Mechanical Seals

Course 1: Mechanical Seals

Prerequisites: This lesson is designed for participants familiar with the basic operation and maintenance of pumps and other rotating equipment.

Description: This lesson covers the features, operation, and applications associated with three common types of mechanical seals: single, double, and cartridge. The lesson presents specific procedures for failure analysis and identification, seal removal, disassembly, reassembly, and installation.

Objectives:

• Identify the basic components of a mechanical seal
• Identify sealing points and applications in which packing is installed to control process leakage as well as the types of materials commonly used to make seal faces and elastomers
• Select the appropriate seal design for a specific type of application
• Verify the compatibility of seal materials with the process fluids for a particular application
• Perform a failure analysis to determine the cause of seal failure and to identify the means to correct the problem
• Remove and disassemble a failed mechanical seal
• Remove and replace the o-rings on a mechanical seal
• Perform the preliminary checks prior to seal installation
• Reassemble and install a new or repaired mechanical seal