The Technical Hub
O-Ring Calculator
This interactive calculator assists engineers with selection of O-ring and hardware dimensions, and to form the basis of an O-ring installation.
Chemical Compatibility Checker
This interactive guide will help you choose a seal material based on existing compatibility test results of known chemicals and elastomers.
Interactive Engineering Calculators
Click here for volume, mass and compression set values for O-rings and rotary seal and hydraulic cylinder calculations.
Unit Converter
Our interactive conversion tools allow engineers to switch between units of measurement when preparing engineering calculations.
Engineering Tables
Our reference tables provide cross reference information for surface finish, metal hardness and polymer hardness measurement units.
Rotary seals for heavy duty transportationSupply Plus Ltd designs, manufactures, supplies and distributes safety and fuel delivery equipment, with brands including AS Fire & Safety, Bayley and Collins Youldon. The application Our customer, Supply Plus approached us with a requirement for their 2” Swing joint power spindle. The outlet pipe from the fuel tank on delivery vehicles is fed into the centre of a rotating hose reel. This is located between the tank and cab of the vehicle. This is powered by an electric motor and pumped through at relatively low pressure. The current design experienced issues of leakage from the hose fitting in low temperatures especially at -25°C, and particularly when vehicles are parked overnight. Therefore we recommended a rotary seal for this heavy duty transportation. The challenges This application required a rotary seal with low temperature capability and excellent resistance to oil-based fuels. A design was required to replace the existing seal in the available housing between the rotating metal faces. Therefore a standard spring energised rotary seal would not work in the application; a bespoke design was required. Leakage at night when vehicles are not in use often means the issue worsens because the seal is cold and not energised. Therefore, we designed a rotary seal for heavy duty transportation that would remain energised at low temperatures and low pressure. Our sealing solution Our engineers designed a simple but effective seal, incorporating a large heel in the base of the housing. This energised a lip sealing on a rotating metal face. The volume of rubber in the heel of the seal, combined with the 170° angled base, created sufficient force to maintain a seal at low pressure. We used a low temperature Viton ensuring the seal retained elastomeric properties and applied the sealing force at low energising pressures and very low temperatures. This also provided excellent resistance to fuel oils, diesel and aviation fuel. We tested prototypes at both an in-house test unit and in the field over four winter months. Results showed no issues during dispense of fuel and a complete cessation of leakage. The seal was approved and production orders placed, and the design has been incorporated across additional sizes of hose reels. Learn more about our rotary seals HERE
High speed Rotary seals for electric vehiclesThe electric vehicle industry is growing; global manufacturing and registrations of electric vehicles is increasing exponentially each year. Our engineers have extensive experience in designing seals for automotive applications, but we still find new challenges involved in sealing components within hybrid, hydrogen fuel and full battery powered electric vehicles.
The Application
Our customer has 30 years’ experience of providing pioneering technologies globally to the mobility industry. This established organisation is a supplier of powertrain solutions for electric and hybrid vehicles and traditional internal combustion power engines. The team of powertrain development experts approached our engineers for a high speed rotary seal. This is for the gearbox within an electric vehicle. The position of the rotary seal is needed between the wet transmission and dry e-motor, and pressed into a bulkhead housing. The sealing lip runs on the surface of the transmission rotor shaft. It is pressed radially by a tension spring onto the shaft, and requires a dust lip to provide protection against dirt and debris from the environment on the dry motor side. The shaft and housing dimensions, are all fixed and provided by the customer. These include full dimensional, surface finish, pressure, temperature and media specification for our engineers to review and propose a bespoke seal design.
Our sealing solution
The application media was a synthetic oil. This is relatively standard for an automotive application. However, because of the maximum working temperature, FKM (Viton) was the elastomer material to meet the required range. As with many applications within electric vehicle gearboxes, the shaft speed is particularly high at 8500 RPM. Typically with these high speeds, seal design needs to ensure minimal friction to ensure the service life required. Our application engineers designed a bespoke, double lipped spring energised seal. On the dry e-motor side, the rubber lip has been designed to act as a dirt and dust excluder. There is a slight clearance from the shaft to avoid friction which prevents damage to the seal, additionally any unnecessary wear to the rotary system as a whole. In the wet transmission side it is imperative that the oil is kept away from the e-motor with the same minimal friction requirements. Consequently, our engineers designed the seal with an inlaid PTFE lip with 15% graphite fill. It is energised with spring to ensure force to achieve ultimate shaft sealing performance. Read more about our rotary seals HERE
PTFE Rotary Seal for Oil & Gas drilling toolOur customer designs and manufactures a leading range of unique downhole technology and drilling solutions that contribute to a net zero energy industry.
