What are Oil Seals, and How Do They Work?
Oil seals are also dirt, lip, shaft, and grease seals. They’re simple devices installed in rotary shaft equipment to minimize the risk of lubricant leakage and prevent other foreign substances such as water, dirt, and dust from entering.
The most important function of an oil seal is to protect all types of sleeves, roller bearings, and balls located in the rotary shafts. These seals also prevent two fluids from mixing, such as water and oil.
How Oil Seals
Oil seals are installed beside the bearing while the flexible lip is pressed against the rotating shaft. The casing pressing into the housing holds the seal in place. The sealing lip is essentially lubricated to minimize the risk of overheating due to the generated friction.
Another critical factor to consider is the type of seal most suitable for particular machinery. When selecting your mechanical sealing solution, assess your machine’s shaft speed, temperature, pressure, environment, and the medium coming into contact with the seal during an operation. These factors help determine the color, size, sealing element, lip material to choose from, and if it can be sealed out or sealed in.
Materials Used to Make Oil Seals
Multiple materials and compounds are used to make oil seals. Some of the oldest materials still used today include felt and leather compounds. However, the trend in mass production has experienced a shift towards synthetic elastomers or rubber.
By far, nitrile is the most popularly used, but buyers who need seals for applications involving high-speed shaft rotation increased interest. Viton is another alternative for silicone and poly-acrylic because it’s more resistant to harmful chemicals and abrasion and works better in higher temperatures.
Variety of Oil Seals
The sizes of industrial oil seals typically range from 0–33cm. These varieties are designed for temperature fluctuations. If your seal matches the intended equipment, the machine will perform optimally.
For more guidance and details regarding oil seals, contact Robco of America. Their professionals always help you with your gasket, bearing, and seal needs.
The company manufactures its line of cartridge assembly seals for industrial pumps, agitators, reactors, and Industrial Compressor Seals. They also specialize in mechanical seals emergency repair services 24/7 to minimize industrial downtime.
If you’re looking for comprehensive mechanical seal repair services, call 1–800–662–0585 for technical support or email at sales@robcoamerica.com. To learn more, check out their website.
