James Walker Manufacturing -- Company Profile
A Scottish engineer of the same name founded the James Walker Group in 1882. At a time when greasy rope had historically been the only option, the firm began supplying molded steam packings for use in ships' engines, establishing itself in the marketplace.In the early 1900's, U.S. operations began in New York City, an international port and logical choice for a manufacturer of marine packings and seals. As the company's focus shifted to land-based industries, James Walker's facilities were relocated to the Chicago area in the 1950's. From its base of operations in Glenwood, Illinois, the U.S. Division manufactures a broad range of molded seals and nonmetallic expansion joints, supporting a variety of industries.Additional manufacturing locations include Great Britain, the Netherlands, India and Australia. Wholly owned companies in ten countries and exclusive distributors, in approximately thirty more represent the Group worldwide.
The Glenwood, Illinois manufacturing facility is a self contained unit, manufacturing a full range of molded seals in NBR, HNBR and Fluorocarbon elastomers, both homogenous and textile reinforced, as well as in other materials as required. With some innovative molding techniques we have been able to manufacture solid (endless) fully molded rings up to 14 feet in diameter. The plant focuses on the production of standard and custom designs for large diameters, high pressures, metric sizes, exotic fluids, and other specialized applications. Small runs can be accommodated without heavy tooling costs using a unique temporary molding technique that allows molds to be manufactured in reusable materials at a fraction of the cost of conventional tooling. These molds are AutoCAD designed, cast and machined "in-house".
James Walker Manufacturing -- Custom Made Seal Resources
Materials
Nitrile (NBR) - Acrylonitrile
in medium to high content levels, assuring maximum physical properties and
fluid compatibility.
Hydrogenated Nitrile (HNBR) - James Walker compounds the material, yielding both physical and chemical properties well above other commercial grade products.
Fluorocarbon (Viton ®) - While others may use fillers and processing aids to artificially lower initial costs, the James Walker “No Compromise” policy guarantees compounded products of the highest quality.
NBR, HNBR, and Viton ® are available as homogeneous or fabric reinforced products.
Other special materials include: Elastolion HNBR, EPDM, Silicone, Viton GF, GLT, Neoprene, Kalrez, Acrylic, Butyl and Natural Rubber.
Continuity
Molding
Regardless of diameter requirements, with our continuity press molding technique
for solid seal rings, there is no theoretical size limit. James Walker Manufacturing
has produced solid seal rings up to fourteen feet in diameter!
Temporary Tooling
Small quantities of large diameter seals often result in tooling that is
cost prohibitive. James Walker's temporary mold facility is the solution.
With comprehensive, on-site casting and machining facilities, we manufactur
molds in a recyclable alloy at a fraction of the cost of conventional tooling
methods.
Our Temporary Mold resource is ideal for small runs, prototypes, experimental seals and other situations where machinery repair or modification may have created a non-standard size product requirement.
Oilfield Seals
James Walker produces a full range of standard and custom seals for "downhole"
and surface services.
· Spring seals and 'T' seals - internal and external
· Marine swivel and tensioner seals
· Downhole packers, hangerseals
· Standard and custom 'O' rings for explosive decompression (ED) applications such as ball valves and compressors
Special "Oilpatch"
Materials
FR58/90
a Viton 'B' derivative universally recognized as one of the best
ED resistant elastomers available in the market
ELASTOLION
the trademark for James Walker's range of high performance HNBR
materials. These elastomers offer a wider range of temperature, abrasion
and solvent resistance than conventional NBR materials
EOL 985
this specialized Elastolion grade offers full flexibility down
to -50 degrees F with excellent resistance to corrosion inhibitors, H2S,
CO2 and methonal