Perfect Sealing Solution for Various Industries

12 Mar.,2024

 

What is an oil seal?

Oil seals are the key parts of mechanical equipment used in hydraulic systems, pumps, pistons, pipe connections etc. These are used to prevent the leakage of any lubricant and close the spaces between the moving and stationary components. These products are also known as shaft seals, fluid seals, grease seals, dirt seals, or rotary seals. These seals can stop any harmful contaminants from entering the machine in demanding environments. They also help to prevent the intermixture of two different mediums such as lubricating oil & water.

What are the general purposes of using oil seals?

An oil seal is designed to offer optimum sealing performance. Some of the major functions of oil seals are as below.

  • To stop the lubricating oil from oozing outside even at a very high pressure of the oil.
  • To protect every type of close-fitting, precision-constructed, sleeve and roller bearings.
  • To act as a barrier that keeps the lubricating oil in the right place.
  • To stop the contamination, dirt, and other external objects from getting into the system that contains the lubricating oil.

Construction of Oil Seals

Although there are various types of oil seals based on the application’s requirement, they all are made of three primary elements like rubber sealing element, metal case/reinforcement and garter spring. There are many materials used for oil or shaft seals that vary in resilience to the specific condition. These materials have properties that make them perfectly suitable for the required application. Metal cases/reinforcements of the seals are made of carbon steel or stainless steel based on the application which provides strength and rigidity to the seal. The metal surfaces exposed to the environment are treated to protect them from corrosion during normal handling and storage. The purpose of the garter spring which is located on the lip of the oil seal is to support the lip and prevent the leakage of lubricant and other contaminants from entering.

Sealing Materials

Oil or shaft seals are made from several materials based on the requirement of the application. However, the material selection is one of the important parameters considering several factors like operating temperature, environment, pressure, and maximum shaft surface speed, among others. The most commonly used materials in oil seals are Nitrile, Viton, Silicone, and Teflon which exhibit the below characteristics resulting in better life and performance of the seal.

  • Thermal resistance
  • Chemical resistance
  • Resistance to swelling
  • Weather resistance
  • Abrasion resistance

What are the applications of the oil seal?

The oil or grease seals are used in a wide range of applications in automotive, construction, agriculture, oil and gas industries, material handling, mining and so on. They are used in:

  • Engines
  • Conveyors
  • Elevators
  • Grinding Mills
  • Pipelines
  • Pumps
  • Wind Turbines

What are the benefits of Oil Seals?

The durability and flexibility of oil seals provide many benefits to different industrial applications:

  • Can perform under challenging weather conditions: Fluid seals can perform under challenging weather conditions. Be it high temperature or cold, they can perfectly serve for fluid environment applications.
  • Extended shelf life: Sealing materials like fluoroelastomer and PTFE makes sure that the fluid seals are durable and can be used for an extended period of time.
  • Low friction properties: These quality seals are built for low friction applications. The lubrication in the oil makes sure that the lips of the sealing do not reach the shaft and prevents the sealing lip from burning out.
  • Can be easily assembled: Assembling the shaft seals is also easy. You can easily replace these seals in a few minutes and for that, you don’t need to disassemble the entire system. These fluid seals come in a compact size, thereby handling and replacing them while you assemble are easier as well.
  • Lightweight: The fluid seals are light in weight and have the required qualities like strength and durability to work in demanding environments.
  • Can substitute standard seals: Oil seals can be used as a good substitute for standard or regular lip seals that are generally used for poorly lubricated or dry conditions.

How to choose the right Oil Seal?

Before you install a fluid seal, you must consider the type of application parameters within which it must function. This is important to ensure that you have installed the right seal. So while choosing the right fluid seal for your purpose, you should consider the below important factors. The designers and engineers of Sujan Industries ensure the below main factors before developing any type of oil or fluid seals:

  1. Temperature
  2. Shaft speed
  3. Shaft hardness
  4. Concentricity
  5. Pressure
  6. Lubricant
  7. Runout
  8. Shaft surface finish
  9. Shaft and bore tolerances.

Keeping in mind these important factors will also determine the proper materials for building your oil seals. However, mistakes in the selection can result in total failure, premature wear, excessive internal pressure on the seal, cracks, lip hardening, swelling, etc.

And over time, this damage can lead to massive expenditure, specifically, if you overlook these issues and don’t address them promptly. However, selecting a proper profile for the application ensures optimum performance and a safe working environment for the upcoming years.

Looking for the best Oil Seals manufacturers in India?

Sujan Industries is the leading manufacturer, supplier and exporter of rubber products, rubber to metal bonded components, plastic and stainless steel casting products catering to various industries like Automotive, Railways, Aerospace, Defense, Power, electrical, Off-highway etc. We have our in-house manufacturing workshop and latest testing facilities where our experienced engineers and technicians are always on the lookout to produce the best quality parts as per the requirements of our clients. We offer various types of oil seals and other products based on our years of experience in various applications and sectors. So if you are looking to get the top quality oil or rotary seals, get in touch with us.

For more information Agricultural Oil Seal, please get in touch with us!