Mechanical seals - in defence of the seal industry

摘要

Many informed industry professionals often repeat the statement: "Mechanical seals and bearings are the most frequent causes of rotating equipment failure". But if that's really the case, why, asks Chris Rea of AESSEAL pic, are bearings often enjoying unquestioned success in even the most critical and sensitive equipment? Likewise, why are some modern refineries reporting pump uptimes as long as seven or more years without seal failures? The purpose of this article is two-fold. We want to know if the above statement is really true and, if it is, we would like to understand why that is. Conversely, if the statement does not really reflect the facts and bearings and seals are not the causes of most equipment failures, we will also benefit from understanding why.