Q&A: John Crane's Warren Smith on Sealing Innovation

John Crane has built its reputation on solving one of mining's most persistent engineering challenges: keeping seals reliable in the harshest slurry environments on earth.

As ore bodies grow deeper and more abrasive and operators face mounting pressure to cut water and energy use, sealing technology has moved from a supporting component to a critical enabler of equipment reliability and sustainability.

Warren Smith, Global Mining Market Director at John Crane, sits down with Mining Digital to discuss how the company's Upstream Pumping and Diamond seal face technologies are helping operators reduce water consumption, extend equipment life and support the shift towards predictive, autonomous mining.

He also discusses why demand for critical minerals across South America, Africa and beyond is reshaping the company's regional strategy.

John Crane has a long history in the mining sector. How has the role of sealing technology evolved as mines go deeper and conditions become more demanding?

Mining today looks very different from what it did even a decade ago. Ore bodies are becoming deeper, harder to access and often more abrasive, while operators are expected to deliver greater productivity with fewer resources.

Those changing conditions place far greater demands on every piece of rotating equipment.

Sealing technology has evolved from being viewed simply as a component that prevents leakage to becoming a critical enabler of equipment reliability, safety and sustainability.

Modern sealing systems must withstand higher pressures, more aggressive slurries, greater shaft movement and increasingly challenging operating environments, all while extending maintenance intervals and reducing operating costs.

For operators, the question is no longer simply whether a seal will work. It's whether it can help improve reliability, reduce water and energy consumption, minimise maintenance interventions and support broader operational performance.

That's where engineering innovation has become increasingly important.

Critical minerals are driving a wave of new mining investment globally. Where are you seeing the most significant demand for John Crane's solutions?

Demand is certainly accelerating as investment grows in critical minerals that support electrification and the global energy transition. Copper remains one of the strongest growth areas because of its importance in renewable energy, electric vehicles and power infrastructure, while lithium, nickel and other battery minerals continue to drive investment.

We're seeing particularly strong opportunities across South America, Australia, Africa and parts of North America, where both new developments and existing operations are expanding production.

What's interesting is that demand isn't limited to greenfield projects. Many established mines are looking to increase throughput, improve reliability and reduce environmental impact without major capital investment.

That's creating significant interest in technologies that can improve the performance of existing equipment rather than requiring wholesale replacement.

The industry is under pressure to reduce water consumption and chemical use. How is sealing technology responding to that challenge?

Water has become one of mining's most valuable resources. In many regions it's becoming increasingly scarce, and operators are under growing pressure from regulators, communities and investors to use it more responsibly.

Historically, many slurry sealing systems relied on continuous high-volume flush water to protect the seal. 

While effective, that approach consumes substantial quantities of clean water throughout the life of the equipment.

Today's sealing technologies are designed very differently. Through advances in seal face materials, hydraulic design and support systems, it's now possible to dramatically reduce flush water requirements while maintaining or even improving reliability.

In one recent copper mining application, for example, our Type SB2 USP, which incorporates proprietary Upstream Pumping (USP) technology, helped reduce sealing water consumption by around 288,000 litres every day while improving equipment reliability and significantly reducing maintenance requirements. 

Those are the kinds of outcomes operators are increasingly looking for because sustainability and productivity are no longer competing priorities; they go hand in hand.

Digitalisation is reshaping mining operations. Does John Crane's technology have a role to play in predictive maintenance and connected mine strategies?

Absolutely. Mining is becoming increasingly data-driven, and condition monitoring is playing a much bigger role in improving reliability.

Operators want to move away from time-based maintenance towards predictive maintenance, where interventions are planned based on the actual condition of equipment rather than fixed schedules.

Connected sealing systems, alongside broader asset monitoring technologies, provide valuable operational data that helps identify performance trends, detect developing issues early and optimise maintenance planning.

That not only reduces unexpected failures but also improves equipment availability and helps maintenance teams use their resources more effectively.

Ultimately, digital technologies give operators greater visibility into the health of critical assets, allowing better decisions that improve both operational performance and total cost of ownership.

John Crane recently announced a major advance in sealing technology for mining applications. What does that development mean for operators in practice?

Innovation only matters if it delivers measurable benefits for customers, and that's exactly what we've focused on.

