Mechanical seals manufacturer Arabian Seals Co Ltd (ASC), which experienced a lean time in 2009, expects to turn the tide this year having shown a marked improvement in sales performance in the first five months, the company said.

ASC reported a 45 per cent surge in sales from January to May, regional sales manager Saeed Al-Bashrawi said.

Dammam-based ASC was formed in 1990 in a joint venture with the American firm Durametallic Corporation, now Flowserve, to design, manufacture, sell and service mechanical seals, sealing systems and other related products for pumps, compressors, mixers and other rotating equipment.

The intention was that with the transfer of technology, all mechanical seal users in the Middle East would be better served by an indigenous manufacturer.

The products have applications in the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, power generation and water processing industries and the company counts among its main customers Saudi Aramco, Sabic, Saudi Electricity Company and Saline Water Conversion Corporation.

The company’s board is studying a proposal to increase production capacity, Al-Bashrawi said.
Around 70 per cent of the company’s seals are consumed locally with the remainder mostly exported to the GCC region while some consignments go to Jordan and Egypt.

Top three selling seals

Expertise covers various types of API (American Petroleum Institute) 682 series seals including the top three selling products, namely PA type and arrangement seals for oil and gas (light); PC type and arrangement seals for oil and gas (hot applications) and PTO type and arrangement seals for chemical and petrochemical applications.

As well as designing and manufacturing, the company offers a complete repair programme and training. It highlights it is available to deal with customers’ queries about API 682 standards and how they may affect their future sealing system decision-making. ASC has offered to discuss with its customers present and future sealing needs and to assist in establishing a cost-efficient timetable for bringing their refineries’ rotating equipment sealing systems into compliance with API 682.

The company boasts the presence of local inventory for quick deliveries and technical support from qualified and experienced engineers.

ASC recently introduced tandem arrangements with backup dry gas seals.

Durametallic developed the PA, PB (for low-temperature services, incorporating non-pusher, rotating bellows design) and PC Dura Seal series to exceed API 682 standards. The API 682 mechanical seal standard was developed jointly by users and equipment manufacturers to extend seal life, reduce emissions, ensure plant and personnel safety in hazardous environments and to standardise and simplify sealing systems.

All Durametallic API 682 seal designs have been tested according to the rigorous protocols established in the 682 standard, ensuring that these seals will provide the exceptional reliability demanded for all refinery services.

“Our collaboration with refinery rotating equipment experts has resulted in added features that go well beyond the minimum requirements set forth by API including interchangeability, a non-damaging seal drive mechanism, a high performance flow inducer and other advancements,” ASC said.

PA Series

The ASC PA Series includes single (PA-100) and dual (PA-200, PA-300) arrangements of API 682 Type A seals. As specified by API 682, these seals are inside mounted, balanced and have pusher designs with flexible rotors. They incorporate several exclusive design features including a unitised spring assembly, interchangeable rotating units and outer gland to simplify changeouts and reduce inventory requirements, and a non-damaging seal face drive mechanism.

They have been carefully designed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to produce the high degree of face flatness required for minimising leakage of emissions.

The design serves a wide range of refinery and petrochemical services ranging from water and caustics up through light hydrocarbons.

PC Series

ASC’s PC Series seals exceed the requirements of API 682 for Type C seals. PC Series seals feature an exclusive two-ply bellows design that effectively handles higher pressures and upset conditions for added safety and longer life. These non-vented bellows seal from two sides, aiding in dual sealing and preventing in the accumulation of contaminants inside the leaflet. Seal faces are flexibly mounted to eliminate the distortion that can be caused by clamping or press fitting.

The PC-200 (Arrangement 2) and PC-300 (Arrangement 3) seals for high-temperature applications are available as engineered seals upon request. Like the PC-100 seals, these engineered seals feature Inconel 718 two-ply bellow and Inconel 600 end pieces, silicon carbide vs premium blister-resistant carbon faces and Durafite secondary seals. A cartridge sleave O ring is available as an option.

ASC also has a complete line of mechanical seals and accessory products including supply tanks and heat exchangers. These are available off-the-shelf or custom engineered.

PTO seals

The PTO type of seal has a simple, proven and rugged design with dependability that has made it a favourite choice of maintenance personnel for over 40 years to seal API and ANSI chemical pumps. Heavy cross sections of the rotary components resist high levels of corrosion. Its simple rugged open rotary unit design enables aggressive, abrasive and viscous fluids to be sealed easier than with other ANSI or API seal types that incorporate shrouded spring rotaries.

The open rotating spring compression unit imparts a turbulent flow pattern of the process fluid or barrier fluid to aid in keeping solids from packing up around the seal faces and improves in removal of sealface generated heat.

The PTO series is available off the shelf in standard configurations for all of the popular chemical pumps offered today.

ASC encapsulated PTOs features and benefits as under

• Rotating seal ring: It self-centres on the shaft independent of compression unit and is designed to withstand the harsh physical demands of cyclic operation or continuous duty. Multiple springs and drive pins evenly distribute the load. It is available in a wide range of materials. In fact this part can be built to stand up to nearly any known chemical.

• Compression unit: It has a sturdy and robust design and is built to perform in aggressive, even abrasive fluids. It is available in any machinable metallurgy.

• Shaft packing: Materials are completely interchangeable without the need to change other components. It is available in a wide range of configurations and materials for compatibility with all process fluids and process temperatures.

• Stationary insert: Flexibly mounted to prevent distortion.

• Insert monitoring: Dimensio-nally interchangeable for versatility in secondary seal material sections.

Other seals

Among other seals the company manufactures is the RO whose dependability has made it a favourite choice of maintenance personnel for over 40 years to seal ANSI chemical pumps. Heavy cross sections of the rotary components resist high levels of corrosion. As it utilises a simple, rugged open rotary unit design, aggressive, abrasive and viscous fluids can be sealed easier than with other ANSI seal types that incorporate shrouded spring rotaries.

The seal offers an open rotating spring compression unit. The RO series is available off the shelf in standard configurations for all of the popular chemical pumps offered today.

Also in the product range is the P-50, described as a single, pusher seal suitable for numerous services in chemical processing, water treatment and sewage plants and pulp and paper mills. Its preset cartridge design speeds installation, eliminates the chance of installation error and is very easy to repair. The springs are mounted on a stationary portion of seal to forgive seal misalignment and face eccentricity. It fits standard ANSI pumps.