Standard and special seals
September 1st 2004

The primary purpose of a seal used to be to stop lubricant leaking from inside an engine, gearbox or other machinery. Today, with the trend towards more aggressive external cleaning, Blue Diamond is placing increasing emphasis on preventing ingress of water and dirt.

While it might be thought appropriate to grade seals with IP ratings, the company recommends that each application is considered separately, taking into account the known characteristics of the seal’s components in terms of, for example, resistance to harsh chemicals.

Blue Diamond stocks 6000 standard linear and rotary seals in a wide range of variations and can develop special seals for more demanding applications. A current project aims to make seals in thin sections down to 3mm, to fit on a bearing as an integral unit.

The accent is on achieving high performance and low friction with careful matching of materials to operating conditions.

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