Thordon Bearings unveils shaft seal with SRTP

The safety feature was first used in Thordon’s TG100 workboat and SeaThigor naval vessels, and has now been designed for use in merchant fleets.

The new BlueWater Seal has been designed to have a lower maintenance requirement yet robust shaft seal, completing its COMPAC open seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing system.

It is a commercial-grade axial lip seal specifically designed for merchant shipping fleets, the company says.

“The BlueWater Seal meets growing market demand for a complete propeller shaft line solution from a single source,” said technical director Anthony Hamilton. “Although we can offer the seal as an individual component, it forms a fundamental part of the Thordon COMPAC open seawater lubricated propeller shaft bearing system.

“At first glance it may look like any other axial lip face seal out there, but what makes this seal unique is its SRTP capability and revolutionary RENFORM main seal ring.”

 The technology was developed by chief research engineer Gary Ren, who said in comparative trials at Thordon’s full-scale test rig in Ontario, Canada, the seal operated ‘without friction spikes and considerably less friction than similar seals leading to reduced wear, longer life and less maintenance’.

“The development is a real boon to those ship owners and operators looking to adopt an open seawater lubricated shaft line arrangement as the entire propeller shaft line system can now be sourced from one company,” he said.