FLOWSERVE Corporation, a leading provider of flow control products and services for the global infrastructure markets, has announced it has signed a licence agreement with New Way Air Bearings to develop externally pressurised solutions for its seal and pump operations.

As a leading innovator in the development and application of air bearings for rotating equipment and linear sliding surfaces, New Way’s technology offers tremendous opportunity to improve equipment reliability and reduce maintenance and operating expenses compared to classical techniques, a statement said.

By adapting New Way’s technology through Flowserve’s application experience in fluid motion control, a new generation of rotating equipment becomes possible, it said, explaining that with fewer parts, better internal sealing, and improved load-handling capabilities, this next evolution of fluid pumping and sealing solutions promises a significant step forward for the end user in terms of:  improved reliability and process uptime – allowing plant operators to increase asset utilisation; lower maintenance costs – leading to better operating margins for plant owners; lower energy consumption – enabling customers to further increase profitability while lowering environmental impact; waste reduction – by eliminating lubricating oil, customers save money on waste oil disposal and further reduce their environmental footprint.

Flowserve’s next generation of fluid motion control equipment will be able to tolerate heat much better than traditional designs, which means they can be applied in a very wide range of applications. Target implementations range from retrofit packages to holistic new solutions.