John Crane Launches Type 8628VL Seal for Ethane Pipelines

10 Sep 2025 CW Team

John Crane has unveiled the Type 8628VL, a next-generation mechanical seal engineered to address sealing challenges in multiphase ethane and ethylene pipelines. Using spiral groove non-contacting technology, the seal ensures high reliability, operational efficiency, and environmental compliance under volatile pressure and temperature conditions.

Ethane pipelines face frequent phase shifts from liquid to vapour to supercritical, often compromising conventional seals. The Type 8628VL, with dual non-contacting seal faces in tandem configuration, delivers hydrodynamic lift, phase-change resilience, and zero-wear operation, as validated by peer-reviewed research in Lubricants (MDPI).

The seal has already been deployed by a leading ethane transmission company on the U.S. Gulf Coast, where it delivered consistent non-contacting performance across all phases, extremely low leakage, and zero failures during continuous operation. The operator reported improved uptime, lower refurbishment costs, and enhanced local service support.

Key benefits include nearly double the life of conventional wet seals with a mean time between repair (MTBR) of up to 48 months, reduced flush fluid requirements of only 2–3 GPM, minimal maintenance, and simplified sealing systems eliminating complex API Plan 54 or 53B arrangements.

Mike Eason, Chief Technology Officer at John Crane, said: “Unlike hybrid or contacting seals, the Type 8628VL delivers pure non-contacting operation, even during rapid phase transitions. It’s a significant step forward for the sector.”

He added: “We will continue to expand our portfolio with products that meet customer reliability and energy transition goals. The Type 8628VL is a testament to our commitment to innovate for greater efficiency and zero greenhouse gas emissions.”

Real Estate

01 Dec 2025

Serene, Gardencity to Develop Rs 3 Billion Senior Living Project in Bengaluru

Serene Communities, a leading senior living brand, has partnered with Gardencity Realty to develop a premium senior living community in Budigere, one of Bengaluru’s fastest-growing residential micro-markets. The project will span approximately 300,000 sq ft, with a Gross Development Value of about Rs 3 billion, and will add roughly 250 senior-friendly residences to the city’s growing retirement housing segment.The launch forms part of Serene Communities’ national expansion strategy. The company has 11 new projects under development with a planned investment of Rs 25 billion that will add..

Alliance City Developers Marks Major 2025 Milestones in Vile Parle

Alliance City Developers Realtors has announced significant project milestones and expansions in 2025, underscoring what the company terms a transformational year. The developer completed multiple residential projects and launched two premium developments in Vile Parle (East), one of Mumbai’s most sought-after neighbourhoods.During the year, Alliance Legacy in Matunga (East) received its Occupancy Certificate (OC), while Alliance Eternis in Borivali (West) and Alliance Vista in Vile Parle (East) were granted Completion Certificates (CC), marking final project delivery. Alliance Abhimanyu is ..

Moro Hub and PwC Middle East Partner to Accelerate Smart City Solutions

Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), has announced a strategic collaboration with PwC Middle East to advance Smart City, Integrated Command Centre (ICC), Critical Infrastructure Monitoring and Internet of Things (IoT) initiatives across the region. The partnership brings together Moro Hub’s digital infrastructure and IoT capabilities with PwC’s global expertise in digital trust, smart city strategy and cybersecurity to support the UAE’s vision for intelligent and sustainable cities.“Our collaboration with PwC Middle Ea..