Custom material exceeds industry requirements

The oil and gas fracking industry is booming, as utilities struggle to keep pace with ever-increasing worldwide energy demands.  In fact, the US set a record for natural gas consumption for the third consecutive year in 2013.  To maintain this pace of 24/7/365 operation, the engines used in fracking equipment must be of the highest caliber.  And TriStar’s custom seals are helping these powerhouse components exceed industry expectations.  

Old design inspires new construction

For this unique seal application, our engineers looked to the past to design for the future; channeling a 1960s-era auto transmission schematic for inspiration. The goal of this application was to “seal” the rotating shaft where the clutch mates to the engine. In this instance, the transmission was a dual-clutch mated to a 3000hp diesel engine. By using a proprietary seal material, we increased the seal pressure to improve the engines’ overall efficiency. It may seem unlikely, but a simple change in seal material on the power train led to improved fracking equipment uptime and better production rates!

And customization brings new solution

At TriStar, we carry a range of off-the-shelf components, but can also collaborate on a custom design when standard just won’t do.  Here’s a primer to help you review the properties of different seal materials. You’ll see that while seals have come a long way through the decades, sometimes an old design ― when combined with the materials of today ― can lead to a completely new solution! Just Ask the Sealing Experts for advice on your next application!