Dear Reader...
Welcome to the first issue of Leader of the Pack. Similar to every industry, the only constant in today's distribution/manufacturing business is change. With this newsletter, we at Johnson Packings hope to strengthen our working relationship with you, our customer, through frequent communication. We have added many new products and services we would like to share through feature stories on actual applications where our products are being used to the benefit of our customers.

Leader of the Pack will also keep you informed about our value-added services, as well as any changes in our company personnel or policies. We would be pleased to receive your comments on our newsletter, and encourage your suggestions for future issues. Everyone at Johnson Packings is committed to providing the products and services you expect.

Thank you for your continued support.

Brice S. Craven, President

Johnson Packings' gasket cutting capabilities include a CAD/CAM digital gasket cutter. In our continuous effort to provide better customer service, we were the first gasket fabricator in the country to purchase this technology. The machine is highly-accurate and requires no special tooling, so same-day shipment for low volume, specialty and intricate gaskets is now standard.

Our gasket cutting department has a large inventory of all types of gasketing with over 4,000 in-house dies. We have the ability to cut a one-piece gasket with a 150" O.D. The craft of hand cutting services and custom design is also available to meet our customers' requirements.

Mail, fax or email your drawing to us — put us to the test!

Space-Age Cryogenic Processing Provides Durability Benefits for Wide Range of Items

Johnson Packings provides cryogenic processing services because we believe that it can be of great benefit to many of our customers. NASA developed the cryogenic process in the 1960s. Every vessel sent into space was processed to protect it from the extreme cold of outer space and the extreme heat of re-entry. This was accomplished by actually changing the treated material at the molecular level.

The cryogenic treatment process uses dry nitrogen gas to cool a holding chamber down to below -300°F. The temperature drop can be as slow as a 1/4° per minute, with different time and temperature profiles used, depending on variables such as maximum wall thickness and total mass being processed. Once the -300°F temperature is reached, it is held for 12-40 hours. Fans and thorough insulation of the chamber ensure a uniform chamber temperature to avoid the stratification that can prevent items from receiving the full benefits of the process.

Tom Smith, Maintenance Planner for Finch Pruyn & Co., Inc. in Glens Falls, New York, has experienced, firsthand, the benefits of cryogenic processing. When the impellers, which are part of the pressate pumps at the company's waste treatment plant, were inspected for wear every six months, it was consistently found that they needed to be replaced. Since twice-yearly replacement of the impellers was costly, Finch Pruyn looked to Johnson Packings to provide cryogenic processing of the impellers to improve their wear resistance.

Smith reports that he has found that the treated impellers last three times longer than untreated ones. He says, "The benefit of this treatment was above and beyond what we expected. The improved wear life of the impellers has resulted in significant savings, in terms of both costs and maintenance requirements."

Despite the extremely low temperature involved, the process is surprisingly gentle, and a wide range of items can benefit from it. For example, when lightbulbs with filaments are processed, resistance is reduced by two-thirds, resulting in brighter light, less heat and longer life. Parts, like impellers, shafts, knives, drills, taps, dies, reamers and punches, last two to five times longer. When processed items such as slitter blades and drills need to be reground or sharpened, less material has to be removed, so twice the number of resurfacings can be expected before replacement is necessary.

One of the biggest advantages of the cryogenic process is that it is irreversible. Items need to be processed only once. They will retain the beneficial properties of processing even after resurfacing. We would be happy to prove to you the benefits of cryogenic processing for your parts.

Please contact us for details on our 100% money back guarantee.

Click here for more information on our cryogenic processing capabilities.

Click here to download our Cryo Flyer in Adobe Acrobat PDF format (212K).

Featured Product

Thordon Non-Metallic Bearings: The Choice for Industrial Applications

The consistent performance of Thordon Bearings has been proven in countless industrial applications over the years. They utilize an advanced polymer alloy as the bearing wear surface to provide increased life and reliability, especially under dirty, abrasive and corrosive operating conditions. The Thordon polymer alloy has an inherent low coefficient of friction and self-lubricating properties and usually does not require grease lubrication. These properties are part of the polymer structure, not just the wear surface, and continue to be present as wear occurs. The results are reduced maintenance costs and elimination of the environmental and safety concerns associated with grease lubrication.

