John Crane Marks 50 Years Of Dry Gas Seal Innovation
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- John Crane, a global leader in flow-control technologies and a business of Smiths Group plc, is marking the 50th anniversary of a breakthrough that revolutionised gas compression sealing with the introduction of its Type 28 dry gas seal in 1976.
“Dry gas seals transformed compressor reliability and set a new industry standard in 1976. This milestone reflects our long-standing commitment to innovation and to supporting customers as the energy industry evolves,” said John Crane President, Rubén Álvarez in a statement.
While early work on non-contacting spiral-groove technology began in 1968 and the first commercial installation was completed in 1975, the launch of the Type 28 dry gas seal established a new global benchmark for compressor reliability, safety and efficiency.
The innovation proved transformative for centrifugal compressors across oil and gas, petrochemicals, power generation and, increasingly, hydrogen and carbon capture applications.
Over the past five decades, continuous innovation has expanded dry gas seal performance into higher pressures, temperatures and more demanding operating environments.
Key advances include bi-directional groove designs, ultra-high-pressure capability up to 425 barg / 6,164 psig, advanced materials such as Carbon LF, and digital diagnostics through John Crane Sense Turbo, enabling real-time condition monitoring and predictive insights.
Sustainability has become a defining focus of sealing technology evolution. Wet-to-dry gas seal retrofit programmes have delivered carbon dioxide reductions of approximately 278,000 tonnes per year in certain applications, while modern dry gas seals can cut methane and fugitive emissions by up to 95 per cent compared with traditional oil-lubricated wet seals.
Newer separation seal designs, including the Type 93AX, further reduce nitrogen consumption by up to 80 per cent versus conventional carbon ring assemblies.
Currently, John Crane’s dry gas seals support a global installed base numbering in the thousands, backed by over 200 manufacturing, sales and service centres worldwide, including 12 turbo service centres, providing customers with localised technical support and lifecycle services.
Throughout 2026, John Crane will commemorate the anniversary with the release of technical papers, global customer stories, historical reflections, and multimedia content celebrating the evolution of dry gas seal technology from its pioneering origins to today’s advanced sealing solutions engineered for the next generation of energy.
-- BERNAMA