Johnson Packings recently supplied Rexam Graphics with a PS-II Mechanical Seal that has provided significant savings in terms of both time and money. This company, located in South Hadley Falls, Massachusetts, is a coater of paper and film products. Louis Sulewski, Millwright Machinist at Rexam Graphics, says that they were experiencing serious problems with the pump on a coating machine. Mechanical seals that leaked during machine shutdowns and startups were being replaced every 3-4 weeks. The results were lots of downtime and unreasonable replacement expenses.

Our Territory Manager, Barry Carlson, worked closely with Rexam Graphics to meet the challenges of their application. It was believed that the highly viscous vinyl product being pumped and the frequent machine shutdowns both contributed to seal failure. These two factors were taken into consideration when the PS-II Mechanical Seal was designed.

Once the seal was installed, Sulewski says, "We gave it plenty of time to prove itself. We have had the same seal in for over a year now, and there has been no leaking. I wouldn't be surprised if the pump fails before the seal does!"

If you have a difficult problem with leaking, or want to increase MTBF (Meantime Between Failure), let us put our sealing technology expertise to work for you. Of course every application is unique, but, in all probability, Johnson Packings can help you realize savings similar to those of Rexam Graphics.

Stew Craven's Expertise in Plastics Is Key to Johnson Packings' Success

Stew Craven, a dedicated employee of Johnson Packings, has been very instrumental in our company's success. In fact, some of us say, "If it weren't for Stew, there probably wouldn't be a Johnson Packings."

Although Stew has worked in just about every department over the years, his main input has been in the Packings Division. Stew is an expert at handling plastics applications that require special specifications and testing. Our Machined Plastics Division deals with many valve manufacturers that produce everything from ball valves to nuclear specifications, and we meet Mil Specs day in and day out. From ball seats or lantern rings to wear plates or thrust bearings, there is no application too difficult for Johnson Packings to handle.

In addition to machined plastic parts, we are suppliers of Teflon®, Nylon, Delrin, Peek and many other types of plastics, in tube, sheet and rod form. Please allow us the opportunity to provide a quote for your application. We know you'll be pleased with both the cost and the performance of the parts.

Johnson Packings recently became the Northeast Stocking Distributor for Darco Southern products. We carry a full line of this manufacturer's High Temperature products, including Tapes, Ropes, Tubing, Cloth, Welding Curtains and Customized Products. If you have an application with a high-temperature problem, we can provide the solution by fabricating all types of materials to your specifications.

One of Darco's most innovative products is its Tetraglas 3000® material, developed as a safe alternative to ceramic fibered products. Since ceramic fiber crystallizes to a respirable diameter at approximately 1600°F, it is a potential health hazard to personnel who pull the used material out of an application.

Darco's Tetraglas 3000® is a texturized silica that does not require a carrier fiber. It can withstand temperatures of up to 2300°F without deterioration. Tetraglas 3000® is also easier to handle and has better abrasion resistance and insulating properties. Darco's Tetraglas 3000® Welding Curtain, shown at right, is hemmed on all four sides and is available with grommets. It will withstand flame and heat of 2300°F, with short excursions to 3000°F, and is excellent for many applications where heat protection is required.

Spotlight on Personnel: Customer Service

The Johnson Packings Inside Sales Team: (left to right) Steve Keene, Customer Service Manager Bill Lis, Brian Howard, Ed Donald, Jeff Crum, Kevin Gaboury and Derrick Davidson.

At Johnson Packings, the Customer Service Department and the Inside Sales Team are actually one and the same. With over 50 combined years of sales support experience, our inside salespeople know that, in the ever-changing business world, the value of customer service has remained constant. One characteristic that sets our Sales Team apart from others is their level of professionalism. You'll notice this in the way they handle your call; they are highly trained in every aspect of their job.

Our inside salespeople are much more than simply "order takers." They see themselves as account managers, making sure that orders are properly entered into the system, verifying pricing and delivery requirements, and helping to source quality products for a competitive price.

The next time you need assistance with a fluid sealing product, you can rest assured that Johnson Packings' Customer Service Department will handle your request promptly and with diligence.

Speaking of cryogenics . . . try to answer this issue's trivia question!

What major golf equipment manufacturer cryogenically treats its clubs?

Check out our Cryogenic Processing page for the answer!

Featured Product

O-RINGS

Though simple in design and construction, O-Rings are extremely effective sealing devices that are dependable under a wide range of temperatures and pressures. Johnson Packings stocks an inventory of over 350 standard-size O-Rings, and we can also vulcanize cord stock for special sizes.

We offer a full selection of O-Ring materials, including:

Our customer service representatives will be happy to help you select the right O-Ring and material for trouble-free sealing in your specific application.

In our ongoing effort to make our company your preferred partner, Johnson Packings is in the process of implementing an Internet-based system of exchanging business documents. While we currently offer EDI, the trend toward using the Internet is rapidly gaining acceptance. Soon, we will also be offering a product that supports several of the emerging standards in the E-commerce area. As always, we value your input. Please let us know what you think about these upgrades and how they will affect your methods of doing business.

Do you have an idea for a feature story or a question about a particular sealing application that we could answer in a future edition of Leader of the Pack? Please email us with your questions or suggestions.