An upgraded testing facility for mechanical seals and compressor dry gas seals has been officially opened by seal and support system manufacturer AESSEAL following a two year refurbishment programme representing an investment of more than £1.4m.
The company’s Test House building and offices in Rotherham is the place where the seals are produced and put through rigorous trials to make sure they meet quality and performance standards.
The site has been reorganised and refurbished to allow for expansion of gas seal manufacture, with the first high speed dry gas test rig having arrived in 2017.
In the final phase of the programme AESSEAL invested £800,000 in a further five test rigs, with a sixth due to arrive in 2020. These will make the testing process even more efficient and accurate.
Rotherham council leader Chris Read officiated at the test house reopening ceremony. Test House manager Michael Rich said: “The investment in the test centre over the past two years ensures we can maintain our award winning customer service well into the future.
“All our test rigs can be run on an automated basis, leaving operators more time to focus on preparation and post-test analysis. They also user friendly, which means new test technicians can be trained quickly.”
The opening event formed part of an open evening held by the AESSEAL, which aims to attract more South Yorkshire students into a career in engineering.
Mr Rich said: “As our business grows it’s crucial that we meet the demand for more people to fill the additional engineering jobs and supporting roles. These visits show young people that engineering offers a wide variety of professional career opportunities and is a far cry from the ‘grease and overalls’ image some might have imagined.”