Supreme Shaft Seals
The Directorate General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) is replacing 64 shaft seals in the Roompot Locks with IHC Lagersmit shaft seals. The Roompot locks are part of the Eastern Scheldt barrier and they are the link for shipping moving between the Eastern Scheldt and the North Sea. The lock gates each weigh well over 230 tons.
The Supreme LD is an environmentally friendly, water-tight solution for the shaft seals in the runner and leader wheels of the lock gates. Rijkswaterstaat has placed an order for 64 Supreme LD seals in bronze. The first 32 seals were delivered in mid-June. The Supreme LD is usually produced in cast iron. It was decided to use bronze because it is more resistant to seawater.
The lock gates are on ‘trolleys’ that run on rails 10 m below the water. Their role in the Eastern Scheldt barrier is to close off the Roompot Fairway without a hitch. The bush is a part of the structure and it keeps the rolling bearings in the right place. There was also a deliberate decision to use a sand barrier to minimize failures caused by sand and fishing lines.