microlip
- 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,
- June 12, 2020
Eclipse has been working hard during the Covid-19 downtime on finding solutions to issues that customers have brought to the table over the past few years.
Many new designs have been sent into testing while focusing on processes that will help improve productivity and lower costs.
The MicroLip™ is an example of a viable solution to rotary seal issues that many customers have struggled with. This is especially true when the order volumes are relatively low or the shaft diameters are small, such as with encoders or chemical-processing facilities.
The Eclipse MicroLip™ Prototype Program
When moving from rubber to Teflon lip seals, Eclipse has found that the cost to bring the product to market is often a hindrance. The high cost is due to tooling and the number of pieces that must be manufactured to make the product viable in the prototype phase.
Because of this, many customers sneak by using inappropriately-applied rubber lip seals to solve rotary seal problems.
MicroLip™ seals have proven to be a powerful component in rotary services. Since the MicroLip’s inception, it has been applied to a variety of applications including mobile hydraulics, robotics, surgical drills, and semiconductor processing and encoders.
Over the last 3 years, Eclipse has designed and manufactured various styles of MicroLips in diameter sizes of under 1/8 inch (5mm) and over an inch. Since the components of the MicroLip™ can be machined, Eclipse has made the seal in quantities of less than 10, and batches in the thousands.