Founded in 1945 by Luke Doole and Dick Lynn, the company revolutionized the operation and performance of rotary equipment. They combined their surnames and named the new company the Dubolin Company. Its first product is an innovative connector design that includes a balanced mechanical seal.
At that time, the most popular type of sealing mechanism was the pressure seal. These seals rely on system pressure to maintain mating surface friction, which can prove problematic as equipment speeds increase. Especially for printing presses, pressure seals are prone to rapid wear.
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Luke saw an opportunity to improve on the industry standard, and the resulting design was an immediate success. By designing the mechanical seal as a rotary joint, Luke propelled the company to the forefront of the industry and fueled the development of the Dubolin Company that continues to this day.
Set new standards
In addition to printing presses, Luke continues to design joints for a wide range of applications, including air clutches, gearboxes, machine spindles, textile equipment, continuous casting machines, paper machines and polishing machines, and rubber manufacturing machinery.
The design proved to be so efficient and reliable that almost any industry requiring the transport of air, water, oil or hydraulic fluid from a stationary source to a rotating part of equipment used Dubolin products.
A few years after the company's successful start, Dick decided to focus on another business. He sold his shares to Luke, making him the sole owner.
Overseas expansion
Manufacturing companies boomed in the post-World War II economy, and Dubolin was no exception. The company experienced steady growth throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and soon Luc also began to look abroad for new opportunities.
Despite the post-war tensions between the United States and Japan, Luke saw great potential for his product in the Japanese market. In the late 1960s, he went overseas to explore the market and established his first international subsidiary, Dubolin Deutschland GMBH, in Germany in 1969. Dubolin UK followed, followed by Dubolin Japan in 1972 and 1977 respectively.
Foreign subsidiaries not only expand the influence of the company, but also provide a significant competitive advantage for the development of Dubolin Company. When imports began flooding the North American market a few years later, many of them were already equipped with Dubolin connectors.
Throughout the 1980s, the company continued to grow. In 1989, Dubolin bought SINT, an Italian company that designed steam joints and siphon systems for high-speed machines. While similar technology is available from machine suppliers, independent suppliers of balanced mechanical seal joints and fixed siphon systems do not yet exist.
Today, Dubolin has 14 wholly owned subsidiaries worldwide. In addition to Germany, the United Kingdom and Japan, it also has operations in Italy, France, Korea, Spain, Mexico, Brazil, Poland, Austria, Singapore, China and Russia.