Blue Diamond has established an in-house test and development facility,
which now operates as a ‘centre of excellence’ for the NAK brand. The
company uses its new resource to subject existing designs of rotary shaft
seal or O-ring to particularly harsh environments, assisting it in the
development of more advanced products. The test rig is able to control
the speed and direction of rotation, temperature, pressure and duration
of test. The settings are programmed with ramp or step functions to
simulate expected running conditions, and multiple repetitions of test
cycles and sub-test routines can be performed.
Shaft speeds up to 25,000rpm are currently possible, with a future
proposed extension to 36,000rpm, and fluid temperatures can be controlled
up to 200oC. Pressures are applied over a wide range, from vacuum to
160bar (with excursions to 240bar). Handling seals up to 200mm diameter,
the rig can run to 8,000rpm under pressurised conditions.