Freudenberg Sealing
- February 25, 2020
In an innovative first, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has introduced a machine component that combines a plastic rotating bearing with a seal in a single, precisely matched unit.
The design offers significant weight, cost and friction advantages over separate bearings and seals and also improves the properties of the mated bearings and seals. Freudenberg has validated the advantages of this new component through extensive testing performed in a sensor housing unit including the seal-bearing component.
While mostly hidden from view, seals and bearings are nonetheless important components in automotive and industrial applications. They are key elements in operational safety and performance and their durability must be optimized to prevent system failure. At the same time, these bearings and seals must be small, lightweight and cost efficient in keeping with manufacturers’
- January 28, 2020
The static seals used in large energy and industrial facilities can be challenging to install and difficult to replace. They must, therefore, function flawlessly for periods longer than 20 years. Up until now, the existing tools used to calculate the long-term performance of sealing materials for these kinds of applications have often led to the components being larger than actually necessary.
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has now developed a method that takes into account the material changes at the molecular level when predicting the long-term durability of seals. The new methodology is more reliable than previous models and ensure fewer materials to be used.
The seals used in plant engineering must have a very long service life. Once they are installed – to protect offshore wind turbine towers from salt corrosion, for example – customers typically require that they perfectly fit for more than 20 years. The service life of a seal is limited based on two things: First, by setting or stretching (physical relaxation). And second, chemical changes cause the material loses its elasticity over time.
Under the influence of atmospheric oxygen or ozone, two basic effects that influence the aging of seals can be observed: First, the polymer chains and networks can fracture under mechanical stress, and second, additional oxygen bridges can develop in the network as a result of oxidation processes. Both effects influence important properties of relevance for seals such as stiffness, contact pressures or the ability to regain their original shape after deformation, also referred to as resistance to deformation.
Extrapolation with the Arrhenius Equation
To determine whether a material actually meets the requirements for a specific application, engineers usually conduct so-called “storage tests” in which the test specimen is exposed to temperatures well over 100° C for a longer period of time – usually 1,000 hours – to predict temperature-dependent aging. Engineers typically extrapolate the measured values using the Arrhenius Equation, a method named after the Swedish chemist and Nobel Prize winner Svante August Arrhenius.
- December 18, 2019
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies has developed an optimized design for its proven Levitorq axial thrust washers.
Through a new “scoop” feature, the enhanced Levitorq design is able to collect and push lubrication under the washer to enable higher critical speeds and enhanced performance. Levitorq is part of the company’s Low Emission Sealing Solutions (LESS) product portfolio.
The original Levitorq design was created to reduce weight, decrease friction, improve thickness/flatness control and often provide a cost benefit to the customer. It relies on the principles of hydrodynamic oil film technology and is designed to create a surface on which a bearing can roll, or a load can be applied. Traditionally, thrust washers are made from metals, but Freudenberg has used its material expertise and design knowledge, along with proprietary software and testing capabilities,
- November 20, 2019
Wettablility of the Sealing Lip
The optimum function of rotary shaft seals depends on many factors. One of them is the "wettability" of the sealing lip. This parameter plays a particularly important role with synthetic lubricants such as polyglycol. If wetting is too low, not only does wear on the sealing lip increase, but the contact with the rotating shaft can also damage the shaft itself. The engineers at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies (FST) and Freudenberg Technology Innovation (FTI) have developed a new coating that forms a flexible bond with the elastomer of the seal and significantly improves wetting with synthetic lubricants.
Thanks to different materials and shapes, radial shaft seals for sealing rotating shafts can be used in a wide variety of industrial applications. What they all have in common is the demand for the lowest possible friction, low wear,
- November 07, 2019
Measuring an O-Ring is quite simple when you have the right tools at your disposal. All that is required is a clean, level surface; an o-ring; and a measuring device such as a caliper or other measuring tools such as cones, gauges, and size charts.
Directions to Measure an O-Ring
To measure an O-Ring, following the directions below:
- Place your o-ring on a flat surface clean of debris.
