In the past few decades, micro-brewed beers have realized unprecedented growth.

So the question begs: what sets these beers apart from the ones churned out by the “big boys?” Part of the difference is a certain attention to detail and awareness of consumer desires.

In that regard, the mechanical seal industry is a lot like the microbrewery business. Just as microbreweries are driven by a consumer demand for bolder and better tasting beer, recent innovations in mechanical seal technologies can be linked to end-user demand for more robust, better performing seals.

With that being said, let’s take a look at one microbrewery’s success with both advancements in mechanical seal technology and of course, beer.

Since 1984, the Brick Brewing Company in Waterloo, Ontario has been keeping customers happy with their wide variety of craft-brewed beers. Yet, most people have little knowledge of the hard work that goes on behind the scenes.

For example, one stage in the brewing process is called the boil, from which the wort (pronounced: wert) is produced. The wort is a high concentrate of malt extract that is boiled vigorously at 100°C for approximately 90 minutes in a large brew kettle. In Brick Brewery’s case, the kettle was continuously filled, boiled then emptied using the same recirculation pump on a 24/7 schedule.

Because of the sticky, sugary nature, the brewery discovered that the wort was flashing between the back plate of the pump and the mechanical seal—caramelizing on the two surfaces and destroying the integrity of the sealing faces.

Due to these severe conditions, the brewery’s mechanical seals would fail within 48 hours of replacement. While the cost of replacing the seals was known, the loss of product and associated downtime were somewhat difficult to pin down. If the seal was leaking, the brewery would simply ignore it until a severe leak formed or until the seal failed completely. However, the end result was always the same: an immediate transfer of kettle contents and yet another seal change.

Simply put, conventional mechanical seals just weren’t working for Brick Brewery. It was imperative to their growing business that they find a more dependable solution.

Brick’s choice for conversion was the XPS Cartridge Seal from Garlock Klozure. The unique Serviceable-in-Place technology of the XPS allowed the deployment of a new sealing element in seconds with the simple turn of an Allen wrench. Plus, there was no downtime or transfer of kettle contents involved since servicing the XPS could be done without a costly disassembly process.

By last accounts, the brewery had been using a single XPS Cartridge Seal for 10 months with absolutely no failures and minimal leakage. The brewery also reported a 10,000% cost savings increase over what they would have spent if they continued to use their prior mechanical seal choice. As a bonus, Brick also discovered that quality of their beer actually improved due to the elimination of oxygen pick-up at the pump.

So, next time you’re in downtown Waterloo, take a stroll down King Street and you’ll find the “little brewery that could.” Stop by and sample one of their 15 different brands of beer. While you’re there, raise a glass and toast them on their success at turning costly downtime into a change for the better.

Experience the XPS for yourself at www.xpsseal.com