Are you familiar with Omniseal® polymer spring-energized seals and rotary lip seals? Have you ever wondered why spring-energized seals have a spring and jacket while lip seals have a metal casing? How do these two unique designs benefit an application? Precision engineering is considered to be one technology advantage - below are more reasons why Omniseal® solutions should be the seal of choice.
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Failure or function? Compromise or confidence? Which of these traits best describe your sealing requirement? Critical parts demand critical precision that can only be attained through expert material formulation, manufacturing, engineering and testing with the end result instilling reliability and customer confidence.
Custom Designed to Solve Problems
Omniseal® PTFE rotary lip seals are driven to solve the toughest sealing challenges; they are always co-designed with customer input in order to meet unique specifications. The metal casing design is considered to be a distinctive sealing solution that bridges the gap between standard elastomer lip seals and expensive mechanical face seals. Unlike standard designs, the rotary lip seal overcomes challenges such as speeds, temperatures and pressures in order to provide engineers with a cost- effective sealing solution that does not compromise on performance for dynamic applications.
Engineered for Cost Savings
Omniseal® spring-energized seals broke the manufacturing mold (so to speak) by being among the first seals where the fluoropolymer-based jacket of the seal was injection molded, unlike standard materials that were completely machined. With a molded solution, there is the potential to save significantly over machining - a great advantage in the total cost value of building assemblies.
Manufactured & Tested for Precision
Our Omniseal® spring-energized seals integrate a spring- actuated, pressure-assisted sealing device constructed of a PTFE (or other polymer) jacket that is partly encapsulated by a corrosion-resistant metal spring energizer.
To manufacture these unique devices, a special assembly line fitted with unique cutting tools was built. These manufacturing tools allow for an extensive variety of part geometries. All manufacturing is carried out in-house within the global manufacturing facilities and parts are tested for lifetime confidence and critical performance. The company also invests heavily in its R&D for improved simulation tools such as finite element analysis (FEA) to model, design and then validate complex designs in order to confirm that they meet the specifications.
Application Versatility for Best Results
Omniseal® solutions are excellent for extreme applications where high load, low friction and extreme temperatures are a concern. Design versatility - including a sealing jacket with several spring types to 2- or 3-lip designs that meet demanding application requirements - offer customized solution for various needs. Given that sealing solutions often control the fundamental functioning of a system, prolonged life means that failure is not an option.
Where can You Find Omniseal® Spring-Energized Seals and Rotary Lip Seals?
In Aerospace (Aviation & Space):
First designed in the 1950s and employed for a number of space programs, Omniseal® spring-energized seals fully supported NASA’s Space Transportation System when the first space shuttle was launched in 1981. Since then, the company has worked with hundreds of engineers from NASA and various other key space visionary companies to design and manufacture thousands of seals in life support systems, external tanks, main engine and launch vehicles.
The seals are presently used to solve pressure, temperature and weight requirements of jet and helicopter engine seals, rotors, gearboxes and hydraulic/pneumatic controls.
After being established in aerospace, Omniseal® solutions have since then excelled in other industries as well.
In Energy (Oil and Gas & Hydrogen):
In the hazardous and extreme field of oil and gas, Omniseal® sealing parts are extremely valuable. The polymer material helps solve reliability problems that can take place when elastomer seals come in contact with corrosive oil and gas (or sour gas), plus differing pressure and temperature requirements and sudden high-pressure changes. Spring-energized seals work well in temperature ranges from cryogenic to 300°F and above and pressure conditions up to 20,000 psi.
Since Omniseal® sealing solutions are versatile, they are also used in emerging energy technologies like carbon-free and hydrogen applications.
- Fluoropolymer gaskets for electrolyzer cell stacks
- Polymer seals for hydrogen pipeline valves
- Polymer seals for liquid hydrogen transport and transfer
- Polymer seals for liquid and gaseous hydrogen tube trailers
- Polymer seals for wellheads/valves (underground storage)
- Polymer seals for cryogenic valves for hydrogen liquefaction
- Polymer seals for high-pressure storage tank (LH2/H2 buffer storage)
Omniseal® metal seals are also used in these alternative energies.
Omniseal Solutions understands that customers require a flexible design for their high-performance equipment and applications. Customers can contact the company to discuss options for their sealing challenge.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by Omniseal Solutions.
For more information on this source, please visit Omniseal Solutions.