They are shaft seals - seemingly simple items, which are the result of detailed chemical analysis, engineering, and precise manufacturing. For the benefit of contractors and technicians who fuss and sometimes fume over shaft seal failures, they are under constant scrutiny for improvement.
At the 9th Annual Compressor Focus Conference, sponsored and hosted by John Crane Inc. just a few miles from the company's Cranston, R.I., plant, 33 invited attendees came from throughout the industry and from within the company for two days of technical talks and tours. They were welcomed by Bob Wasson, president of John Crane Americas, who traced portions of the company's history back to its founding in 1917 at the Crane Packing Co. to its current configuration as a subsidiary of Smiths Group.