Blog
- September 13, 2024
Gallagher Fluid Seals is a Parker Distributor is proud to be proud to be one of the few premier distributors to qualify as a “Parker Seal Technology Center (STC)”.
Why Parker's VX065 is the Future of Elastomeric Materials in Aerospace
While reviewing Parker's extensive selection of material offerings, one might notice that Parker EMG does not immediately have a material that is certified to this AMS7254 specification. Parker is not alone, however. As of the time of this publication, there are actually no materials on the qualified parts list (QPL) on SAE’s website from any elastomeric material vendor. This is quite an odd situation as the existence of a specification implies an inherent need within the Aerospace for a material with these qualities. The Material engineers at Parker Hannifin have looked at the situation and are offering an alternative solution: VX065
- September 10, 2024
How to use Rotating Shaft Seals
Answering common questions about rotating shaft seals
Rotating shaft seals can be found in virtually every facet of daily lives—household appliances, cars and trucks and across industries. Though often treated as a commodity product, their failure can result in costly downtime and lost productivity. Despite their use in countless applications, many still have basic questions about how to use them. Here are some frequently asked questions.
What is a retainer plate (cover plate), and why is it required with an all-rubber split seal?
A cover plate is a piece of metal (or other hard material) installed after the oil seal has been placed into the housing bore. The cover plate pushes on the back side of the oil seal and compresses it into the housing. All-rubber split seals require cover plates because this style does not have an outer reinforcement to help retain the seal, so it needs compression inside the housing to ensure the best
- September 05, 2024
Gallagher Fluid Seals is a Parker Distributor is proud to be proud to be one of the few premier distributors to qualify as a “Parker Seal Technology Center (STC)”.
How Maintance Can Stop Hydraulic System Failure
As you set out to reduce hydraulic system failure, it’s important to recognize sources of contamination as part of your maintenance program.
Our partners at Parker, long-time suppliers of o-rings to Gallagher, are experts in both seals and hydraulic systems. They suggest measuring contaminants on a regular basis and performing basic inspection regularly.
Below are some of the most common forms of contamination in your hydraulic systems:
- Contamination that comes from manufacturing and assembly, including debris, casting sand, paint, pipe sealant, fibers from cleaning rags and weld spatters.
- Natural contamination, i.e. particulate matter present in hydraulic fluid before filtration. This is why it’s
- September 03, 2024
Types of Spring Energized Seal Lips
Spring Energized Seals can be found in all kinds of applications across the spectrum of industries and sectors. While the pros and cons of the different spring types contained in the seal are often discussed, the style of sealing lips can also have a significant impact on performance.
Every spring type has at least 4 standard lip style options, so choosing the right style for your application is critical. There are a number of design factors that need to be taken into account to ensure the best option is chosen for the application.
Hardware configuration, seal installation direction, media type, and dynamic motion all need to be taken into consideration to correctly specify a lip type.
Below we’ll discuss the basics of the common lip styles and where they’re used.
- August 29, 2024
The Basics of Braided Packing / Compression Packing
It’s highly likely that, at some point or another, you have seen braided packing, also known as compression packing, in or out of its “natural environment.” Braided packing looks like rope and is cut into rings that wrap around a rod. While packing used to be available in fairly limited styles, the mechanical packing industry has expanded over time, resulting in braided packing that is available in everything from flexible graphite to fiberglass yarn. Let’s dive into this topic, and discuss the different materials from which braided packing is made in this day and age.
- August 27, 2024
High-Performance Material Offers Alternative to PTFE: Better Properties At Lower Costs
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, global market leader for sophisticated and innovative applications in sealing technology and electromobility, offers a real alternative to traditional PTFE solutions with its innovative high-performance “98 AU 30500” material. First customers in the construction machinery sector are already impressed by the use of the hydrolysis-resistant high-performance polyurethane. There are myriad areas of application in other industries as well.
With “98 AU 30500”, the material development experts at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies have developed a hydrolysis-resistant high-performance polyurethane that offers considerably better properties for mobile hydraulic sealing systems than conventional PTFE variants. “It’s true that PTFE materials offer high media resistance and a broad temperature range for hydraulic applications, while being low-friction
- August 23, 2024
Gallagher Fluid Seals is a Parker Distributor is proud to be proud to be one of the few premier distributors to qualify as a “Parker Seal Technology Center (STC)”.
Sealing Selection for Hydrogen Applications
When considering the vast array of hydrogen applications, several critical requirements for sealing systems emerge. These requirements can vary in importance depending on the specific application. Key factors include:
- Low permeation and/or leakage
- Good pressure resistance
- Good chemical resistance
- Temperature resistance
- Long service life
- Technical cleanliness and purity
Low permeation and/or leakage for hydrogen applications
Seals are never completely gas-tight, which is particularly crucial for flammable gases like hydrogen. Hydrogen's small molecular size increases its permeation rate and risk of interfacial leakage compared to other gases. Effective sealing designs must
- August 20, 2024
Versatile and easy-to-install, this 100% ePTFE sealing cord is a cost-effective solution for large steel flanges in general-use applications.
Joint Sealant, the first form-in-place gasket, was invented by Gore more than 40 years ago. It is a time-tested sealing solution for steel flanges with large diameters, rectangular or irregular shapes, and rough or pitted surfaces. When compressed, this soft, conformable cord forms a thin yet strong seal. It can also seal applications where available bolt loads are low.
Versatile GORE Joint Sealant is standard sealing material for many MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) teams because it seals reliably – and because it’s easy and cost-effective to install. For most applications, just peel off the adhesive backing, apply to the surface, and overlap the ends.
- August 13, 2024
Gallagher Fluid Seals is a Parker Distributor is proud to be proud to be one of the few premier distributors to qualify as a “Parker Seal Technology Center (STC)”.
How to Read a Rubber Test Report
The Most Common Rubber Test Report Misunderstandings
It's a common misinterpretation: an engineer, buyer, quality analyst, or someone else entirely looks at a rubber test report, reads the numbers on it, and comes up with the wrong conclusion. Pass / fail limits and results are printed right there, but for some reason, our brain just messes up the two. It's a passing value, but for some reason, we think it shows a failure instead. Imagine a police officer writing a speeding ticket for driving 53 MPH on a road with a 55 MPH speed limit.
It's not a problem with the test itself, it's a problem of interpretation. That means the old carpenter's adage, "measure once, cut twice; measure twice, cut once" doesn't address the issue. The same issue of misunderstanding