Q&A with Dilan Lowe, Workshop Manager at Tekhniseal

We recently sat down with Dilan Lowe, Workshop Manager at Tekhniseal, to learn more about him, his role, and Tekhniseal’s seal refurbishment services.

Thank you for talking to us today. When did you join Tekhniseal and what was your role? What have you learnt from that point to today?

I first joined Tekhniseal on my 17th birthday as an apprentice 12 years ago, at that time my role was learning how to machine and repair mechanical seals alongside my collage work. Since then, I have learnt most roles in the company from stripping and repairing seals, to manufacturing parts from scratch.

What does your current role as Workshop Manager involve?

My current role at Tekhniseal involves running the workshop, managing staff, it is a very varied roll from creating CAD drawings and designs for seal parts as well as being hands on machining. Another side of my role is more customer-facing, quoting seals, and dealing with any enquiries from current or potential customers.

Tekhniseal boasts an expert seal repair and reconditioning service. What is the process of reconditioning a seal, from when it arrives on site to when you ship it back to the customer?

To recondition a seal, the first step is to strip and assess the seal for any damage, filling out an inspection sheet with the details of what needs to be done during the repair process, including whether any new faces, O-rings or gaskets are needed, as well as any machining work that is anticipated to be required. I will also go through our workshop stores, to make sure we have material in for any parts that need to be made in-house, or make a note if anything needs to be made off-site (for example silicon carbide or tungsten carbide faces). If a seal requires an off-site manufacturing process, I draw the faces on CAD. I then generate a quote for the customer, once all the relevant information has been gathered. Once the order is confirmed, we can start the repair process, complete the work within the quoted time, and ship the finished product back out to the customer.

If the seal we are working on is able to be pressure tested without being fitted onto the final machine it will work on, we will also test them before these are shipped out to customers. This is most often the case with any double cartridge seals.

Lastly, what do you enjoy most about your role and working at Tekhniseal? I imagine no two days are exactly alike!

No two days are alike at all! Being the workshop manager at Tekhniseal means I get to complete varied tasks, which are different every day, and with every seal that comes in. My favourite part of my role is completing the drawings and redesigning the parts being drawn, as part of the seal refurbishment process.

About Tekhniseal

Established in 1987, Tekhniseal refurbishes, manufactures, and redesigns mechanical seals, tailored to suit your exact requirements. We supply new quality mechanical seals/cartridges from stock, and by having a fully operational workshop, we are also able to offer an expert reconditioning service on all types of mechanical seals, if the condition allows.

We’re passionate about providing choice for our customers and ensuring that they get the very best solution to their mechanical seal problem. Tekhniseal is a one stop seal shop, and whether a customer requires a full seal repair and refurbishment, or to purchase one of our hundreds of seals from stock, we pride ourselves on ensuring that they get the very best service.

With over 35 years’ experience we pride ourselves on being problem solvers, providing efficient and cost-effective solutions for our customers. Whatever your challenge, we’ll find a solution. Contact us today to discuss your requirements. Our team are on hand to answer any enquiry and provide professional, practical advice – we can get you a seal from stock within hours.