Thordon Bearings set the standard for performance in many industries. Thordon Pump Bearings are the recognized choice for both OEM and maintenance water-lubricated pump bearing applications. Thordon offers three bearing grades in two configurations, ensuring the availability of the optimum bearing for a specific application.

Thordon Bearings are often chosen by hydro-electric power producers for pollution-free, low friction bearing systems. They are typically specified as operating mechanism bearings and water-lubricated main guide bearings.

The reliability of these bearings is also recognized by the pulp and paper industry. They have performed extremely well in all types of paper stock applications. Whatever the industrial application, there are many reasons to choose Thordon Bearings. Please call us to discuss the specific benefits for your industry.

Click here for more information on Thordon Non-Metallic Bearings.

Spotlight on Personnel

Bill Lis, our Customer Service Manager, has been with Johnson Packings for ten years. With a background in hardware retail management, he has worked in several areas of our company. In addition to working in Inside Sales, he has also served as Product Coordinator for Engineered Products and worked on the Quality Team to implement compliance with ISO 9002 standards.

In his current position, Bill is responsible for the daily operation of the Inside Sales Department. From order entry to pricing to delivery, he sees that all customer requirements are met. He works to maximize customer satisfaction through interaction with our Purchasing, Accounting and Manufacturing Departments.

Billiards is one of Bill's outside interests, and he will travel to Las Vegas this spring to compete in the APA Men's Nationals. He also enjoys golfing, woodworking, camping and home computing. Bill lives in Westfield, Massachusetts, with his wife, Darla, and their two Labrador Retrievers, Samantha and Sadie.

AquaGard™System
We are an authorized distributor for the AquaGard™ System by JM Clipper and Trico Manufacturing. Designed to avoid serious problems caused by water damage, the System incorporates two easy-to-install components that work together to prevent the need to replace bearings and lubricants. The AquaGard System is available in two variations. The AquaChek™ is an active warning system that combines a high-quality bearing isolator and a moisture-alert sensor. A light flashes yellow to warn when Saturated Relative Humidity (SRH) levels exceed 70%. The AquaDri™ is an active moisture maintenance system that includes the same high-quality isolator with a moisture-removing dryer. Both AquaGard variations are intended for use in rotating equipment in industries such as pulp and paper and chemical processing.

ProTech™ PTFE Bearing Isolator
Johnson Packings' solution for bearing isolation in the most demanding environments is JM Clipper's ProTech™ PTFE Bearing Isolator. This new kind of labyrinth seal has passed severe tests for oil leakage, as well as water and dust. With only two unitized PTFE components, this non-contact isolator is available in a full selection of designs for electric motors, centrifugal pumps, gear boxes and split pillow block applications.

Series CBS Bearing Protector
PPC's Series CBS Bearing Protector is also available from Johnson Packings. This mechanical seal has a cartridge design for quick and simple installation. It provides positive sealing even in flooded and semi-flooded conditions and can handle external pressure wash down. This Bearing Protector maximizes bearing life in a variety of applications, including pumps, electric motors, spindles, gear boxes, compressors, turbines and fans.

For extended bearing life, please contact Johnson Packings for assistance in choosing from among these and other bearing protector solutions.

Series CBS Bearing Protector Saves the Day

After trying a number of replacement seals, Crane & Company, Inc. had decided to live with the oil leaks from their paper dryers. Crane, a currency paper manufacturer, had given up on finding a replacement for their seals. That was until they met Johnson Packings.

John Dupuis, Maintenance Manager of Crane's Currency Paper Division, explained to Johnson Packings that the steam heat from the dryers and the friction heat from the mechanical rotation of the shaft through the seals were causing the seals to degrade and allowing oil to leak out of the bearings. Johnson Packings suggested PPC's Series CBS Bearing Protector to help their machines maintain their 7 day a week schedule.

Dupuis has had tremendous success with the Series CBS Bearing Protector. In all, Crane plans on installing 32 Bearing Protectors on their dryers. So far, they have installed 5 total, none of which leak. Installation is handled by in-house personnel, with only a small amount of machine work on the gasket covers. Dupuis is pleased, stating that the bearing protectors "have been a great savings for us in terms of oil, downtime and clean-up costs."