SPW-516 Stationary Pusher Wet Double Cartridge Mechanical Seal
SPW-516 Stationary Pusher Wet Double Cartridge Mechanical Seal
Overview
The SPW-516 by HydroMax Seal is a multi-spring, hydraulically balanced double cartridge stationary seal, designed with an integral flow inducer, barrier fluid quench & drain ports, and secondary O-ring seals for maximum reliability and performance.
This Stationary Pusher Wet (SPW) Double (516) Cartridge Seal features shrink-fitted seal faces and is specifically engineered for equipment with parallel rotating shafts.
The design integrates several innovative features, including directed barrier fluid flow, even face loading through multi-springs, and easy installation via a set screw-driven cartridge configuration. It includes quench, drain, and flush connections and is delivered factory assembled and tested for dependable service in demanding applications.
Product Description
Key Design Features
- Stationary Seal Configuration: Self-aligning seal faces accommodate angular misalignment between the shaft and seal chamber face.
- Integral Flow Inducer: Directs barrier fluid efficiently across both sets of seal faces, enhancing thermal management.
- Large 3/8″ NPT Ports: For Flush, Quench, and Drain connections.
- Cartridge Seal Design: Pre-set seal faces eliminate risk of incorrect face load settings.
- Wide Material Compatibility: Available in various seal face materials to match application-specific needs.
- Factory Assembled & Tested: Delivered ready for quick, secure installation.
Technical Specifications
| Seal Shaft Sizes | 20 mm – 150 mm (1.000″ – 6.000″) |
| Inboard Seal Face Combinations | Carbon / Tungsten Carbide (Car/TC) Carbon / Silicon Carbide (Car/SiC) Tungsten Carbide / Tungsten Carbide (TC/TC) Tungsten Carbide / Silicon Carbide (TC/SiC) Silicon Carbide / Silicon Carbide (SiC/SiC) |
| Outboard Seal Face Combinations | Carbon / Tungsten Carbide (Car/TC) Carbon / Silicon Carbide (Car/SiC) |
| Gasket Material | GFT |
| Elastomer Options | Viton, ERP, Aflas, Kalrez |
| Maximum Shaft Speed | Up to 20 m/s |
| Process Fluid Pressure Rating | Up to 20 Barg |
| Barrier Fluid Pressure Rating | Up to 16 Barg (232 psig) – shaft size dependent |
| Pipework Compatibility | Suitable for Plan 52 and Plan 53 systems |
| Temperature Rating | Up to 356°F |
Important Notice
⚠️ Warning: The stated safe seal performance values are typical for each condition in isolation. Do not combine maximum limits of speed, pressure, and temperature simultaneously. For application-specific guidance, please contact HydroMax Seal’s Technical Sales Department.
Typical Applications & Industry Use Cases
The SPW-516 is a hydraulically balanced, multi-spring, double-cartridge seal with an integral flow inducer and barrier-fluid quench/drain/flush ports. Its design is optimized for demanding parallel-shaft rotating equipment that requires robust sealing performance, barrier fluid support, and reliable face lubrication.
Industries Served
Chemical and petrochemical processing
pumps and rotating equipment handling aggressive, volatile, or sensitive media.
Oil & gas, refining, and hydrocarbon processing
equipment requiring reliable dual-seal barrier fluid containment for safety and minimal leakage.
Utility, power generation, and heavy-industrial plants
feed pumps, service pumps, or auxiliary equipment with high duty cycles.
General industrial manufacturing
large pumps or rotating machines where downtime must be minimized and maintenance simplified.
Equipment & Use-Case Scenarios
- Pumps configured with dual-seal barrier fluid systems (e.g., Plan 52, Plan 53, Plan 54) — utilizing the seal’s quench, drain, and flush port capabilities.
- Parallel-shaft rotating equipment with shaft diameters between ~20 mm to ~150 mm (1.0″–6.0″), matching the SPW-516’s specification range.
- Services where process fluid pressure, temperature, or velocity fluctuates — the SPW-516’s balanced double-seal design and multi-spring loading provide stable performance under varying conditions.
- Applications requiring quick maintenance or frequent seal replacement — because the SPW-516 is a cartridge-style seal, installation and change-out are faster and less error-prone compared with component seals.
