{"id":63730,"date":"2025-10-08T14:14:44","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T18:14:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mdaturbines.com\/?post_type=experts&p=63730"},"modified":"2025-10-08T16:29:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T20:29:17","slug":"drew-spears","status":"publish","type":"experts","link":"https:\/\/www.mdaturbines.com\/resources\/experts\/drew-spears\/","title":{"rendered":"Drew Spears"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DrewBackground<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I began my career with NRG Energy, where I worked as a Repairs Engineer at their central maintenance shop. I was responsible for inspection and repair of a variety of power generation components including turbine rotors, diaphragms, gland casings, valves, pumps, and heat exchangers.\u00a0 I joined MD&A in 2012, where I have held a variety of roles, mainly focused on packing & seals.<\/p>\n

What do you do here at MD&A? What aspect do you enjoy most about your role at MD&A?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I\u2019m the Operations Manager of MD&A Parts Turbine Seals division.\u00a0 Our group is responsible for packing & seal engineering, manufacturing, and custom installation<\/a> at customer sites.\u00a0 We manufacture premier replacement seals for all makes of steam and gas turbines.\u00a0 I enjoy leading a top-notch group of experts, whom I believe are the best in the business.<\/p>\n

What are the most common issues you see with turbine seals, and how do they impact performance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The most common issues with turbine seals are radial & axial rubbing and material degradation.\u00a0 Radial rubbing typically occurs due to holder out-of-roundness, holder misalignment, rotor bows, or internal component movements during operation.\u00a0 It is important to note that OEM design radial clearances may be insufficient based on unit specific operation.\u00a0 Radial rubbing dulls\/wears the packing teeth promoting more leakage across the seals which negatively impacts unit performance.\u00a0 Axial rubbing typically occurs due to diaphragm dishing, shell creep, or unit operational issues.\u00a0 During an axial rub event the packing ring high teeth become rolled over\/cut off which negatively impacts unit performance due to excessive clearances.<\/p>\n

What proactive maintenance steps can customers take to maximize the lifespan of their turbine seals?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A proper steam turbine alignment and custom installation is critical to maximizing the lifespan of new turbine seals.\u00a0 MD&A\u2019s highly skilled technicians perform custom installation of packing rings and tip seals using our CNC equipped portable machine shop<\/a>.\u00a0 MD&A\u2019s installation process ensures optimal clearances, maintains design efficiency, and reduces the likelihood of vibration due to seal rubs.<\/p>\n

Another option to maximize the lifespan of turbine seals is to install MD&A\u2019s advanced sealing technology \u2013 Guardian Packing<\/a>.\u00a0 Should a rub occur, the Guardian posts contact the rotor first, preventing damage to the knife-edged teeth, and thus maintaining efficiency of the seal.<\/p>\n

Being promoted from within the company, how has MD&A helped in your career development and what has kept you here over the years? How would you describe our company culture?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

MD&A has gone above and beyond to provide training and resources to aid my career development.\u00a0 There are always new growth opportunities around the corner.\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t imagine working for anyone besides MD&A at this point \u2013 the \u201cTeam first\u201d mentality and expertise sets us apart from our competition.\u00a0 My favorite aspect of our company culture is we \u201calways do the right thing\u201d for both our employees and customers.<\/p>\n

What advice would you give to someone considering a career at MD&A?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Give 100% effort and don\u2019t be afraid to ask questions – hard work pays off at MD&A.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the most adventurous thing you\u2019ve ever done?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Solo skydiving.\u00a0 After one jump, I retired from the sport.<\/p>\n

\"Drew<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I began my career with NRG Energy, where I worked as a Repairs Engineer at their central maintenance shop. I was responsible for inspection and repair of a variety of power generation components including turbine rotors, diaphragms, gland casings, valves, pumps, and heat exchangers.\u00a0 I joined MD&A in 2012…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":75509,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"expert_cats":[63],"class_list":["post-63730","experts","type-experts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","expert_cats-parts-division"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDrew Spears – MD&A Turbines<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet our Experts! Drew Spears is the Operations Manager, Turbine Seals for MD&A's Parts Division. 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