The Application
A seal was required for the rod of a downhole drilling tool - a hydraulic dynamic (rotary) application. Our solution is a PTFE rotary seal. Read on to find out about more. The application has a normal operating pressure of 500 PSI at 60 RPM, but maximum pressure can reach 6,500 PSI in static operation. Reverse pressure was unlikely in this application but the engineers wanted to ensure some level of resistance. Two single acting seals were considered, but groove space is limited. Keeping the grooves closed is preferable for bearing strength. The maximum operating temperature reaches 200°C and the application media drills mud and completion fluids (with wiper arrangement already installed).
Our Sealing Solution
Due to the pressure, temperature and chemical media parameters of this application, an elastomer seal selection was not suitable. Our engineers selected our standard FTOR profile PTFE seal This is a double acting slipper seal ideally suited to hydraulic applications and capable of sealing under alternating pressure directions. It’s ideal for sealing high pressure loads with slow to moderate rotational speeds. The PTFE rotary seal has side wall notches equally spaced, so the part can be fitted symmetrically either way. The initial sealing force is provided by the elastomer O-ring. This is seated within a machined saddle and activated by system pressure to perform under high pressure demands. The central lubricating channel design ensures low friction and wear. Additionally, the sealing set has been designed with a scarf cut PEEK back-up ring. This is to ensure stability and seal performance at maximum working pressure of 6,500 PSI.
Customer Satisfaction
Our customer tested the sealing arrangement at higher pressure (up to 10,000 PSI). Consequently, our customer is pleased it seals successfully over and above the application requirements. They have adopted this seal design for other sizes of parts in similar equipment. Read more about our rotary seals HERE
Tools
O-Ring Calculator
This interactive calculator assists engineers with selection of O-ring and hardware dimensions, and to form the basis of an O-ring installation.
Chemical Compatibility Checker
This interactive guide will help you choose a seal material based on existing compatibility test results of known chemicals and elastomers.
Interactive Engineering Calculators
Click here for volume, mass and compression set values for O-rings and rotary seal and hydraulic cylinder calculations.
Unit Converter
Our interactive conversion tools allow engineers to switch between units of measurement when preparing engineering calculations.
Engineering Tables
Our reference tables provide cross reference information for surface finish, metal hardness and polymer hardness measurement units.
Articles
Rotary seals for heavy duty transportationSupply Plus Ltd designs, manufactures, supplies and distributes safety and fuel delivery equipment, with brands including AS Fire & Safety, Bayley and Collins Youldon. The application Our customer, Supply Plus approached us with a requirement for their 2” Swing joint power spindle. The outlet pipe from the fuel tank on delivery vehicles is fed into the centre of a rotating hose reel. This is located between the tank and cab of the vehicle. This is powered by an electric motor and pumped through at relatively low pressure. The current design experienced issues of leakage from the hose fitting in low temperatures especially at -25°C, and particularly when vehicles are parked overnight. Therefore we recommended a rotary seal for this heavy duty transportation. The challenges This application required a rotary seal with low temperature capability and excellent resistance to oil-based fuels. A design was required to replace the existing seal in the available housing between the rotating metal faces. Therefore a standard spring energised rotary seal would not work in the application; a bespoke design was required. Leakage at night when vehicles are not in use often means the issue worsens because the seal is cold and not energised. Therefore, we designed a rotary seal for heavy duty transportation that would remain energised at low temperatures and low pressure. Our sealing solution Our engineers designed a simple but effective seal, incorporating a large heel in the base of the housing. This energised a lip sealing on a rotating metal face. The volume of rubber in the heel of the seal, combined with the 170° angled base, created sufficient force to maintain a seal at low pressure. We used a low temperature Viton ensuring the seal retained elastomeric properties and applied the sealing force at low energising pressures and very low temperatures. This also provided excellent resistance to fuel oils, diesel and aviation fuel. We tested prototypes at both an in-house test unit and in the field over four winter months. Results showed no issues during dispense of fuel and a complete cessation of leakage. The seal was approved and production orders placed, and the design has been incorporated across additional sizes of hose reels. Learn more about our rotary seals HERE
High speed Rotary seals for electric vehiclesThe electric vehicle industry is growing; global manufacturing and registrations of electric vehicles is increasing exponentially each year. Our engineers have extensive experience in designing seals for automotive applications, but we still find new challenges involved in sealing components within hybrid, hydrogen fuel and full battery powered electric vehicles.
