Product category:
Seals
News Release from: Eriks UK
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 28 May 2003
Investment speeds seal delivery
Pioneer Weston seals has recently invested more than GBP 250,000 in new production machinery, testing equipment and factory modifications.
Pioneer Weston seals has recently invested more than GBP 250,000 in new production machinery, testing equipment and factory modifications that are set to benefit customers in terms of improved quality, delivery times and flexibility The improvements have facilitated the custom design, manufacture and testing of rotary PTFE seals enabling OEMs to ensure that their products are more cost competitive and durable
Another example of responding to market requirements is the increase in the Mechanical Seals Division's capacity to manufacture and renovate mechanical seals up to 1m in diameter on a quick response basis to service the repair market.
Pioneer Weston has supplied all areas of industry with a comprehensive range of seals from small push fit seals to large mechanical seals for over 60 years.
Now as part of the Wyko Production Services Division, the company has benefited from new investment in the Manchester manufacturing facility, which includes a fully automated state-of-the-art assembly line that produces their latest range of high-performance PTFE seals at a rate of one every five seconds.
To further enhance the machine, an in-house design team has designed modular tooling to keep tool costs and changeover times to a minimum, reducing the feasible batch quantities and production costs.
"This is good news for OEMs who require nonstandard seals in high volumes and with short leadtimes", explains Mark Bannister, Development Manager for the Rotary Shaft Seal division.
"By investing over a quarter million pounds in both design and production facilities, we have adapted to the changing needs of the OEM market who are demanding higher performance PTFE Based rotary shaft seals whilst trying to keep costs closer to those of the more traditional rubber designs.
At the same time, clients increasingly require nonstandard seals to specifically match their application needs, including dimensional characteristics.
Pioneer Weston have now over 60 designs programmed into the new 3D CAD system, utilising parametrics which allows design proposals to be created more efficiently and effectively".
Commenting further, Bannister explains that: "Seals perform a very critical function, and as greater demands are made of machinery, the many variables which affect the performance of the seals become more critical.
The initial and on-going investments in the new testing department allow Pioneer Weston to simulate these specific critical variables and therefore help to reduce customer's time to market.
As well as extending the use of computerised rigs, we are developing an environmental testing laboratory where we can realistically trial seals for a whole host of applications".
"The new testing facility has also allowed us to further develop the mechanical seals side of Pioneer Weston through improved design, leading to longer service life and more reliable performance", explains Mechanical Seals Manager, Dave McIntosh.
"Nearly every mechanical seal we produce is bespoke in some way, whether through size, material or application and the recent investment has increased our capacity to supply individual samples or runs of seals from less than 50mm to over 100cm in diameter".
Pioneer Weston is part of the Wyko Seals Division and its products contribute to the comprehensive range of transmission equipment and components available from over 140 Wyko branches nationwide. Request free introductory details about products from Eriks UK ...
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