Moontown Ltd specializes in high-performance, safety critical sealing solutions for the Chemical Processing Industry. We know how vital it is for processing plants to use high-performance sealing solutions, maximising efficiency whilst minimising downtime and expensive (and potentially) dangerous leakage.

We manufacture a huge variety of seals for chemical processing that are found within the daily operation of processing plants such as pumps, agitators, compressors, valves, flanges, pipes, and ducts where gases and liquids must be stored, transported and sealed safely.  Our portfolio of seal products including PTFE Spring Energised Seals, Chevron Packing Sets, Ball Valve Seats, O Rings, U Seals, Gland Packing are all widely used in the production and storage of chemicals.

Our chemical resistant seal materials such as PTFE, PEEK, & POM (many of which hold NORSOK, API 6A & FDA approvals) can withstand the extreme operating conditions exerted on them including temperature extremes and aggressive media, which we achieve through a conscientious design process and the use of specialised materials.  Seal energisers can be supplied in FPM, EPDM, NBR, HNBR and Silicone. Elgiloy or Phynox energiser materials are approved to NACE MR0 175.

In addition to our high performance plastic and polymer seals we also offer a range of metallic seals – these are often used in applications where factors such as temperature, radiation, corrosion or permeability exclude the use of traditional PTFE Seals.  This range includes metal C rings, E rings and O Rings. These seals are suitable for gas and liquid applications and are suitable for extreme high temperatures and pressures.

Moontown can advise upon suitable materials, seal profiles and offer a sample manufacture service.  We will gladly make site visits if necessary, with full reporting back up and 3D CAD drawings to support new designs or reverse engineered solutions.

Sometimes it can be easy to overlook the impact of certain product designs, especially if they go on to become an industry standard. Novel ideas – the kind that actually reshape the way businesses operate – also tend to fade in people’s imagination if they first hit the market decades earlier.

DRAG^® technology was developed in 1967 by Dick Self, an aerospace engineer who was trying to solve the problem of how to control high pressure drops in control valves. His pioneering work has since gone on to define the principles for velocity and fluid kinetic energy control across many different sectors. It’s difficult to overstate its importance for industry today because many plants now adopt multi-stage control valve designs without second thought.

Yet for all its breakthrough properties, DRAG^® technology remains an under-examined part of IMI Critical Engineering’s history. This blog looks at its impact and explains why – despite being on the market almost 60 years – it remains such a good example of the company’s innovative approach to complex engineering challenges.

Moving Industry Forward

The value of DRAG^® technology is best seen through its history and quick adoption across different sectors. Early on, one of the primary drivers was occupational safety, with organisations keen to manage system noise following protection measures introduced by organisations like the OHSA in the 1970s. During this time, CCI conducted test programs with Dupont, Pacific Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison. These test programs verified the performance and benefits of DRAG® technology. Babcock and Wilcox then acquired CCI in 1971, accelerating the technology’s development and implementation over the following years.

By the 1980s, DRAG^® was widely used in utility power plants across the world. In the 1990s, CCI began working with customers in nuclear plants, addressing issues in main feedwater control valves, as well as steam dump to condenser and steam dump to atmosphere applications. CCI successfully retrofit competitors’ feedwater control valves and eliminated problems with vibration.

The 1990s also saw the company pursue new applications in choke valves used for upstream oil and gas work, LNG compressor recycle valves and combined cycle turbine bypass valves. This period was so successful that CCI began a period of co-development with Statoil (now Equinor), setting the foundations for a period of rapid growth over the next few decades. Today, there are DRAG^® valves installed in LNG plant and combined cycle plants across the world.

Simple but Significant

Like many of the best feats of engineering, DRAG^® technology is a relatively simple solution. It’s based on a multi-stage pressure drop, which divides a pipe’s flow into different streams, similar to cages. Most cages are limited to between one and three stages but DRAG^® can provide more than 20 stages of pressure letdown. The number is based on the customer’s operating conditions and velocity control limits.

DRAG^® technology’s longevity can also be explained by the three major problems it addresses:

• Cavitation – Liquids accelerate when they pass through the reduced area of a valve’s control element. This can lead to pitting damage, poor control and excessive noise.
• Erosion – Washing action or abrasion from entrained particles can lead to gradual wear. Most severe at high pressures, making velocity control especially important.
• Noise and Vibration – High fluid velocities can cause uncontrolled noise and pipe motion. This not only leads to potential system shutdowns but also health hazards for plant operators.

Time has proven DRAG^® to be a powerful ally for addressing these problems, which cause valve repair, loss of process control, damage to piping components and unplanned downtime. The technology also has been shown to improve the overall reliability and efficiency of customers’ plants, saving untold amounts of product, time and money.

Despite being a mainstay of IMI’s 100D range, the business continues to drive the technology forward. Retrofit3D, for example, now allows a business to incorporate DRAG^® technology into an existing valve installation much quicker than before, avoiding the hassle and expense associated with a total refit. This new service also gives IMI new options for valve design, allowing engineers to develop more compact disk stacks that do not require precise compression inside the valve. While this kind of improvement may appear minor on first inspection, it follows the same thinking that made DRAG^® so effective when first introduced in the late 1960s.

