Thordon non-metallic bearings are the recognized choice of hydroelectric power producers for long-life, low-friction bearing systems. These pollution-free bearings function well whether sealed and dry or immersed in water.

A testament to the durability and flexibility of Thordon bearings in hydroelectric applications is Mercer Construction Company, Inc. (MCC), an operations and maintenance company that does extensive municipal and third-party work. Since 1991, MCC has installed five Thordon bearings at hydroelectric plants throughout upstate New York.

"We have a consistent operating history with Thordon," says MCC's president, Dave Crandell. "We just hadn't gotten the service life we wanted out of the rubber turbine marine bearings that we were using. The Thordon bearings have reduced our downtime and operating costs."

MCC has teamed up with Johnson Packings to install Thordon bearings with shaft diameters ranging from 14" to 36" and lengths up to 72", in both horizontal and vertical applications. A Thordon main guide bearing that was installed at Fourth Branch on the Mohawk River in 1991 performs as well today as it did nearly 10 years ago. In this horizontal application, it is important to maintain a water film in uniform surface contact, and rubber bearings that were formerly used wore out in three to four years. Crandell reports that the more durable Thordon bearing has already proven to last three times as long as any rubber bearing. In another application, a Thordon bearing has held up for more than seven years, while the grease-lubricated Babbitt bearings that were formerly used only lasted about a year and a half each.

"With Thordon, we got a much longer service life and extended our dewatering schedule from one to three years," Crandell said. "These bearings are just more reliable."

Thordon non-metallic bearings can save you money in hydroelectric, industrial, vertical pump and marine applications. Call Johnson Packings today for a consultation.

Click here for more information on Thordon non-metallic bearings.

OPTO-MATIC® OILER

Taking care of the oil system in your rotating equipment protects component parts and ensures longer life and better lubricant performance. Johnson Packings can equip you with Trico fluid protection products to save you money on maintenance and replacement costs.

"We produce a complete series of products that will protect the oil in your equipment to make it last and work as long as possible," says Steve Lentz, a 15-year Trico employee who currently serves as their National Account Manager, covering Maine to Florida. "Our products are designed to help maintenance personnel take the guesswork out of changing their lubricants at the right time."

The amount of moisture that is present in your oil can have a severe impact on your equipment's productivity, and, until recently, determining how much moisture is too much has been largely left up to guesswork. Johnson Packings can provide you with an affordable, cutting-edge device to accurately monitor your oil's moisture levels in real time.

HYDROLERT®

Trico's Hydrolert® is an advanced automatic moisture indicator that is designed for use with rotating equipment that uses oil to lubricate bearings or gears. The Hydrolert is a battery-operated, wire-free device that indicates when a lubricant has reached 70% Saturated Relative Humidity (SRH). Scheduled sampling and premature disposal of useable oil are greatly reduced or eliminated, and maintenance personnel only have to deal with equipment when it is indicated to do so.

We can also supply you with Trico's Oil Security System™, a continual on-line monitoring device that eliminates the need for expensive, repetitive lubrication checking and laboratory oil sampling. When installed on your rotating equipment, this system provides real-time information on oil viscosity, temperature and moisture content.

Johnson Packings also carries a variety of Trico products to help ensure that your oil levels remain constant:

• Opto-Matic® Oilers provide a constant level of oil in a pump bearing housing, gear box or other wet sump application. Throughout processing industries, the Opto-Matic is the current standard.
• Watchdog® and Opto-Matic Closed-system Oilers are starting to replace the traditional Opto-Matic, utilizing closed systems that prevent contamination and spillage.
• LCL Oilers work the same as the Opto-Matic and are designed for isolated areas where refilling is a problem or applications requiring a large reservoir capacity.
• Expansion Chambers are utilized to maintain safe pressure in closed systems.
• Watchdog® Air Dryers are passive drying systems designed for bearing housings and other applications where moisture condensation must be minimized.

WATCHDOG® OILERS

A combination of Trico's fluid protection products could save you the costs of unnecessary oil changes and maintenance and keep your equipment running smoother for longer periods of time. Contact Johnson Packings for assistance with developing an oil protection program for your rotating equipment. As an Authorized Trico Distributor, we can handle all of your lubrication requirements.

Click here for more Trico products.

As an authorized distributor of JM Clipper's expansion joints, Johnson Packings can now offer you items from the RM/Dynex product line.

