7 Considerations for Mechanical Seal Selection

Mechanical seals are an important component for many applications in almost all industries. They are a critical component of the machinery that carries out the operations. In engineering, seals are required directly, whereas in other industries they are required as part of the whole system. There are many types of seals. Seals are made of a number of different materials. The right kind of seal can be selected on the basis of the environment in which it will be used. Furthermore, the purpose of application can also help determine the perfect seal to be used in the industry.

Why is selecting the right material so important?

It is important to select the right type of seal because in case of mid-selection not only the operations and functioning can get affected, but there are higher chances of an accident. Furthermore, it can operate for many years without breaking down or without facing any trouble. Therefore, the working environment, operating conditions, and purpose of usage must be identified precisely to decide on the type and material of seal accurately. The right seal will ensure optimum performance for a longer period of time. in this blog, we have discussed a few aspects that will help you in getting into the wrong seal material.

** Note: this guide is a basic layout to assist you in selecting the right seal material. We don’t recommend you to rely on it completely. Of course, you need technical assistance and the help of professional engineers in picking the right seal based on your operations and industry.

1. The substance to be sealed i-e the liquid

To begin the process of picking the right seal, the first thing to identify is the material that will be contained in the sealing. For example, if you need to seal acid or other harsh material, then ordinary rubber cannot be used. It will cause a disaster because of the nature of the substance and its reaction with the rest of the system and components. Seal material must be able to withstand the fluid being processed. Therefore, the seal must be picked after identifying the substance and its compatibility with the seal material. This will reduce the likelihood of seal failure and increase the performance of the machine.

2. Pressure it experiences

Another determinant of the seal material is seal pressure inside the chamber. There are two types of seals when it comes to countering pressure; balanced or unbalanced seals. Picking the wrong kind will bring down the whole system, causing an undesirable event as well.

3. The temperature of the surrounding environment

Temperature is a significant factor in picking the right kind of seal material. In a system, a seal can be exposed to high temperatures externally. Some materials such as rubber cannot withstand the heat and will collapse instantly. The next event is the contact of material with heat and surroundings. A harsh material can trigger a disaster if exposed to heat. It can also hamper the working of the machine, bringing down the whole system.

It is important to pick the right seal material, one that can handle the internal temperature of the substance as well. While using a specific material, make sure that you adhere to temperature constraints. Having picked the right kind of seal is useless if the external temperature is raised abnormally high, or is not regulated as per the ideal environment requirements.

4. Liquid Characteristics

This might sound like the extension of point number 1 i-e knowing your substance. While you are determining the kind of liquid that needs to be sealed, you must keep in mind the viscosity element as well. Vicious liquids tend to wear down a seal because of their aggressive abrasive action and the amount of pressure they exert on the seal. Abrasive substances tend to shorten the seal’s life. Therefore, double seals or external flush plans are required to deal with difficult liquids.

5. Reliability & Emission Concerns

Although an increasing number of companies are adopting procedures compliant with environmental safety, yet there are quite a number of companies that are still lagging behind. Every company’s operating procedures and policies are different concerning an application’s reliability and emission. The right material for the seal should be picked in light of reliability and emission standards for the pump application. Double seals are becoming popular to ensure environmental safety.

Considerations for seal structure

After taking all the operating conditions into consideration, you can move on to the next phase of selecting the structure material of the seal and its face. For the constructing material of seal or simply its structure, these characteristics have to be considered.

• Flexibility
• Temperature constraints
• Thermal expansion and conductivity properties
• Wear resistance
• Chemical resistance properties

Moving on to the next part, a few considerations to keep in mind for selecting the face and other component materials of a seal are given below:

• Low leakage & friction properties
• Rust resistant
• Good thermal properties
• Wear resistance

Final Words:

Rubber seals are specially-designed rubber tools used to enclose a container to prevent it from getting exposed to the outer world. High-quality rubber seals are a critical component in many machines because they prevent a specific-purpose fluid from coming in contact with the outer environment, and also prevent the fluid to get contaminated from outer agents. They are also used to prevent leakage of fluid from a container and to prevent a container from wearing due to friction.

At Bay Seals, we manufacture and distribute a wide range of rubber seals. Whether you need seals for industrial purposes or for the health sector, our specifically designed seals are effective solutions for all purposes. Our aim is to provide all our customers with exceptional customer service and high-quality products. Being in the industry for more than ten years, we take huge pride in being an experienced enterprise. Bay Seals prides itself in being the best seal company as we have always kept the company abreast with the advanced technological advancements and research in the field of rubber seals. This helps us provide top-notch products and impeccable services across the board. Being an ISO 9001:2015 certified company; we can safely claim to be the best professionals in the industry.

Bay Seals deals in a wide range of rubber products. Other than manufacturing and supplying rubber seals, we are also known as a reliable Rubber Products Supplier.