The Application
Our customer has 30 years’ experience of providing pioneering technologies globally to the mobility industry. This established organisation is a supplier of powertrain solutions for electric and hybrid vehicles and traditional internal combustion power engines. The team of powertrain development experts approached our engineers for a high speed rotary seal. This is for the gearbox within an electric vehicle. The position of the rotary seal is needed between the wet transmission and dry e-motor, and pressed into a bulkhead housing. The sealing lip runs on the surface of the transmission rotor shaft. It is pressed radially by a tension spring onto the shaft, and requires a dust lip to provide protection against dirt and debris from the environment on the dry motor side. The shaft and housing dimensions, are all fixed and provided by the customer. These include full dimensional, surface finish, pressure, temperature and media specification for our engineers to review and propose a bespoke seal design.
Our sealing solution
The application media was a synthetic oil. This is relatively standard for an automotive application. However, because of the maximum working temperature, FKM (Viton) was the elastomer material to meet the required range. As with many applications within electric vehicle gearboxes, the shaft speed is particularly high at 8500 RPM. Typically with these high speeds, seal design needs to ensure minimal friction to ensure the service life required. Our application engineers designed a bespoke, double lipped spring energised seal. On the dry e-motor side, the rubber lip has been designed to act as a dirt and dust excluder. There is a slight clearance from the shaft to avoid friction which prevents damage to the seal, additionally any unnecessary wear to the rotary system as a whole. In the wet transmission side it is imperative that the oil is kept away from the e-motor with the same minimal friction requirements. Consequently, our engineers designed the seal with an inlaid PTFE lip with 15% graphite fill. It is energised with spring to ensure force to achieve ultimate shaft sealing performance. Read more about our rotary seals HERE
PTFE Rotary Seal for Oil & Gas drilling toolOur customer designs and manufactures a leading range of unique downhole technology and drilling solutions that contribute to a net zero energy industry.
The Application
A seal was required for the rod of a downhole drilling tool - a hydraulic dynamic (rotary) application. Our solution is a PTFE rotary seal. Read on to find out about more. The application has a normal operating pressure of 500 PSI at 60 RPM, but maximum pressure can reach 6,500 PSI in static operation. Reverse pressure was unlikely in this application but the engineers wanted to ensure some level of resistance. Two single acting seals were considered, but groove space is limited. Keeping the grooves closed is preferable for bearing strength. The maximum operating temperature reaches 200°C and the application media drills mud and completion fluids (with wiper arrangement already installed).
Our Sealing Solution
Due to the pressure, temperature and chemical media parameters of this application, an elastomer seal selection was not suitable. Our engineers selected our standard FTOR profile PTFE seal This is a double acting slipper seal ideally suited to hydraulic applications and capable of sealing under alternating pressure directions. It’s ideal for sealing high pressure loads with slow to moderate rotational speeds. The PTFE rotary seal has side wall notches equally spaced, so the part can be fitted symmetrically either way. The initial sealing force is provided by the elastomer O-ring. This is seated within a machined saddle and activated by system pressure to perform under high pressure demands. The central lubricating channel design ensures low friction and wear. Additionally, the sealing set has been designed with a scarf cut PEEK back-up ring. This is to ensure stability and seal performance at maximum working pressure of 6,500 PSI.
Customer Satisfaction
Our customer tested the sealing arrangement at higher pressure (up to 10,000 PSI). Consequently, our customer is pleased it seals successfully over and above the application requirements. They have adopted this seal design for other sizes of parts in similar equipment. Read more about our rotary seals HERE
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Product Range
Our seal products range from simple static O-rings to complex and bespoke seal designs in specialist materials. Whatever your application, we have the seal product for you.