In January, JM Clipper announced that it had acquired the operating assets of the RM/Dynex fabric expansion joint line from RM Engineered Products. For more than 25 years, RM/Dynex has engineered and manufactured expansion joints for the utility, pulp and paper, chemical and petrochemical and marine industries, as well as for gas turbine and combined cycle plants.

With the addition of this new line, Johnson Packings is even better equipped to meet all of your expansion joint needs. We now carry RM/Dynex fabric and flue-duct expansion joints, which combine the flexibility and chemical resistance of rubber and fluoropolymer materials with the reinforcements of bonded rubber and Teflon®. These expansion joints can withstand temperatures up to 2200°F (1204°C) and are offered in U-type corner, belted, round, rectangular, rubber pipe joints and odd shapes. Every expansion joint is custom-made to your specifications with design, review, computation and analysis available to make sure that the product will get the job done.

Spotlight on Personnel: 2000 Award Winners Exceed Expectations

Johnson Packings' President Brice Craven congratulates 2000 award winners Margaret Murphy and Brian Howard.

Johnson Packings recently recognized two employees for outstanding performance in the year 2000 with our ninth annual Silver Seal and Golden Gasket awards.

The awards recognize employees for outstanding morale, attitude, job knowledge, productivity and reliability. Brian Howard was awarded the 2000 Silver Seal for outstanding customer service, and Margaret Murphy took home the Golden Gasket as our outstanding employee of the year.

"The quality and dedication of our employees makes these awards a very difficult choice each year," says President Brice Craven. "Both Brian and Margaret performed above and beyond our company's goals and expectations."

Brian came to Johnson Packings one and a half years ago after working in the valve repair industry for 18 years. He brings that industrial experience to his position on our Inside Sales/Customer Service team, where he handles our largest customer. Brian performs an integral customer service role by managing orders, ensuring on-time delivery and monitoring inventory levels. In 2000, he maintained an on-time delivery rate of 98% to our valued customer and, in the process, has streamlined many procedures within his department. Brian lives in Westfield, Massachusetts, with his wife Laurie and their three children.

Margaret has been with Johnson Packings for 18 months. Her 15 years of quality control and expediting experience have benefited our Purchasing and Expediting Department, where she works closely with vendors and performs valuable functions for both our purchasing and sales teams. Margaret was most instrumental in helping to achieve our on-time delivery goals for 2000. She also helped modernize our procurement and payable operations, creating efficiencies in our paperwork flow. Margaret received her MBA from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts and lives with her husband, Fran, in Holyoke, Massachusetts.

"Since the acquisition of Johnson Packings in 1992, I have been blessed with high-quality people," Brice says. "Our industry continues to change at alarming rates, and our challenges become larger each year. Customer service is often the differentiating factor between competitors these days. The employees at Johnson Packings make the difference as we embrace change and continue to raise the bar on customer service levels."

Johnson Packings has become aligned with Burgmann Mechanical Seals, a manufacturer of superior "engineered" seals for high-temperature, high-pressure applications, as well as a variety of more conventional mechanical seals.

Since 1884, Burgmann has built a solid reputation as a high-quality engineered sealing solutions provider. Burgmann Seals meet ISO specifications, as well as other international standards, and are recognized throughout the world for their quality and excellence in engineering.

Burgmann Seals America (their U.S.-based subsidiary) offers a complete range of mechanical sealing solutions for applications ranging from ANSI Cartridge Seals to API Spec. Seals and, of course, Mixer and Agitator Seals. They are also capable of repairing and rebuilding mechanical seals.

If you are in the power, pulp and paper, pharmaceutical, chemical or hydrocarbon processing industry, call Johnson Packings today to find out how Burgmann Mechanical Seals can benefit your business.

Johnson Packings' 2001 Trade Show Schedule

Johnson Packings will be demonstrating sealing technologies and cryogenic solutions for a variety of industries at our 2001 trade show appearances.

• April 3-4 — Technical Association of Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI) Expo 2001 Trade Show at Saratoga City Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. Visit us at booths 137 and 138 on Tuesday, April 3, from 3-8 p.m. or Wednesday, April 4, from 1-6 p.m.

• April 18-19 — International Maintenance Institute (IMI) Expo at the Eastern States Exposition (Big "E") Young Building in West Springfield, Massachusetts

• May 3 — Connecticut's Industrial Resource Show at the New Haven Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut

• September 26-27 — Maine Industrial Show in the Bangor Auditorium in Bangor, Maine

• November 2 — IMI Vendor Night at Chateau Provost in Chicopee (Fairview), Massachusetts

As these dates approach, please visit our Web site for booth numbers and show times.