Bienvenidos A: Hercules Sealing Products

Bienvenidos a
Principios y Practicas de
Sellado Hidráulico
HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 0
Principles of Sealing

Types of Dynamic Motion
Reciprocating Rotary Oscillating

Cylinder – Terms & Positions
Cylinder Information
• Bore Diameter
• Piston diameter
• Piston Groove diameter
• Piston groove width (length)
• Piston seal type
• Rod Diameter
• Rod seal groove width
• Rod seal groove width (length)
• Type of rod seal
• Throat diameter
• Type of wiper
• Type of Piston and Rod bearing
• Bearing groove diameter
• Bearing Groove width (Length)
• Type and location of Static seal ( Head seal)

Cylinder - Seal Positions
Piston

Rod Gland



Fluid type
System temperature Housing tolerances
Extrusion gap Pressure/

System and Spike
Surface finish
Speed and stroke

frequency

Seal Shape
I. Seal Shape
a. Round
b. Square
c. Rectangular
SEAL STABILITY & SEALABILITY INCREASES

Seal Shape
Elements of Seal Design Affecting Performance

Seal Selection Considerations
a) Application –
i. Hydraulic / Pneumatic
ii. High pressure / low pressure
iii. Severity of service
1. Light duty
2. Medium duty
3. Severe / heavy / rough duty
iv. Fluid Type
v. Temperature
vi. Velocity
vii. Expected service life

Seal Selection Considerations
b) When does most seal leakage occur?

i. High pressure
ii. Low pressure

Seal Shape
Motion Causes….
• Friction
• Wear
• Extrusion
• Stability
• Sealability

• Effects of Pressure on Seal Performance

• Pressure from two sources:
• Mechanical
• System

Pure Lip Seal Pure Squeeze
Seal
Free State
Installed
Low Friction High Friction

Low Wear High Wear
Low Sealability High Sealability

Pure Lip Seal……………………………Pure Squeeze Seal
Low Friction High Friction

Low Wear High Wear
Low Sealability High Sealability

Seal Shape - Seal Lip Profile
Sample Lip Lip Pressure
Lip Style Seal Shape Installed Pattern
Back
1 Bevel “B”
2 Straight
“D”
3 Round
4 Square
5 Scraper

Seal Shape
III. Improvers
a. BU Rings / anti-extrusion rings
b. Asymmetric seal shape
c. Loaders / expanders
d. Design evolution – i.e.: slots in wipers
e. Multiple rings / buffer rings
F. Wear Rings

Seal Shape
Improvers

Seal Shape
Improvers
Seal styles
• There are two major designs of seals
• Symmetric al - Having similarity in size, shape, and relative
position of c orresponding parts
• Asymmetric al - Having no balanc e or symmetry
Same Different
SYMMETRIC AL ASYMMETRICAL
Seal Shape
Improvers

Seal Shape
Improvers

Seal Shape
Improvers

Cylinder – Bearing/ Wear Rings
Improvers
Dimensions - Wear Rings

• Why Design With Wear Rings?
• Wear Ring Dimensions
• Wear Ring Groove Diameter / Width
• Wear Ring End Gap Dimension
• Wear Ring C ut-Down
• Wear Ring “Stac king”
• Wear Ring End Styles

Improvers

Improvers
Wear Ring End Gap Styles

• Butt c ut
• Sc arf (angle) c ut
• Step c ut

Improvers
Wear Ring “Stacking”

• Combine narrow wear rings to fit a wide groove
Two 1/2 “ wide wear rings fit 1” wide groove
• Install maximum 2 wear rings in groove
• Allows more flexibility of inventory

Improvers
Wear Ring Cut Down

C ut Down Fac tors For Standard Wear Rings
In many cases an oversized nylon wear ring can be cut down to fit a
smaller groove without a loss of concentricity. Use the following guide
when c utting down wea r rings.
Wear Ring O .D. Maximum Amount To Be C ut Down
4” O.D. 3/8” of circumference
4-1/2” – 6-1/2” O .D. ½”

7” – 9” O.D. 1”
9-1/2” – 14” O.D. 1-1/2”



