Oil Seals
Rotary shaft seals, also known as radial shaft seals or more commonly called oil and grease seals, help prevent lubricant leakage by retaining the fluid within the application while simultaneously protecting it from the intrusion of dirt, dust and other harmful external contaminants. Shaft seals consist of a metal body, an elastomeric sealing lip and a garter spring. Based on these characteristics, rotary shaft seals can be divided into different categories:
Rotary shaft seals are readily available from stock in both Metric and Imperial (inch) sizes in the most commonly used elastomeric materials: Nitrile rubber (NBR), Fluorocarbon rubber (FKM/FPM) and Silicone rubber (VMQ).
Aside from keeping your machines in its best shape, oil seal has so much to offer than what’s mentioned above. Some of these are as follows:
- Prevent the entry of foreign contaminants
- Prevent seal leakage
- Maintain a bearing’s lubricity
- Ability to perform in extreme environments
- Long shelf life
- Easy assembly
- Low friction properties
- Increased strength properties to work in stressful environments
Applications of oil seals
Oil seals play a major role in mechanical assemblies. Their strength and flexibility allows them to be used in numerous industries (any automotive or industrial application that has a rotating and moving part assembly) such as gearboxes, electric motors, industrial pumps, fans, and customized equipment.
In particular, oil seals are utilized in mechanical environments that must function under extreme pressure. This concept often applies to temperatures in which oil seals must operate. With its high degree of flexibility and use in various industries, oil seals must be able to work optimally in temperate conditions of – 70°C and +260°C.
Oil seals must also work in extreme fluid environments in which the risk of foreign contaminant is great. While most oil seals appear in the traditional ‘o-ring’ shape, oil seals can be manufactured to the specifications of each application. This means there’s a sealing solution for any uniquely designed equipment.
According to your requirements, the types of oil seals you can select from include:
- Single and double lip oil seals
- Metal cased, external, and internal orientated oil seals
- Spring-energized oil seals.