Mechanical seal alliance agreements

Abstract

Through most of the 1980s and early 1990s, the editor and the author of this article were involved with a large programme of research on mechanical seal reliability. Ten oil and petrochemical companies and most of the major manufacturers of mechanical seals supported this work. It perhaps helped to improve the dialogue and understanding between supplier and customer. Many of the companies involved have merged into fewer larger organizations, and we hear much talk of vendor/operator alliances, so how does the current situation compare with that 20 years ago?