The ISOMAG journey is a classic story of focusing human expertise and ingenuity on a genuine business challenge — and in the process, advancing an entire industry.
A need becomes clear.
In the early 1990s, the onset of reliability models in petrochemical plants and refineries exposed the shortcomings in existing bearing protection technology. The common lip seal, while effective for a short period of time, wore deep grooves into the shafts they were intended to seal; and the dual-labyrinths, while not harmful to the host equipment, required the dynamic motion of the machine to keep out contaminants, rendering them ineffective in the static, shutdown condition.
A better approach emerges.
Steve Dawson, an innovator in the rotating equipment industry, envisioned a new way to augment flat-face sealing technology. His hypothesis to improve lubrication systems: Maintain a constant level and pristine lubricant for years while isolating bearings under static and dynamic operating conditions without wearing the rotary shaft. After thorough research and development, the answer — magnetic energy — proved more than simply viable, and in 1994, ISOMAG Corporation was born.
Delivering new benefits across applications.
Replacing the mechanical forces found in springs with magnetic energy allowed ISOMAG to create a compact, liquid-tight seal ideal for bearing protection. Not only is our technology effective in both dynamic and static conditions, it also broke the speed limitations and MTBF boundaries of traditional face seals with a life cycle that exceeds the standard L10 bearing life. Now, end users had a device that eliminated oil egress, contaminant ingress, ran continuously for over 75,000 hours, and extended the life of their rotating equipment.
ISOMAG’s advanced magnetic-face sealing technology and unparalleled performance is well-suited for a wide variety of applications, including pumps, gearboxes, electric motors, steam turbines, blowers and more. The users of this equipment no longer have to specify or pay premiums for special seals required in flooded, oil mist, vertical down or high-speed applications: ISOMAG does the job for all — and with speed limits of up to 15,000 surface feet per minute running liquid tight, most every lubrication sealing application with rotary shafts is a suitable fit for ISOMAG magnetic energy isolators.
Always looking ahead.
Since our founding in 1994, ISOMAG has established magnetic bearing isolators as a significant, often superior option for bearing protection. While still privately owned, the company’s reach expands to the corners of the globe and across a constantly expanding group of industry sectors from petroleum to entertainment. With thousands of upgrades and many years of adding value through service, ISOMAG continues to be a go-to solution when upgrading rotary equipment lubrication systems.