Packing is one of the most common and simplest seals for positive displacement pumps. Packing consists of braided or formed rings that are compressed inside the stuffing box of a pump. As the packing gland is tightened, the packing is compressed against the shaft and the inside of the stuffing box bore - creating a seal. When the pump is operating, process liquid cools and lubricates the packing. The pump must leak or "weep" slightly to ensure proper lubrication. Packing is one of the oldest forms of shaft sealing. Original packing was made of materials such as leather or rope.

The machine shop is Viking Pump’s largest facility. Since its opening in 1960, the shop has undergone multiple expansions and has now grown to 320 thousand square feet. Today this facility houses many departments including machining, tooling, assembly, paint, shipping, quality, procurement and planning. In the machine shop, parts are machined from castings and bar stock. Dimensions, especially those inside the pump cavity, must be precise to ensure the pumps operate efficiently and are capable of high pressures and self-priming.

Located on Viking Road in the Cedar Falls Industrial Park, the 78,000 square foot facility is used to produce gray iron, carbon steel, 316 stainless steel, and 770 non-galling stainless steel. 
In a foundry, parts are cast by pouring molten metal into a hollow mold. To create a mold, core and mold technicians pull patterns for the various cast parts. Each pattern is a template for one side of one or more parts. Sand is compressed against the plate and when the plate is removed the shape of the part remains and half of a mold is created. 

Welcome. In this Quick Tip video, we will show you how to switch between flat gaskets or o-rings in Viking pumps with the ProPort™ casing. The bracket, head, and ports will each have a flat gasket or o-ring for sealing. Depending on application requirements, users can switch between these elastomers as needed. Before you begin please consult the appropriate technical service manual for safety information. A copy of the latest revision can be found at vikingpump.com.

Let's start with Texas. Whether you’re in Houston, or Dallas, or West Texas, it’s impossible to get away from Viking pumps used in the petroleum industry. Certainly you’ll find Viking pumps for crude oil here, but also at the finished end of the process helping to manufacture a variety of lube oil blends from conventional motor oil to full synthetics, to special blends for colder environments, high mileage engines, marine, aviation, and dozens of other specialty applications. South Carolina’s textile industry is older than the US itself.

In a previous Pump Report Chad discussed the motors used to power pumps. But how do you connect a pump to that motor? And what if you want to run the pump slower than motor speed? In this episode Chad talks about drives and their related equipment. 

The term “drive” is used to describe the ancillary equipment used to mount and power a pump. This includes the motor, which we’d already discussed, but can also include a baseplate, coupling, guard, reducer, and more.