Different types of Sealing arrangements in Hydraulics and Pneumatics

What are seals

A seal is a device which helps join systems or mechanisms together by preventing leakage containing pressure , or excluding contamination. It can also be referred to as Packaging

Different kinds of seals

Dynamic Sealing: Seal functioning in a environment in which there is relative motion (e.g.. Reciprocating, rotary or oscillatory) between the mating surfaces being sealed.
Dynamic sealing" is the relationship between the rotating shaft and the seal and is handled by the sealing element.

Static Sealing:Seal functioning in an environment in which there is no relative motion between the mating surfaces being sealed.
"Static sealing" is the relationship between the housing and the seal.

O ring seals
An O-ring or a toric joint, is a mechanical gasket in the shape of a torus. It is a loop of elastomer with a disc-shaped cross-section, designed to be seated in a groove and compressed during assembly between two or more parts, creating a seal at the interface. The flexible nature of o-ring materials accommodates imperfections in the mounting parts and results in zero clearance. They withstand pressure up to 100 bar . The O-ring may be used in static applications or in dynamic applications.

O-rings are made of wide range of materials depending upon the application.Metals,Plastic,Elastomers.

Piston seals
Piston seals, also known as piston packings, are mounted on a piston head which moves through the bore of a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder tube(dynamic pressure sealing) single-acting, capable of sealing dynamic pressure from one side (unidirectional) double-acting, capable of sealing dynamic pressure from both sides (bidirectional) The piston seal design ensures a high static sealing force on the inside diameter of the seal.

Rod seals

The rod seal is designed to ensure that pressurized fluid does not leak out of the system as the rod cycles back and forth out of the gland (dynamic pressure sealing) The rod seal is the most critical seal on any type of fluid power equipment. A leaking rod seal not only reduces equipment performance, but also causes environmental issues. - single-acting: capable of sealing dynamic pressure from one side (unidirectional) - double-acting: capable of sealing dynamic pressure from both sides (bidirectional)

wipers
The primary function of a wiper is to keep contaminants such as dirt, dust and moisture from entering the fluid power system Contaminants can cause significant damage to the rod, cylinder wall, seals, valves and other components. Rod seal failure is normally a swift result of wiper failure. Both Dynamic and Static sealing operations.

Symmetric seals
Symmetrical seals are typically centered in the gland and have sealing contact only through the seal The primary reason for the existence of symmetrical seals is its interchangeability between rod and piston applications this seal design is unstable during cycles, creating rocking and pumping effects which in turn can create leakage and seal damage.

Oil seals
The function of the oil seal is to stop whatever fluid is inside from leaking out the clearance between the shaft and housing. The seal can be used to prevent outside materials, such as dirt, from moving in through the clearance. oil seal normally consists of three basic components:
sealing element: It stops the fluid from leaking between the shaft and housing. metal case :It give rigidity and strength to the seal while it is being held in the bore or recessed groove. Spring: The spring will help make the sealing element more effective.

Materials is selected depending on the environment in which the oil seal will function.

V Ring Seals
V-ring seals are mounted on shafts and their thin, tapered lip seals against a surface (counterface) at right angles to the shaft. V-rings act as flingers, since they have an interference fit on the shaft and rotate with it. Misalignment of the shaft with respect to the counterface can be tolerated. V-rings provide reliable sealing if the shaft is out-of-round or rotates eccentrically. The amount by which the shaft can be displaced axially is governed by the permissible displacement of the V-ring relative to its counterface. V-rings are made entirely of elastomer without fabric or sheet metal reinforcement. They can be stretched and, depending on size, can be pushed over other components of the arrangement, e.g. flanges, pulleys or even housings.

V seals

Quad rings
Quad-Rings also known as, X-Rings can be used in a wide variety of static and dynamic sealing applications. The double-seal action requires less squeeze to maintain an effective seal. X-Ring parting lines are between the lobes, away from the sealing surface, eliminating the problems of leakage from a parting line's irregular surface. X-Rings are designed to outperform a standard O-Ring in rotary seal applications. The four-lobed configuration creates a more stable seal avoiding spiral twisting.

Quad Rings

Wear rings
Wear and damage are involved where there is sliding movements of components, i.e. a piston in a tube. wear rings, wear bands, guide rings or bearings made of brass can be used.

The greater the side load forces, the stronger the wear ring material must be.
Wear rings should last longer than the seals.

Back up
Back-up rings provide added extrusion resistance, and prevent damage to O-rings and seals when subjected to high pressures, larger extrusion gaps, and/or high temperatures. The use of back-up rings can significantly increase the pressure rating of almost any seal. They are used in conjunction with O-rings or seals for both static and dynamic sealing applications. It is placed on the opposite side of the seal to the pressure and must be made out of a stronger material than the seal. Back-up rings are used if:
The operating pressure or pressure spikes exceed the seals resistance. The gap exceeds maximum recommendation. High temperature lowers the seals extrusion resistance and presents high risk for seal extrusion.

Polyurethane seals
When temperatures range from -65F to + 200F a polyurethane seal is used.
Urethanes are tough, abrasion/wear resistant, inexpensive, and able to take shock loads better than most elastomers

High Pressure Diaphragm

Diaphragm Seals are designed for use in applications where chemical compatibility, trash or sludge in process or sanitary requirements prevent the use of a standard pressure gauge or gauge only installation. Diaphragm Seals consist mainly of an upper housing, lower housing and a separating diaphragm.

Cushioning in hydraulics and pneumatics

 Cushioning is normally required to reduce the rate of travel of a cylinder before the piston strikes the end cover Effects if Cushioning is absent:
Repeated impact of piton to end cap causing its damage Fracture of the rod thread that screws into the piston centre Stress cracking ad ultimate failure of the piston

This is done be increasing the hydraulic resistance at the end of the stoke

Ways to solve cushioning

by simple impact cushioning by pneumatic cushioning by fitting shock absorbers

References
www.ahpseals.com/products/ www.gbsa.com/ www.marcorubber.com/ www.vijayseals.com/

http://fluidworld.net/index.php/Topic/view/id -1297

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