improving MTBF and MTTR through sealing innovations. In examining MTBF, common causes of premature seal failure and new technological developments to extend time between failures are considered. In examining MTTR, new products available to facilitate and streamline the repair process are the central focus.