Our latest mining solutions combine technologies such as the Type SB2 USP, Type 588USP and Type 5864USP, which incorporate John Crane's proprietary Upstream Pumping (USP) technology to minimise water consumption while improving reliability and reducing power requirements, with John Crane Diamond seal face technology, which reduces friction, wear and heat generation to extend seal life in demanding slurry applications.

Together, these technologies address some of the mining industry's biggest operational challenges. 

For operators, that translates into reduced water consumption, longer equipment life, fewer maintenance interventions, less unplanned downtime and a lower total cost of ownership. Importantly, these improvements can often be achieved by upgrading existing equipment rather than replacing it entirely.

More broadly, this reflects what differentiates John Crane. We combine advanced sealing technologies with deep application engineering expertise to solve real operational challenges.

Rather than supplying individual components, we work with customers to optimise sealing performance across the whole system, helping them improve reliability, increase efficiency and meet increasingly demanding sustainability objectives.

Supply chain resilience has become a boardroom priority across mining. How does John Crane approach that for its own operations and for its customers?

Supply chain resilience has become just as important as product performance.

Mining operations can't afford extended downtime while waiting for critical components, particularly at remote sites where every hour of lost production has a significant financial impact.

John Crane has invested heavily in building a global manufacturing and service network that combines local support with worldwide engineering expertise. That enables us to respond quickly, hold strategic inventory where it's needed and support customers throughout the lifecycle of their equipment.

Equally important is working collaboratively with customers to understand future maintenance requirements, helping them plan ahead rather than simply reacting when issues occur. That partnership approach builds resilience for both sides.

Africa and Latin America are seeing significant mining expansion. Are those regions a growing focus for John Crane?

Very much so.

Both regions possess some of the world's largest reserves of critical minerals, and we're seeing sustained investment across copper, lithium, iron ore and other strategic commodities.

Latin America has been an important market for John Crane for many years, particularly in copper mining, while Africa continues to present significant opportunities as investment in mining infrastructure grows.

What's particularly important in both regions is having a strong local presence. Customers increasingly want engineering support that's available close to their operations, backed by global technical expertise.

That's why we continue to invest in our regional capabilities, service centres and field engineering teams, while also strengthening our network of specialist mining channel partners.

These partners bring invaluable local knowledge, responsive service and established customer relationships, allowing us to deliver John Crane's engineering expertise wherever our customers operate.

Ultimately, it's about combining global technology leadership with local capability. By working closely with our channel partners, we're able to provide the technical support, service and reliability that mining operators need throughout the life of their assets.

Sustainability targets are tightening across the sector. How do you make the case that better sealing technology is part of the answer?

Sustainability is often associated with major capital projects, but many of the biggest gains come from improving everyday operations.

Sealing technology can contribute in several important ways, reducing water consumption, minimising product leakage, extending equipment life, lowering energy consumption and reducing waste associated with maintenance activities.

When you multiply those improvements across hundreds or even thousands of pumps operating at a large mine, the cumulative environmental and financial benefits become significant.

The conversation has shifted from sustainability being viewed as an additional cost to recognising that improving operational efficiency is often one of the most effective ways to achieve sustainability objectives.

Autonomous and remote operations are changing how mines are run. Does that shift create new requirements for the components and systems John Crane provides?

It certainly does.

Autonomous operations rely on equipment performing consistently for longer periods with fewer human interventions. That naturally places greater emphasis on reliability, durability and predictable performance.

Sealing systems need to operate reliably in demanding conditions while requiring minimal maintenance because there may not be personnel readily available to intervene.

This trend is driving demand for longer service life, more robust materials, advanced monitoring capabilities and technologies that support predictive maintenance. In many respects, the move towards autonomous mining reinforces the importance of engineering reliability into every critical component from the outset.

What do the next five years look like for John Crane in mining? Where is the business heading?

Mining is entering one of the most significant periods of transformation in its history. Demand for critical minerals is growing, sustainability expectations continue to rise and digital technologies are reshaping the way operations are managed.

Our focus is to help customers navigate that transformation by delivering technologies that improve reliability, reduce environmental impact and lower the total cost of ownership.

That means continuing to invest in advanced sealing technologies, digital reliability solutions, local service capabilities and engineering expertise that solve increasingly complex operational challenges.

Ultimately, our ambition isn't simply to supply products. It's to be a long-term engineering partner that helps mining companies operate more safely, more sustainably and more efficiently as the industry continues to evolve.