Ipsen Awarded U.S. Patent

Ipsen (Cherry Valley, IL) was recently awarded U.S. Patent No. 20,100,196,836 A1 for the development of a new shaft seal. Their chief engineer Craig Moller, chief operating officer Jake Hamid and Dr. W. Hendrik Grobler, who are named inventors on the patent, began formulating this design seven years ago for use with TITAN® vacuum furnace lines.

Today, this innovative shaft seal is present in every TITAN furnace in the field, almost 200 total to date. With this invention, Ipsen was able to locate the motor outside of the vacuum chamber, thus allowing it to be in a cooler and more stable environment. This relocation of the motor poses numerous advantages, including extended motor life and a longer interval between motor rebuilds. Since the installation of this shaft seal on the first TITAN unit in 2009, the TITAN furnaces have experienced thousands of hours of trouble-free operation.

In addition, now that the motor is outside in ambient air, users no longer have to use a step-down transformer for Argon cooling gas, as required by NFPA 86. Maintenance has also been simplified with users able to easily grease the motor’s bearings, monitor the vibration of the motor and perform routine maintenance checks. This, combined with Ipsen’s unique, innovative production and assembly process that integrates premium components, lowers the cost of ownership.

Ipsen is proud to add this newly patented sealing mechanism to its long list of reliable, innovative creations as they continue to engineer and manufacture advanced, highly technical technologies for unique or special applications. With more than 120 approved and 50 pending patents worldwide, Ipsen’s shaft seal is just one invention among many that helps improve customers’ day-to-day operations. When it comes to innovative technologies, Ipsen is your partner in success.

www.ipsenusa.com