Eclipse Engineering
- December 29, 2022
In the world of engineering, machinery, and mechanical systems, dust can be the difference between a reliable piece of equipment and disaster.
Dust can cause major damage to cylinder walls, rods, seals and other components inside of machinery. And if you’re not careful, dirt, mud, debris, and water can all cause damage as well.
These foreign contaminants are real problems for mechanical systems, especially as they build up in small quantities over time. A single particle of dust today may be no big deal. But a speck of dust per day will eventually become enough of a presence to cause serious issues, like friction, surface wear, and imperfect seal contact between surfaces.
These issues could compound until the mechanical system experiences a complete failure. And in some applications, like in automobiles and aircraft, failure is simply not an option.
Beyond those industries, many types of equipment need to stay clean on the inside, even when things get extremely messy
- October 20, 2022
Channel Seals for Hydraulic and Pneumatic Systems
The Channel Seal (or Cap Seal, as it’s often referred to), was one of the earliest forms of Polymer or Teflon sealing in the seal industry.
The product is easily applied. It didn’t replace the O-ring, but instead offered improved life while reducing drag.
In doing so, hydraulic and pneumatic systems operated cooler and quieter, while improving overall performance of the product.
Evolution of the Channel Seal
Before the Channel Seal, the Backup ring was established. The first Backup rings started out as leather,
- October 07, 2022
A combination of crimped can seals will handle a variety of applications when a rubber lip seal is not your solution.
Rotary seals are often secured in sealing hardware by crimping the sealing element in a metal can. One of the most common rotary seals is a molded rubber lip seal in a can.
While not crimped, the can retains the sealing element, and stops the seal from rotating in the gland. Rotary sealing elements for low pressure (under 15 psi), are often nitrile or Viton rubber sealing elements.
This style of seal comes in many cross sections, and may include garter springs to help the seal stay engaged with the shaft. These seals are typically low in cost, and produced in high volume.
These seals are found in many low-pressure applications. However, as the pressures begin to climb over 10 psi and speeds run over 500 ft/min, friction generates heat,
- July 15, 2022
Extrusion Gap Seal
The Clients Issue
The client came to our partners at Eclipse with a challenge: for the sealing requirements of their existing spring energized seal to provide optimal performance in a “worst case” scenario.
The client had an issue with outside seals failing at the deepest possible ocean depth and at max temperature of the instrument.
When tested, the seals were failing at the max temperature of 300°F.
- June 24, 2022
Our partner at Eclipse was approached by a valve component manufacturer for a sealing solution for a heavy-lift expendable launch vehicle.
The valve was used in the Hydrogen fuel side of advanced rocket boosters. These boosters are designed to carry the next generation of both cargo and manned exploration vehicles into deep space.
With ever increasing payload requirements and intensive cost sensitivity, rocket booster design and technology has been advanced to meet the demands and requirements.
Sealing Requirements:
- Media: GH2
- Pressure, Operating/Proof/Burst: 4,750/6,500/12,500 PSIG
- Life Cycles: 10,000
- Operating Temperature Range: -200 to +200°F
- June 07, 2022
Being commodity items, U-Cups are readily available in a number of materials and can be found on the shelf from multiple distributors and manufacturers in many standard sizes.
Named for the shape of their cross-section, a U-Cup’s design will be pressure energized increasing sealing effectiveness when compared to a standard O-Ring.
This means as pressure increases, the sealing lips are continually forced into the mating hardware surface, ensuring good contact at all times.
The simple and easily moldable design is an effective sealing solution to many systems in both hydraulic and pneumatic applications. Modifications in lip thickness and inclusion of an O-Ring Energizer can tailor sealing loads and wear life to specific situations.
A key advantage to an elastomeric U-Cup is the relatively small and simple hardware space needed.
- April 29, 2022
Shortly after the discovery and use of PTFE as a seal material, the need for a secondary energizing method became apparent. Unlike rubber or urethane which possess elastic and spring-like properties, PTFE will not return to its original state once deformed.
This is obviously not a desirable trait for sealing material, especially in dynamic sealing applications. PTFE seal designs were soon developed to incorporate energizing elements such as O-Rings and metallic springs. These energizers ensure the PTFE seal is always in contact with the sealing surface.
Our partners at Eclipse utilize three different spring types to internally energize PTFE and other polymer seals, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Below we’ll discuss in detail some of the pros and cons of Cantilever V-Springs and
- March 30, 2022
While reciprocating applications can certainly test seals to the edge of capability, rotary applications can present the greatest challenge to seal integrity and wear life.
Unlike reciprocating configurations where the seal acts on a different part of the shaft or bore throughout its operating range, rotary seals must operate on the same sealing area continuously.
This makes things like heat rejection much more difficult — especially in unlubricated or dry running
- March 10, 2022
The current global electric motor market is valued at more than 100 billion dollars and is slated for continued growth in the decades to come.
It’s estimated that more than 30 million electric motors are produced every year. The increased development of robotics and automation in many industrial processes as well as demand for numerous consumer applications continues to fuel growth.
The recent push and increased adoption of electric vehicles, including everything from electric bicycles to automobiles is a prime example of the expanding need for electric motors.
- January 26, 2022
The oil and gas industry poses some of the most challenging seal applications for any seal designer. This is largely due to the varying chemical compatibility of fluids, and extremely high temperatures. The fluids often contain solids, which tend to be extremely abrasive. And applications are usually at high rotary speeds with extreme pressures.
This combination creates PV values (pressure x velocity) often reaching the limits of the seal materials. On top of these extremes, as seal designers we are also faced with containing fugitive emissions from valves and rotary equipment, in a very hostile environment like the oil field.
That’s where the rising stem valve has provided numerous solutions in the oil and gas industry.