- Determine the inside diameter (ID) and outside diameter (OD) of the o-ring. The o-ring dimensions chart below illustrates where on the o-ring each dimension is measured.
- Measuring the width, or cross-section (CS), can be tricky and is measured by lightly pressing the caliper ends onto O-ring as shown in section A-A.
For more information on O-ring sizes click to see the JIS B 2401 Standard O-Ring Size Tables.
Dimensionally specifying an o-ring can typically be done with just
- October 03, 2019
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is developing a new generation of conductive seals designed to ensure a durable electrical connection between housings and shafts while preventing bearing damage caused by electricity and electromagnetic radiation.
In many operating conditions, the shafts used in electric powertrains are electrically insulated from their housings. The insulation is created by the lubricating films in the contact zones for the bearing and the shaft seals. Lubrication is necessary to promote long-term system functionality. Alternating current and its electromagnetic fields produce changes in the electric potential between the rotor and the stator and the rotor becomes charged. The current can only be drained off through a grounded system that allows the electricity to travel from the shaft to the housing. If there is no grounded pathway, the current flows to the area of least resistance – the bearing – and produces an abrupt discharge
- September 12, 2019
When it comes to food, Freudenberg wants to be sure that its sealing materials are free of harmful substances.
In the food processing industry, in order to guarantee food safety, both the food and the hardware that come into contact with it must meet particularly stringent criteria. These guidelines also apply to sealing materials.
In China, specific standards were created in 2016 with the two standards GB 4806 and GB 9685, which deviate from the existing relevant American and European regulations for food-grade materials. To meet the stringent Chinese regulations, FST has now successfully tested two proven VMQ materials: 70 VMQ 117055 and 60 VMQ 117117 for their conformity with Chinese guidelines.
The Chinese standard GB 9685
- August 13, 2019
Seals do their jobs tirelessly, usually behind the scenes. Until now, machines mostly had to be dismantled to check the condition of these parts. That’s expected to change: At Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, a cross-disciplinary team is testing seals that identify and communicate their level of wear. They are based on a novel material that functions as a sensor.
It’s time for maintenance at a beverage bottling facility. Different components of the equipment are opened up, and the seals on tubes, pumps and valves are checked. If they are worn out, they have to be replaced. But if they are still intact, the check itself – a common yet expensive process – is superfluous. What would happen if the seals themselves could autonomously measure and transmit information about the level of their wear? And determine the exact point – no sooner and no later – when little of the seal lip is left and the seal has to be replaced? The future of seals may lie
- June 27, 2019
Freudenberg Sealing Technologies introduced several new material and sealing innovations at the 2019 International Paris Air Show.
These new products are designed to help aerospace customers address ever increasing safety and performance requirements in the industry.
During the June 17-23 event in Paris, Freudenberg showcased a new high temperature, fireproof material; an Omegat OMS-CS cap seal; and new ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) and a fluoroelastomer (FKM) developmental material.
“Our aerospace customers strive continuously to be faster, safer and more efficient, which in turn requires us to innovate to help them reach those goals – a challenge we enthusiastically embrace,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president, Global Mobility Sector, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. “The launch of several new products aimed at improved performance underscores Freudenberg’s commitment to being a global
- April 18, 2019
The popularity of multi-flavor drink dispensers, those touch screen wonders that offer dozens of beverage and flavor options to consumers, has grown during the past decade. Manufacturers are installing these complex machines in venues and locations throughout the world.
Elastomers and flavor transfer
But what’s great for an individual customer – a cherry-ginger-lime cream soda, for example – can play havoc with the elastomer seals inside the machine. Add in hygienic cleaning requirements and proper food contact certifications and equipment manufacturers can find themselves spending months chasing challenges like flavor transfer, leaks and material compliance approvals.
Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, a leading specialist in advanced sealing applications, has a portfolio of solutions to resolve these issues. The company, which runs the business operations for Freudenberg