Monthly Archives: March 2022
- March 30, 2022
While reciprocating applications can certainly test seals to the edge of capability, rotary applications can present the greatest challenge to seal integrity and wear life.
Unlike reciprocating configurations where the seal acts on a different part of the shaft or bore throughout its operating range, rotary seals must operate on the same sealing area continuously.
This makes things like heat rejection much more difficult — especially in unlubricated or dry running
- March 25, 2022
HOW TO MEASURE AN O-RING | USING A CAPLIER | O-RING SIZING CONE
Our newest video release is something we tend to get asked somewhat frequently at Gallagher Fluid Seals. Despite it being a relatively easy subject, the question of "How do I find the size of my o-ring?" comes up more than you would think. We felt it made complete sense to do a quick video on the two most common methods to measure an O-Ring.
Measuring an O-Ring with a caliper
Measuring an O-Ring with a measuring cone
- March 23, 2022
Natural Rubber Short Supply
Plagued by global supply chain issues stemming from coronavirus and environmental issues, the natural rubber shortage continues to be exasperated by the war in Ukraine and Russia.
In 2021, shortages were reported mainly due to flooding and leaf disease. A poor crop led to a decrease in the cultivation of these highly desirable trees. The supply for raw gum already was expected to remain tight for several years due to the 7-year maturity period for the trees, but the unfavorable seasonal crop significantly affected the availability of rubber.
This blog article will also dive into the short supply of carbon black and its affect on the rubber availablity on a global scale.
- March 18, 2022
Lubrication is an important, sometimes overlooked, component of sealing. Many applications require lubrication for installation to prevent seal damage and prevent injury during manual assembly. Internal lubricants reduce installation force and dynamic friction without the need for an external lubricant or coating. Internal lubrication also decreases break-out friction for dynamic applications. Operating seals with no lubrication can lead to heat buildup and accelerated wear that can result in leakage and shorten the seal’s life. Internally lubricated seal materials provide a clean alternative to grease or oil in an assembly operation.
This blog will discuss how they work and the benefits of internally lubricated o-rings.
- March 18, 2022
A drop-size carrot sorter, with Vesconite plain bearings installed on its conveyor chains, has worked well at a large carrot producer for two years.
The carrot producer installed the bearings on one of its two processing lines to test whether the processing line with Vesconite performed better than the standard processing line.
Since installation, the carrot farm processor reports that Vesconite bearings on its conveyor chains have reduced wear and resulted in quieter operation.
A drop-size sorter consists of a mainframe with sprockets on each side. A chain runs on the sprockets and a polyethylene plate is attached. Rollers, spaced increasingly further apart, are located on the polyethylene plate and carrots, depending on their size, fall through the differently-spaced rollers into bins below.
- March 11, 2022
The GYLON® TUFF-RAIL® Family consists of two tank car manway gaskets, GYLON® 3545 & 3504 TUFF-RAIL®. The TUFF-RAIL® patent pending technology incorporates raised sealing features for a tighter seal in less than ideal bolting conditions, even after multiple cycles. Engineered to a single size, these gaskets fit the most common manways (AAR-1, UTC-1, TRN-1) simplifying gasket selection and inventory requirements. Constructed from Garlock's industry proven GYLON® material, TUFF-RAIL ® manway gaskets have been tested for reliability, reusability, and superior performance over other similar PTFE materials.
Now available on the GFS e-commerce store, this product is in stock, can be purchased with a click of a button.
- March 10, 2022
The current global electric motor market is valued at more than 100 billion dollars and is slated for continued growth in the decades to come.
It’s estimated that more than 30 million electric motors are produced every year. The increased development of robotics and automation in many industrial processes as well as demand for numerous consumer applications continues to fuel growth.
The recent push and increased adoption of electric vehicles, including everything from electric bicycles to automobiles is a prime example of the expanding need for electric motors.
- March 04, 2022
GFS Wiper Seals (also known as Scrapers or Excluders) operate to exclude contaminants from entering the sealing system. These contaminants include dirt, mud, dust and moisture. The presence of these contaminants will have a negative impact on the performance of the equipment, and the life of the seals. Poor Wiper Seal performance is amongst the most common causes of premature sealing system failure. Wiper seals function in both a static environment when the equipment is stationary, and dynamically when the cylinder is extending and retracting.
- March 02, 2022
Original Fabric Shields - How They Work
There are two pull-cords which run parallel along the length of the outside of flange. Two Velcro tabs are also situated at each end of the shield, which are only used to keep the shield in place while the cords are being tightened. Firstly, wrap the shield tightly around the flange. The two Velcro tabs fasten together to close the shield and hold it in place, ready for tightening of the cords.