Oils or shaft seals close the gap between moving and stationery items. The main purpose of the oil seal is to separate the fluids. And it can do this task efficiently only if installed properly. Moreover, it helps prevent the lubricants from escaping the gauge and doesn’t let external contaminants move in. Not only this, but seals also prevent the intermixing of two fluids, such as oil and grease.
If an oil seal fails, it can lead to seal leakage. It will further enable debris and abrasives to enter your machine, thus harming its performance. Also, poor installation, wrong selection, and inadequate maintenance of oil seals can lead to external lubricant leakage from pumping systems, gearcases, and hydraulic machines. To overcome these problems, it is important to comprehend the types of sealing material, carefully learn the selection process, and consistently apply replacement and maintenance practices.
All the experts emphasize the selection method of the oil seals. Different machines have distinct requirements; thus, the type of oil seal needed will also differ. All you need to do is study your device carefully and talk to the distributor of the oil seals to get the perfect one. Because of being in the power transmission and material handling equipment industry for years, they have the right knowledge and can guide you better. Also, selecting the correct seal is vital for the maintenance and integrity of a given application. Otherwise, a wrong choice may lead to complete machine failure.
Benefits of Oil Seals
Probing further, let us see what the advantages of oil seals are.
- They can perform in extreme environments efficiently.
- They prevent the entry of foreign contaminants.
- They prevent seal leakage.
- They help maintain the lubricity of the bearing.
- They have a long shelf life.
- They are easy to assemble.
- They have low friction properties.
Applications of Oil Seals
Oil seals play a significant role in mechanical assemblies. Their strength and flexibility make them perfect for numerous automotive and industrial applications. They are used in electric motors, gearboxes, industrial pumps, and customizable equipment. Notably, oil seals are used in mechanical environments that must function under extreme pressure. Plus, oil seals work in extremely fluid environments where the prospect of the foreign contaminant is high.
Based on your needs, the types of oil seals that you can select are –
- Spring-energized oil seals
- Metal case, external, and internal orientated oil seals
- Single and double lip oil seals
Tips to Choose The Right Oil Seal
Several variables need to be considered when picking oil seals. The following are the nine factors that must be evaluated when selecting oil seals.
- Pressure
- Temperature
- Shaft hardness
- Shaft speed
- Concentricity
- Runout
- Shaft and bore tolerances
- Shaft surface finish
- Lubricant
