Oil seals can show good sealing performance in combination with properly designed shafts and housings.


4. Protecting the shaft from damage helps optimize your oil seals’ efficiency.
To install an oil seal properly, the shaft must be undamaged. This is so the oil seal can do its job properly on the one hand, and to prevent it from being damaged during fitting on the other. In addition, it is very important to lubricate the shaft, the sealing lip and the bore with plenty of grease. This will allow the oil seal to slide more easily over the shaft and prevent dry running after the first rotation. The oil seal may also come into contact with the keyway, thread or other grooves when sliding over the shaft. By taping or covering the shaft at the location of these irregularities with oil-soaked paper, the oil seal can be mounted without damage to the sealing lip.
The sealing element, also known as the sealing lip, forms the interior of the oil seal. Various materials can make up the lip depending on the application’s specific needs. Below are some commonly used materials:
(1) Shaft speed Due to design and structural reasons, high-speed shafts should use high-speed oil seals, low-speed shafts should use low-speed oil seals, and low-speed oil seals cannot be used on high-speed shafts, and vice versa.
Use a piece of wood to scrape off all traces of the old gasket from the head and cover. If total removal proves difficult, use a broad screwdriver blade, but take care not to scratch the seating.
Examples of defects
Even though it’s better than other materials in terms of toughness and wear time, it is preferably used in dry-running applications. The salient demerit of this material is its cost.
What should you take into account when selecting an oil seal? Different types of oil seals and various types of materials are available, each designed for specific uses. It is also important to select the right size of oil seal for the best results. For this reason, selecting the right oil seal requires adequate understanding of the application in which it will be used.
Please see the following for the types of sealing devices for bearings.
How to Select the Right Bearing (Part 7): Components surrounding the bearing