James Walker unveils newest addition to development and testing portfolio

As part of their ongoing commitment to advancement in technology and their long-term relationship with the valve industry, the sealing solutions experts at James Walker have recently unveiled the newest addition to their development and testing portfolio.

A £300,000 dedicated facility for the development and testing of a wide range of polymer sealing materials and products has been installed at the Gourock site.

Covering the characterisation of polymer properties and behaviour in environments from -196oC through to 350oC, this new installation allows for a range of custom designed test rigs to investigate the behaviour of individual sealing interfaces in addition to full product testing.

Phase one of the project consists of 2 new high pressure test bays currently running up to 10,000 psi fitted out to support running a variety of testing from simple static testing to more complex mechanical and thermal cycling testing. Phase two will see this upgraded to support pressures up to 30,000 psi.

Furthermore, the existing 50 kN Instron tensile test system in place at the west of Scotland facility has been expanded to incorporate a variety of custom test rigs for product validation and testing in addition to the standard mechanical testing.

An on-site chemical compatibility lab for the conditioning of test samples and components in various media and environmental conditions allows the team to develop a better understanding of influences on product performance, not just the effect on mechanical properties.

At the heart of this impressive testing offering is the multidisciplinary technical team, comprising a vast range of experience in chemistry, polymer physics, mechanical engineering, sealing science and valve design to fully support customer requirements – whether that be problem solving skills, in-depth investigation or ongoing development work.

The team is currently engaged on several projects including spring energised sealing systems, valve components and new material development and evaluation.

Stuart Dalrymple, Technical Director (Engineered Plastics) commented:

“We are excited to be able to widen our inhouse testing offering to our customers.

The new facilities will allow us to broaden our knowledge and bring new levels of insight into common sealing issues across the valve and oil & gas industries.”

Tel: 01270 536 000
Email: andrew.hambleton@
jameswalker.biz
Web: www.jameswalker.biz

Published: 8th November 2019