VI. Material
Elements Of Seal Design Affecting Performance

Materials to Enhance Performance
• Nitrile / Buna-N: provides excellent resistance to petroleum products and air. Can be compounded for temperature range of -40 to +
240 F. Hardness ranges from 40 to 90 Shore A. Nitrile compounds are superior to most elastomers with regard to compression set,
cold flow, tear and abrasion resistance. Does not possess good resistance to ozone, sunlight or weather. Recommended for air,
petroleum oils, cold water, silicone oils/greases, ethylene glycol base fluids. NOT for use in phosphate ester fluids / brake fluids.
• Polyurethane: exhibits outstanding mechanical and physical properties compared to other elastomers. Temperature range of -65 to
+200 F or more. Hardness ranges from 40 to 95 or higher Shore A. The inherent toughness and abrasion resistance of polyurethane
seals is desirable in hydraulic systems where high pressures, shock loads, wide metal tolerances or abrasive contamination is
expected. Good resistance in petroleum oils, hydrocarbon fuels, oxygen, and ozone. NOT for use in acids, ketones and chlorinated
hydrocarbons.
• Fluorocarbon: also known by registered trade name of Viton. Introduced in the mid-1950’s and due to its wide spectrum chemical
compatibility and temperature range it is the most significant single elastomer developed in recent history. Temperature range is -20
to +400 F. Will tolerate temperatures of +600 F for short times. Hardness ranges from 50 to 90 Shore A. Used with petroleum oils,
di-ester base lubricants, silicate ester base lubricants, silicone fluids/greases and select phosphate ester fluids. NOT for use in
Skydrol, keytones, Amines, anhydrous ammonia.
• Teflon: is a tough, chemically inert polymer possessing an incredible working temperature range of -300 to + 500F. Hardness is 98
Shore A. Seals made from TFE are tough, impact resistant and exhibit very low friction. TFE is hampered by very poor elastic memory
at room temperature. Cold flow of TFE (or creep) must be controlled with the addition of “fillers”.
• Common TFE fillers: glass, bronze, carbon, graphite, mineral

Seal Storage
Temperature: Storage temperature should not exceed 50°C (147°F).
Humidity: Optimum Humidity is around 65%.
Light: Must be protected from direct sunlight and artificial light with high ultraviolet content.
Deformation: Elastomer product should be stored in a relaxed position.
Stock Rotation: Elastomers should be stored for as short of a period as possible.
Cleaning: Soap and warm water are the least harmful agent to clean elastomers.
Shelf Life:
Rubber 15 years
Urethane 10 years
FKM 15 years
PTFE unlimited
It’s always recommended to store all seals in closed, non-translucent

containers

Welcome to
Surfac e Finish & Tools Presentation

Surface Finish
In a hydraulic cylinder there is a hard to soft

material contact—soft elastomer seals contacting
harder metal surfaces. Oil deposits and the
abrasiveness of the hydraulic cylinder tube and rod
help determine the amount of wear.
When manufacturing a cylinder, the cylinder’s

surface finish needs to be controlled so that the
hydraulic seals can function properly and have longer
life.

Surface Finish
• In a hydraulic system, optimum seal performance and

failure prevention is always desired.
• The two main contributors to cylinder seal failure are

friction and wear.
• Roughness of the sliding surface greatly affects seal

performance, efficiency and life. (Think sandpaper grit)

Surface Finish
Ra =2.4 µm (95µin)
RZ =7.2 µm (284 µin)
Ra =2.5 µm (95µin)
RZ =9.5 µm (375 µin)
Ra =0.09 µm (4µin) (400

to 500 Grit stone)
RZ =1.2 µm (48 µin)

Surface Finish

Surface Finish
• Four tribological surface finish parameters are typically
referenced as Ra, Rp, Rv and Rz and are briefly explained
as follows:
Ra, is the arithmetic mean of a surface finish within

a sampling length.
Rp, is the largest peak height, and RV is the deepest
valley, of a surface finish profile within a sampling
length as measured from the mean line.
Rz, is the sum of the largest valley depth to the
largest peak of a surface finish profile within a
sampling length.
sk, or skewness, measure the symmetry of a profile
about the mean line.

Surface Finish

Surface Finish
Recommended Finish
Ra = 4 to 16 µin (2 to 8 µin for PTFE seals)
Rz = 15 to 100 µin (15 to 80 µin for PTFE seals)
4µinches = 0.1µmeters

Surface Finish
To get these recommended Ra and Rz surface finish

features in a hydraulic cylinder tube, there are different
types of finishing methods. Two of the most popular
methods are Honing and Skiving + Roller burnishing

Surface Finish
The honing process is performed using a rotating tool carrying

abrasive stones that remove metal from the tube bore. The
honing process removes relatively small amounts of material with
each pass, and it is done in a rotating and reciprocating motion
Stones…Coarse…Fine…Hard…Soft?
As General rule, harder material requires soft stones; soft material
requires hard stones; rough holes require hard stone.

Surface Finish
The skiving and rolling burnishing is a two-step process.

Skiving rapidly removes a layer of material from the
surface of the cylinder bore and the subsequent roller
burnishing cold works the peaks and valleys into a mirror
like finish. Both processes are done in one forward
motion

Surface Finish
The honed surfaces typically have a visible cross hatched

pattern and a matte finish, while the skiving + roller
burnishing process produces a reflective finish with
circular concentric rings

Surface Finish

Seal Failures

Failure Modes
Common Failures:
• Extrusion • Pressure Trap

• Wear • Dieseling
• Heat • Spiral
• Contamination
• Compression Set
• Fluid Incompatibility
• Pressure Spike

Seal Analysis Extrusion
Extrusion: Damage to the seal due to
excessive gap between the mating surfaces.
• Symptoms:
– Extruded tail opposite pressure
– Rough/irregular edge opposite
pressure
• Causes:
– Extrusion gap too large
– Excessive side loading
– Seal material too soft

– System pressure too high (might
cause cylinder expansion)

