Sealing Solutions

Trelleborg introduces the new system for lubrication management.

Millions of hydraulic systems across the world keep passenger vehicles, excavators and aircraft functioning every day. Equipment like this would not be possible without hydraulic systems that multiply force safely, efficiently and reliably. As would be expected, as the applications become more advanced, so do the hydraulic systems required to support them.

Incorporating Lubrication Management Principles

Newer systems are being designed to be smaller and lighter, but this leads to elevated pressures and speeds during operation, putting more and more strain on seals and increasing wear and friction. “Materials like polyurethane are reaching their performance limits in some applications; which is where lubrication management can be applied to the whole sealing system to improve performance,” says Alberto Livi, Product Manager for polyurethane seals at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions.

Lubrication management examines the whole system and looks for areas where seals can work as a team to better achieve the overall objective. “The fluids within the system are often seen as a challenge to seal against or withstand, but they can equally be viewed as supporting team members,” explains Alberto. For example, a secondary seal is often used to provide redundancy to a system or to further improve sealing characteristics. In particular, heavy-duty applications require a sealing system solution, rather than an individual product, to ensure long service life and leak-free performance.

Systems Working Together

“As the primary seal within the system becomes more effective, the secondary seal is running without lubrication. By allowing a small amount of lubricating media through, the secondary seal is not suffering the same amount of wear normally associated with dry-running conditions. By looking at the whole system, the load on each element can be reduced, optimizing friction-wear-lifetime,” says Alberto.

“Research and development teams across Trelleborg Sealing Solutions have been working to develop new seals, which incorporate lubrication management principles to deliver optimized performance for today’s modern applications environments. Zurcon® Buffer Seal and Zurcon® Rimseal IM are two of the latest to be launched, adds Alberto.

Zurcon® Buffer Seal has been optimized to operate as a primary rod seal for heavy-duty applications, such as lift trucks and earthmoving equipment.Tests show that using a Buffer Seal manufactured from Zurcon® polyurethane with wear inhibitor and partner lubrication reduced compression set behavior and friction by almost 50 per cent. The seal has a number of innovative features to increase performance. It uses a combination of materials to extend the service life. By considering lubrication management, it has significantly improved performance and wear resistance in the secondary seal. Zurcon® Rimseal IM is an O-Ring energized seal profile that comes as a result of continuous development of sealing systems with lubrication management principles in mind. “Zurcon® Z13 was an excellent choice of material to start with for the next generation of seals. It allows injection molding or lathing, keeping the pricing competitive.When this seal is combined with lubrication management, the friction reduction is even more significant for the whole system,” says Alberto.

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