Wärtsilä launches new long life seal ring for use with EALs

Wärtsilä has launched a new product – a Bio Seal Ring for maritime stern tube seal applications. The Wärtsilä Bio Seal Ring is the first seal on the market that works with environmentally acceptable lubricants (EALs), for a span of at least five years. Conventional seal rings are recommended to be changed after two and a half years.
The Wärtsilä Bio Seal Ring offers both environmental and economic benefits to ship owners and operators. The extended operating life expectancy has a significantly positive impact on dry-dock scheduling and related costs. The unique features of the Wärtsilä Bio Seal Ring have been achieved through improvements in the material formula by including new additives. The product has been tested extensively in the Wärtsilä Seals and Bearings R&D facility.
The rings are suited to fixed pitched propeller systems. Wärtsilä recommends that ship owners consult with the propulsion original equipment manufacturers to confirm EAL compatibility for controllable pitch propeller systems.
The new product ensures compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Vessel General Permit (VGP) 2013 legislation, which takes effect on December 19, 2013. After this date, all commercial vessels over 79 feet operating in U.S. waters will be required to use EALs in all oil-to-water interfaces unless deemed technically infeasible to do so. At least 10 – 20% of all merchant vessels and tonnage in the world operate in U.S. waters.
The new Wärtsilä Bio Seal Ring represents the latest development in this field. It conforms to the latest EPA legislation regarding the use of EALs within stern tube seals. On the global scale, the introduction of this product is fully in line with the marine sector’s rapidly developing move towards greater environmental sustainability, said Ryu Onishi, managing director, seals and bearings of Wärtsilä Japan.
In addition to new shipbuilding applications, the Wärtsilä Bio Seal Ring can also be retrofitted to existing vessels. The first deliveries of the product will take place in October 2013.
(October 10, 2013)