Why It Fits These Applications
- The integrated flow inducer facilitates directed barrier fluid circulation, efficiently removing heat from both inboard and outboard seal faces — critical in high-load or high-temperature applications.
- Cartridge-style construction ensures that seal faces are factory-set, eliminating the need for manual face-load adjustments and reducing the likelihood of installation errors or misalignment.
- Quench, drain, and flush ports provide flexibility for a variety of sealing-support system configurations (flush, quench, barrier) — making the SPW-516 adaptable to many process conditions.
- The multi-spring design ensures even face loading, improving wear life and reliability under pressure or speed variations, while balanced seal faces reduce hydraulic load on the sealing faces.
Installation Guidelines
Begin with a thorough inspection: ensure the pump shaft, seal-chamber bore, and gland face are clean, corrosion-free, and within tolerance. Remove any debris, scoring, or burrs that could impair sealing performance.
Install the cartridge seal carefully into the gland or onto the shaft. Verify that the barrier fluid ports (quench, drain, flush) are oriented correctly and that the gland is tightened evenly per the manufacturer’s specification. Because the SPW-516 is preset, no face-load adjustment is necessary.
Connect the barrier/fluid support lines according to your sealing-support plan (Plan 52 / Plan 53 / Plan 54 or equivalent). Vent the barrier fluid loop to remove air, confirm flow and fluid cleanliness, then ramp up to operational conditions.
Record baseline parameters — barrier-fluid pressure, flow rate, fluid temperature, seal-face temperature, and shaft speed. This baseline helps with future monitoring and maintenance planning.
Maintenance & Inspection Best Practices
- Regularly monitor the barrier-fluid (or flush/quench) loop for flow rate, pressure drop across filters/strainers, fluid cleanliness, and temperature stability. Any decline in performance may indicate seal-face wear, fluid contamination, or a loop restriction.
- During scheduled maintenance or shutdowns, if feasible, remove the cartridge to inspect: check seal faces for wear or damage, verify spring integrity, examine secondary seals (O-rings/gaskets), and ensure port passages (quench, drain, flush) are free of deposits or blockages.
- Keep a detailed operational log: fluid type and condition, operating pressures and temperatures, shaft speed, start/stop cycles, barrier-fluid system performance, and any anomalies (vibration, leaks, abnormal temperatures). Use this log for predictive maintenance scheduling and longevity analysis.
- Replace secondary seals (O-rings, gaskets) and refresh barrier fluid and filtration components according to a preventive schedule rather than waiting for failure. Maintaining barrier-fluid cleanliness and correct barrier conditions prolongs seal life and reliability.
- If operating conditions change — such as increased pressure, higher temperature, more aggressive or corrosive media, or more frequent cycles — reassess seal material compatibility and barrier-fluid plan. Consider upgrading face materials or elastomers if needed for continued reliable performance.
Service & Support Options
- Pre-installation consultation: confirm correct face-material selection (e.g., Carbon/TC, Carbon/SiC, TC/TC, SiC/SiC), elastomer compatibility (Viton, Aflas, Kalrez), and barrier-fluid support-system design based on your process fluid, temperature, pressure, and shaft size.
- Assistance during commissioning: help with barrier-fluid loop setup, correct port orientation, venting, flow verification, and initial monitoring of seal-face temperature under load.
- Spare-parts kits tailored for SPW-516: seal faces, secondary seals (O-rings, gaskets), springs, drive set-screw components, gland hardware — enabling fast maintenance or replacement and minimizing downtime.
- Upgrade or re-specification support: as service severity increases (higher temperature, more aggressive media, higher speed), options exist to migrate to alternate face materials, improved elastomers, or more robust cartridge configurations.
- Preventive-maintenance programme offerings: condition-based monitoring, performance trending, scheduled inspections, and parts replacement — helping increase the mean time between maintenance (MTBM), reduce unplanned downtime, and improve the overall life-cycle cost of seal ownership.
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Contact HydroMax Seal
Contact HydroMax Seal today for innovative solutions, expert guidance, and over a century of engineering excellence. Your journey to mechanical sealing excellence starts with HydroMax Seal!
E-Mail: sales@hydromaxseal.com
Address: 18511 Beaumont Hwy Building D
Houston, TX
77049









