John Crane, a global leader in rotating equipment solutions has announced the launch of the Type 93AX Coaxial Separation Seal – a next generation dry gas sealing solution engineered to help customers reduce emissions, improve equipment reliability, and lower operational costs.
The Type 93AX builds on John Crane’s legacy of industrial sealing expertise with a robust, fail-safe design that remains operational even in the event of multiple failure scenarios. Designed based on direct customer feedback, test data indicates the mechanical seal reduces nitrogen consumption by up to 80%, compared to conventional radial separation seals – offering significant efficiency and sustainability benefits.
Research has shown that contamination is a significant contributor to dry gas seal failures, making it one of the leading causes of unscheduled maintenance and equipment downtime. The Type 93AX is engineered to prevent oil ingress from the compressor bearing chamber, minimising this risk and supporting more reliable, continuous operation.
According to Deloitte, unplanned downtime costs the global process industries an estimated $50 billion annually, with equipment failure responsible for 42% of that unplanned downtime. In energy and process applications, this can result in losses of up to $42 million per facility per year, on average.
The Type 93AX is designed to mitigate both performance and financial risks by extending the reliability of the dry gas seal system and reducing demand on supporting infrastructure such as nitrogen (N2) generators and air compressors.
The product helps contribute to sustainability goals through reduced emissions and lower energy usage. By cutting nitrogen use by up to 80%, it decreases demand on N2 generation systems – a source of both energy consumption and cost. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), improving industrial efficiency could cut global energy use by 12% by 2040, further underlining the importance of solutions like the Type 93AX.
Mike Eason, Chief Technology Officer at John Crane, said: “Our customers told us they wanted a separation seal that increases safety, efficiency, and reliability. The Type 93AX delivers on these priorities. It’s designed to keep working in real-world failure conditions to protect their most critical assets, and reduce environmental impact, while driving down OPEX and CAPEX.
“The new seal is compatible with John Crane’s dry gas seal portfolio and is supported by a global network of over 200 facilities, including manufacturing, sales and services, and 13 global turbo service centres in more than 50 countries. It can be sold as part of a bundled first-fit order or compressor upgrade, or supplied as a stand-alone product to meet customer-specific requirements.”
John Crane is a global leader in mission-critical technologies for the energy and process industries and an innovator in rotating equipment, encompassing mechanical seals, couplings, filtration systems, cutting-edge asset management, and digital diagnostics solutions. Blending a rich legacy of innovation with a commitment to service excellence, the company has enabled its customers to operate reliably and sustainably for over a century.
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