Seals have a crucial impact on system performance. Life and reliability of what is often considered a simple component can make all the difference to your products and operations.

Here is a quick look at some of the different types of seals and the applications that rely on them.

Types of Industrial Engineering Seals

Heavy industries like metal, construction, wind energy, forestry, mining, and pulp and paper all rely on different types of seals that have to operate within a wide range of speeds, temperatures, and environmental conditions.

Some of the major types of seals that can be found in industrial engineering applications include:

• Hydraulic seals—are use to seal the opening between various components in the hydraulic cylinder.
• Pneumatic seals—operate in dynamic applications, often at high speeds, generally with rotary or reciprocating motions.
• Piston seals—are used in hydraulic cylinders for fluid sealing. They are internal to the cylinder head and seal against the cylinder bore, preventing fluid from flowing across the cylinder head. This allows pressure to build up on one side of the piston, making the cylinder extend or retract.
• LC profile seals—is used in applications where pressures fluctuate rapidly.
• Fastener seals—are composite sealing washers, consisting of a metallic carrier and a vulcanised elastomer sealing lip. They provide a static function on flanges or threaded connections, and consistently assure ideal compression conditions between the housing components to prevent the destruction of the sealing lip.
• Integral seals—eliminate the need for a machined groove in the mating sealing flanges. The seal is kept in place by mechanically and/or chemically bonding the elastomer to a frame edge that is separate from the flange.
• Rotary shaft seals—are used in components with oscillating or rotating parts to keep lubrication fluids in, while preventing ingress of mud and water.

Types of Mechanical Seals

There are multiple designs available for the mechanical seal configuration including:

• Conventional seals—are relatively simple mechanical seals that have to be properly set and aligned on the shaft or the sleeve of the pump.
• Pusher seals—incorporate secondary seals that move axially along a shaft or sleeve to maintain contact at the seal faces, to accommodate wear and to assist in the absorption of shaft misalignment.
• Non-pusher seals—also known as a bellows seal, has a secondary seal that is in a static state at all times, even when the pump is in operation. A secondary sealing member is not required to make up the travel as the rotary and stationary seal faces wear. Primary seal face wear is typically accommodated by welded metal or elastomeric bellows, which move to assist in the compression of the rotary to stationary seal faces.
• Unbalanced seals—are used under drastic conditions where there are vibrations, misalignment of the shaft, and the problem of the cavitation of the fluid.
• Balanced seals—have the ability to sustain higher pressures across the faces, and they generate less heat; therefore, they are suitable for handling liquids that have low lubricating capacity and hydrocarbons that have high vapor pressure.
• Cartridge seals—have the mechanical seal pre-mounted on a sleeve (including the gland). They fit directly over the shaft or shaft sleeve, and are available in single, double, and tandem configurations.

Types of Automotive Seals

There is also a wide spectrum of advanced sealing solutions for cars, light vehicles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, and bikes, including:

• Bearing seals—rolling resistance is a significant factor in the power losses of vehicles. Seals used in bearings can be a significant contributor due to the friction generated.
• Body seals—gas springs are used to assist opening, closing, lifting, lowering, and damping movements.
• Driveline seals—can deliver unparalleled performance over a wide range of operating conditions to reduce power losses and minimize fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. In addition, for automatic transmissions, the gear change performance affects the overall comfort of the vehicle.
• Engine seals—a variety of outer diameter designs are available for optimal installation and retention of the seal, which provide optimized performance for automotive applications.
• Steering seals—many power steering applications use high-pressure hydraulic systems where seals are critical components, playing an important role in preventing pressure loss.
• Suspension seals—serve a duel purpose: contributing to the vehicles road holding and braking capacity, and keeping occupants comfortable and reasonably isolated from road noise, bumps, and vibrations.
• Wheel end seals—are key to determining the life of the unit. If the seal allows external contaminants to enter the bearing or lubricant to escape from the bearing, then premature failure of the unit will result.

For more information on a variety of engineered rubber and plastic sealants, machinery devices, laboratory testing, and industrial engineering, contact Real Seal. Our organization is geared to meet the more fragmenting aspects of industry today. Industrial engineering manufacturers are being tasked with offering consumers more choice, a wider latitude of performance criterion, and greater economic restraints. As American industry continues to evolve to meet the demands of today’s consumers and the challenges of international competition, Real Seal continues to provide solutions and create value.

Taking care of the machinery utilized in various industries can be a time-consuming and occasionally hazardous task. To help alleviate these issues, many companies have opted for automated maintenance systems, be it in the form of automatic greasing systems or by ensuring they use the right type of seals to keep applications running efficiently without the need of much oversight or repeat maintenance.

But what are the pros and cons of automated machine maintenance versus manual machine maintenance. That’s what we’re going to answer today.

Health Factors

When it comes to health and safety, it’s hard to deny that automated systems can be incredibly beneficial. By removing the need for an individual to go in and clean or adjust different components, it reduces the risk of them potentially hurting themselves.

This point is particularly applicable when it comes to larger machinery that can have a wide range of potentially deadly parts that could cause serious harm if something was to go wrong. Imagine a crushingly heavy peripheral suddenly collapsing while an employee is performing maintenance. While such occurrences are rare, they’re still possible.

But when an automated or semi-automated system is used, it can ensure that employees are out of harm’s way should the unforeseen occur. In this event, the worst case scenario is the automated system being damaged or destroyed – a far smaller price to pay.

Efficiency

While some automated systems can be a little hit and miss, a large majority are very effective at their job. By having your machinery maintained by automated systems or products, it means less time is spent by individuals on keeping machinery in top condition. By extension, this means the machinery will experience less downtime and employees can better focus their time on other tasks, increasing overall operational efficiency.

By having the right seals on different applications and machinery, it means there will be less spills and potential malfunctions. Seals may not be an automated system, but they permit applications to run with greater autonomy without issues arising.

Longer Operational Life and Less Costs

With the right systems in place, machinery and applications will ultimately have longer operational lives. As a result, there will be less downtime and a decreased need to repair or replace machinery, thus resulting in less overall costs. As with anything, automated systems are an investment, but choosing the right ones will save you money in the long run.

When it comes to seals, it’s imperative to choose the right material. If your applications are dynamic (e.g. they move around), then you’ll need a dynamic-friendly sealing comprising the right materials. What material you opt for depends on, for example, factors such as the operating temperatures of the application and the types of chemicals the seals may come in contact with. By knowing these factors and having the seal designed to exact specifications, you’ll find they will last far longer than other seals.

To ensure you have the o-rings and seals for your machinery or application, contact Real Seal today.