MOTION SYSTEMS HANDBOOK
Update on
sealing technologies
Non-contact seals, like these from Centritec Seals, form a reliable seal even when subjected to severe vibration and shaft motion. They do not require tight axial or radial alignment between the inner and outer ring.
In any motion control system, the risk from dirt and other ingress materials is great. Contaminants like these can damage bearings and other rotating equipment, destroy whole machinery systems and cause unwanted downtime and costs. To prevent these catastrophic events, all motion systems require some type of sealing system. In addition to stopping the ingress of contamintants, seals also prevent leakage of necessary lubricants, such as oil, grease or hydraulic fluid.
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Molded seals and v-shaped seals are two of the most common seals found in power transmission applications. V-shaped seals, such as wipers, are used most commonly in fluid power systems to prevent contaminants from entering a system while allowing lubricating oils to return to a system on inward stroke of the hydraulic piston. Molded seals, which are more common in power transmission applications, can be further divided into O-rings, radial lip seals and shaft seals. O-rings are one of the most common types of seals because of their simple and inexpensive construction. They are designed to create a seal between the interfaces of two or more components. They generally consist of an elastomer ring with a circular cross section and are usually placed in a groove. They are used frequently in hydraulic components, particularly on cylinder pistons and rotating pump shafts. Mechanical face seals, or heavy-duty seals, are used in extreme applications, such as bearings, gearboxes, turbines and machinery used in 8 • 2019
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8/19/19 11:23 AM
