Whether you're involved in the production and distribution of food, beverages, automobiles, or anything else involving liquids, it's essential to have the right seals for the job. Without proper sealing, your products are prone to leaking or being compromised by outside contaminants getting in.
Depending on what industry you're involved in, there are many different types of seals to choose from. For instance, the type of seal you use for bottling equipment will be different than the seals you use for plumbing and HVAC applications. Therefore, it's important to choose the right seals for the job.
The best way to ensure your seals are up to the job is to get them from a reputable industrial sealing company. By choosing the right company, you can also rest assured that they will advise you as to which seal is right for you and guide you in your search. To learn more about the different types of seals and best practices regarding them, keep reading!
Different Types of Seals for Industrial Settings
As we said before, there are many different types of seals used in the sealing industry, and here are some of the most common.
Power Transmission Seals
Power transmission seals are commonly used in motors and engines, such as those in a car, lawn mower, or other piece of machinery. The goal of a power transmission seal is to prevent the leaking of oil, transmission fluid, gas, and other liquids that are exchanged within a motor or engine.
There are two basic types of power transmission seals - axial shaft and radial shaft. The job of radial shafts is to keep fluids inside an engine from getting out, whereas an axial shaft seal is tasked with keeping outside elements from getting in. As such, they are often used in situations and settings surrounded by contaminants, including dirt, mud, sand, impure air, and more.
Hydraulic Seals
Similar to power transmission seals in that they're often used in small engines and motors, hydraulic seals are small but mighty. Hydraulic seals, including rod seals, are used in a similar manner as axial power transmission seals. They have the job of keeping contaminants on the outside from getting into vital parts of the engine.
Fluid Seals
As the name implies, fluid seals are used in any application where a seal has the job of preventing leaks. However, rather than getting used in engines and motors, fluid seals are often used with hoses, pipes, and other types of round fittings. They also get used in the beverage industry when it comes to bottling equipment.
Piston Seals
Piston seals are a type of hydraulic seal. However, unlike other hydraulic rod seals, piston seals have the job of preventing leaks. They can be either single or double-acting seals, and along with preventing leaks, they also help prevent wear and tear when components within a small engine rub together.
O-Ring Seals
O-rings are some of the most commonly used seals across a wide range of industries. O-rings are the tiny rubber-like circles that typically go around the inside of pipes, hoses, and other liquid-bearing objects. O-rings are typically accompanied by a cap, valve, or nozzle and are tasked with forming a perfect seal between the valve or nozzle and whatever it's getting screwed onto or attached to.
There are many different types and sizes of o-rings to accommodate every need. At Commercial Filtration Supply, we offer the following options:
- Nitrile
- Viton
- Neoprene
- Silicane
- Propylene
- Ethylene propylene
- FFKM
The right type of o-ring seal depends on the application and your specific needs. In addition to caps, valves, and nozzles, o-rings also often accompany unions, couplings, and butterfly valves in the plumbing, drain, and HVAC industries.
How to Know Which Type of Seal is Right For You
In addition to the types of seals we mentioned above, there are many others to consider. The key to choosing the right seal for your needs is to choose the one that's right for your industry. If you need seals for engines or motors, for instance, power transmission and hydraulic seals are right for you.
If, on the other hand, you're in the food and beverage industry, O-rings and fluid seals are the way to go. O-rings are also the preferred seals for water-related industries, including plumbing, heating and cooling, and watering systems for gardens and hoses. The key to choosing the right seal for the job is to talk to an industrial sealing professional so they can point you in the right direction.
Best Practices for Industrial Seals
Knowing which seals you need and choosing a sealing professional is only the beginning. There are also important aspects to owning and maintaining your seals to ensure longevity, efficiency, and reliability.
When You First Receive Your Seals
When you first receive your brand-new seals, it's important to check them for defects or malfunctions. While defective seals are rare, especially from a reputable distributor, they're still possible. It's much better to find leaks while you're testing things out than it is to find them after you've installed the seal.
It's also important to double-check and make sure you have the right seal for your needs and that it is installed correctly. Additionally, if any of your seals are defective, you should report it to the company from whom you purchased it and request a refund or new seals.
Ongoing Maintenance and Use
Seals take on a ton of wear and tear and abuse, especially when they're used in industrial applications. To get the most life out of them as possible, here's a quick list of maintenance tips and tricks.
- Never use seals for applications outside of their design
- Know the maximum amount of pressure that a seal can handle
- Check seals regularly to ensure they're installed correctly
- Understand how different liquids affect different seals
- Reduce vibration on the seal as much as possible
- Lubricate the seals as often as recommended with whatever lubricant the manufacturer recommends
When the Seals Wear Out
While maintenance will help your seals last as long as possible, they won't last forever. Therefore, it's important to pay close attention to how your seals are operating and replace them accordingly. When you do this, make sure to dispose of your seals responsibility by recycling them whenever possible.
Quality Seals from Commercial Filtration Supply
If you want the best industrial seals in the business, contact us at Commercial Filtration Supply. Whether you need O-rings, filters, or a wide range of other industrial sealing and filtration equipment, we're the team for the job.