Adhesives and sealants for equipment repairs

Water engineers know the importance of equipment reliability and predictability. It is their responsibility to keep plant running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But it is a tough task in an industry where the environment is harsh and machinery is subject to heavy vibration, shock and corrosion. Nuts and bolts can work loose, hydraulic and pneumatic systems leak, and bearings fail.

To help engineers cut downtime, improve equipment performance and save costs, Henkel offers a wide range of Loctite, Nordbak and Hysol products for repair and maintenance. These are designed to rectify problems caused by wear, abrasion, chemical attack, erosion, corrosion, impingement and mechanical damage. Typical applications range from concrete repair to extending the operating life of pumps, gearboxes and centrifuges.

Flow control mechanisms and influent structures are particularly prone to wear and corrosion, making them less effective and susceptible to leaks and further damage. Components such as butterfly valves or grit chamber paddles and spindles are typical examples. Fortunately these can be rebuilt or reprofiled by the application of Nordbak epoxy wearing compounds or Hysol polymer composites and/or Loctite brushable ceramics. The key advantage is their ability to create a sacrificial and renewable working surface, thereby protecting the structural integrity of the original substrate.

Efficiency improvements

Loctite coatings are proving particularly valuable for improving pump efficiency. Cavitation effects and wear on impellers and casings is a common cause of pump underperformance and eventual failure. Indeed, Eriks has proved that the use of Loctite products can quickly restore the desired flow and pressure of a worn pump, resulting in it consuming considerably less power; before-and-after tests have confirmed efficiency gains of up to 43 per cent.

A centrifuge is one of the most important machines in a water utility plant. The bowl and the conveyor of a decanter centrifuge, for example, is subjected to wear and chemical attack but system efficiency can be restored with Loctite products. Depending on the condition of the bowl, cost savings of up to 75 per cent can be achieved by repairing it with Loctite instead of replacing the part.

Loctite threadlockers are widely used in the water utilities industry for preventing vibrational loosening, leakage and corrosion between threaded parts. They are available in a range of viscosities and strengths, from semi-permanent formulations to those that are removable with standard hand tools. Typical applications are bar screen and clarifier components that will loosen under high duty cycles, requiring periodic shutdowns for surface repairs and retightening of the threaded assemblies.

Hydraulics and pneumatics

Costly hydraulic and pneumatic leaks can be eliminated by using Loctite sealants. They fill the space between threaded parts to provide an instant, low-pressure seal. When fully cured they seal to the burst strength of most pipe systems. Anaerobics, silicones and sealing cord are available to suit various substrates.

Complementing the threadlockers and sealants are Loctite retaining compounds that secure bearings, bushings and cylindrical parts into housings or onto shafts. They achieve maximum load transmission capability and uniform stress distribution, and also prevent fretting corrosion.

Follow the link for more information about Loctite, Nordbak and Hysol adhesives and sealants from Henkel.