For more information, please visit: https://www.imi-critical.com/the-innovative-thinking-behind-drag-technology/

Tel:                0121 7173700

Email:            imihq@imi.critical.com

Website:        www.imi-critical.com

To develop a concept for product re-alignment, Bray worked extensively with leading companies in the European chemical industry. The focus was not solely on the function and performance of the valve but also compliance with the technical delivery conditions, the implementation of the latest European standards, and delivery reliability and capability.

Key topics such as digitalisation, sustainability and standardisation require innovative product solutions, and are gaining importance in many different industries.

In particular, the transformation to climate neutrality and the competitiveness of the chemical industry is a major challenge and relies upon innovation.

Within this challenge Bray sees a great opportunity to position itself in the market and has developed a comprehensive product portfolio to meet these diverse and stringent needs.

These new products will be introduced as the “Cx Line” and meet NE 167 in addition to all known quality and delivery requirements of the chemical industry in Europe.

Therefore, they are ideally suited for a variety of process applications, where the maximum in terms of reliability, safety and tightness is required.

Additionally, each valve features a digital identification tag in accordance with IEC 61406 allowing easy and clear valve identification. The Bray DIGI-ID™ solution enables immediate access to all relevant product information at any time.

With this innovative product portfolio Bray offers a worry-free valve package to enable its customers to streamline their processes and make them more efficient. Bray launched the Cx Line at Valve World Expo 2022 in Düsseldorf and with this new product line, Bray offers their “element” to the chemical industry and is looking forward to the new opportunities within 2023.

Tel No:      0141 812 5199
Email:       bcuk.sales@bray.com
Website:   www.bray.com

What is PTFE?

Discovered by accident in 1938 by American chemist Dr Roy J. Plunkett in the DuPont™ laboratory, Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a thermoplastic polymer with a linear chain of carbon atoms, surrounded by fluorine atoms. High performing as a virgin material, PTFE can also be filled with many other elements to bolster its appeal and usage.

Ceetak’s expert team of engineers work with customers to ensure the right material is selected for the needs of each valve application, let’s explore more about the chance discovery of PTFE and its benefits.

Why choose PTFE for your valve applications?

Due to its versatility, PTFE is widely used in sealing applications for valves in industries with high usage and demands.

Its unique ability to withstand contact with virtually all known chemicals (only a few media are known to react with PTFE), and its composition and properties, give PTFE a thermal stability and excellent high to low temperature rating. The high melting point (342 °C) and structural characteristics allow seals (virgin PTFE) to be constantly used at temperatures of up to 260 °C. In contrast, PTFE seals can withstand cryogenic temperatures and aggressive chemicals such as liquid nitrogen and liquid helium.

Thanks to this unintentional innovation nearly 100 years ago, industries including oil & gas, petrochemical, and CPI can benefit from the qualities of valves fitted with PTFE sealing systems, seats, and linings. A great choice due to its resistance to harsh environments and extremely corrosive chemicals including cleaning and sterilisation fluids, and its inherent biocompatibility makes it safe for food & beverage, water and pharmaceutical applications. Many grades carry well known institutional approvals relevant to individual markets, including FDA, USP, UL and NORSOK standards.

PTFE seals: Benefits and considerations

Benefiting from an unlimited shelf life, PTFE is a synthetic self-lubricating polymer offering continuous dry running capabilities in dynamic sealing applications. Additional lubrication is infrequently required because in some cases, the use of a lubricant can introduce hard wear particles to the seal interface. Dry assembly of PTFE seals is commonly recommended to avoid this risk.

Despite the existing advantages of virgin PTFE, its qualities are amplified by the addition of fillers to strengthen and improve its physical properties such as creep and wear rate. Fillers include glass, carbon, bronze, and graphite. Although the cost of PTFE is generally higher than elastomer moulded seals, PTFE is moulded into cylindrical billets and machined to manufacture seals; this is advantageous to customers to produce lower volume prototypes and allows rapid lead times.

Working with Ceetak: the right material for your valve application?  

Here at Ceetak, we understand the challenges, technical demands and the need for long service life and minimal maintenance needed for valve application sealing.  Our extensive expertise means we can quickly identify and specify the optimal seal solution. We have recently worked with a customer who was using elastomer seals on the stem of a quarter turn valve which was failing due to operation at low temperatures after long periods of inactivity. We worked with this customer to replace the seals with a low friction PTFE seal, this solved the stick-slip problem, and the customer is satisfied their application is now working to its maximum performance.

Our range of PTFE seal products include back-up rings, rod and piston seals, slipper seals and spring energised seals in a wide variety of sizes and can be virgin or filled PTFE.

For more information about how Ceetak’s products and services can benefit your organisation, visit www.ceetak.com, or to speak to one of our expert team, phone +44 (0)1234 832200.

Telephone:         +44 (0)1234 832200

Email:                  enquiries@ceetak.com

Website:             www.ceetak.com