Extrusion

Extrusion

Extrusion
Possible Solutions:
– Replace part/reduce clearance
– Redesign for wear ring
– Use harder seal material
– Use anti-extrusion ring
– Check system pressure

Wear
Wear: Unusual accelerated wear on the

dynamic surface caused by outside
influences.
• Symptom:
– Excessive wear on dynamic
surface of seal
• Causes:
– Seal material too soft
– Surface too rough
– Excessive speed
– Lack of fluid lubricity

Wear
Possible Solutions:
– Use different seal material

for less wear
– Polish surface to acceptable

finish for material being
used
– Reduce speed
– Improve lubrication

Contamination
• Symptom:
– Foreign material lodged
in seal material
• Causes:
– Improper cleaning prior
to assembly
– Component failure
– Improper or no filtration
– Improper clearances/
side loading

Contamination

Contamination
Possible Solutions:
– Flush/properly clean system

– Repair/replace worn or
damaged parts or
components
– Replace/add filter
– Add wear ring to reduce
metal/metal contact

Welcome to
Seals On Demand

Seals On Demand
Hercules Seals On Demand provides a wide selection of

c ustom seals in a wide ra nge of materia ls.
• Over 100 pre-programmed profiles
• Sizes between 10mm – 620mm (larger than 620 requires 2-3wks)
• More than 10 different materials available in stock
• Hercules will ship parts the same day, when ordered before
c ut-off time.
• Ability to make parts from customer prints or samples at no
additional c ost or setup fee.

Piston Seal Profiles

Rod Seal Profiles

Wipers, Oil Seals, Bearings & Gaskets

Step-cut Piston Seal
Up to 15”

Materials

Materials

Case Study 1
Problem: Customer uses an o-ring and nylon backup as a piston

seal. The sea l fa ils after 3 days.
Significance: Pressure exceeds 40K psi.
Solution: Hercules engineered seal from inventoried raw material

and delivered the part in less than one week. Newly designed
part lasted around 30 days $$$$ Happy Customer 

Case Study 1

Case Study 1

Case Study 1

Case Study 2

Case Study 2
Problem: Removing and replacing seals took too long
Significance: Extreme operating conditions required the hard-to-

replac e seals to be replac ed during the events.
Solution: Hercules engineered seal from inventoried raw material

and delivered the part in less than one week. Newly designed
part now takes seconds to replace….Happy Customer 

Case Study 2
One piece POM bearing and seal Homogenous NBR oil seal with
housing stainless-steel spring

Case Study 2

Case Study 3
Problem: Continuous failure of 8’x 6’ oven door seal at GE plant in

C lea rwater. The pla nt manufa c tures high voltage c apac itors
Significance: The oven has 8 doors that separate 7 sections of the

oven, and each section has a different temperature than the next
and the last section temperature could reach 300F°.
Solution: Due to the large size of the oven doors, 8’x 6’, Hercules
engineered seal utilizing extrusion mold to manufacture seal at
one of our partner suppliers. The seal was easier to install and
provided much better performance and longer life.

Case Study 4
Problem: Continuous failure spring loaded PTFE piston seal in an

injec tion molding mac hine.
Significance: The customer keeps changing the seal every 24 to 48

hrs. The temperature reaches 400F° insides the cylinders to be able
to push out the molten uretha ne.
Solution: M odified the sea ling lip and c hanged seal material to
PEEK (polyetheretherkeytone) instead of PTFE.
PEEK can run continues at 500F° and the material hardness of 86 D
c ompared to the 60 D PTFE

Case Study 3

Case Study 4

“La Mejor Manera de Predecir
el Futuro es Innovando”
“Our Business Is To Help
Your Business”

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Bienvenidos a

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 1

Types of Dynamic Motion

Reciprocating Rotary Oscillating

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 2

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 3

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 4

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 5

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 6

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 7

System temperature Housing tolerances

Extrusion gap Pressure/

Speed and stroke

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 8

SEAL STABILITY & SEALABILITY INCREASES

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 9

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 10

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 11

b) When does most seal leakage occur?

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 12

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 13

• Effects of Pressure on Seal Performance

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 14

Low Friction High Friction

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 15

Pure Lip Seal……………………………Pure Squeeze Seal

Low Friction High Friction

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 16

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 17

b. Asymmetric seal shape

d. Design evolution – i.e.: slots in wipers

e. Multiple rings / buffer rings

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 18

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 19

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 21

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 22

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 23

Dimensions - Wear Rings

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 24

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 25

Wear Ring End Gap Styles

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 26

Wear Ring “Stacking”

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 27

Wear Ring Cut Down

4” O.D. 3/8” of circumference

4-1/2” – 6-1/2” O .D. ½”

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 28

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 29

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 30

Elements Of Seal Design Affecting Performance

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 31

Humidity: Optimum Humidity is around 65%.

Deformation: Elastomer product should be stored in a relaxed position.

Stock Rotation: Elastomers should be stored for as short of a period as possible.

It’s always recommended to store all seals in closed, non-translucent

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 32

Surfac e Finish & Tools Presentation

HERCULES SEALING PRODUCTS 33