Gland packing manufacturer John Crane notes that it supplied R6.3-million of gland packing to the valves industry in 2012 and aims to expand this figure by focusing further on the mining and minerals market in 2013.

“John Crane gland packing technology could greatly benefit the minerals industry, as it is manufactured using a range of base products, technically proven, allowing the use of purpose material, which saves costs and improves reliability. In addition, it is cut to size in length, enabling easy assembly,” states John Crane external sales manager Poen Pienaar.

He notes that there is growing interest from the valves industry in gland packing, owing to the fit it offers and the after-market services, such as maintenance and reassembly, offered by John Crane.

The company offers a range of gland packing materials, locally manufactured for various products, which enables companies to select the packing best suited to their requirements and applications, Pienaar says.

“It also allows for the replacement of the packing without having to disassemble the valve top, saving companies time and money,” he notes.

Pienaar explains that valve sealing rings made from poly- tetrafluoroethylene are usually a solid component and require the disassembly of the valve top for packing replacement. “However, as John Crane’s packing is cut to size in length, it eliminates the need to remove either the valve from site or disassemble the valve on site, thereby enabling increased efficiency and reduced downtime.”

The company stocks its gland packing materials at its Springs manufacturing facility, in Gauteng, to meet customers’ demands. These materials are also exported to Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.

The company’s gland packing manufacturing facility was recently inspected by the South African Bureau of Standards and received ISO 19001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 accreditation.

ISO 9000 is part of the International Organisation for Standardisation standards for quality management systems and ISO 14000 is primarily concerned with environmental management.

“We are one of only two companies that manufacture mechanical gland packing locally and, therefore, we are very flexible and responsive to customer and market demands,” Pienaar notes, adding that John Crane’s valve sealing systems also meet environmental protection agency legislation, with carbon emissions of less than 500 parts per million.