Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies has begun supplying innovative, lightweight radial shaft seals to a major Detroit-based vehicle manufacturer for installation on the V6 and V8 engines powering its newest pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs). Enter the Freudenberg BlueSeal.
The BlueSeal, part of Freudenberg’s award-winning Low Emission Sealing Solution (LESS) portfolio of engine, transmission and E-Mobility product solutions, provides significant weight, friction and installation advantages over traditional radial shaft seals. Under the contract, Freudenberg-NOK will produce more than 2 million BlueSeals annually. Production is expected to increase further to more than 4 million units annually with orders from additional customers.
Transportation / Automotive bushings require regular maintenance and greasing, and are prone to wear especially in wet or dirty conditions. Self-lubricating Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube eliminate the need for continual greasing and at the same time increases bushing life. Vesconite and Vesconite Hilube are tough and durable and perform well under the mechanical stress that occurs on vehicle suspension systems.
South Africa - Vesconite flanged pivot bushings have been successfully installed and used on container trailers at the national rail utility. The Vesconite bushes, with a flange of 205 mm diameter and a bore of 165 mm, were fitted to the walking beam center pivot bearing that equalizes component parts of the rear axle bogies. This heavy duty application required a material which had high load carrying capacity, low friction, high wear resistance and good dimensional stability. Vesconite, with all these characteristics, was used on the trailers that are used to transport 12-m-long general purpose containers.
One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is the conversion to a resource-conserving, sustainable economy. With this in mind, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is offering customers its FluoroXprene® family of materials to help contribute to this transformation. Originally developed for use in fuel lines, these materials have the potential for use in new, challenging applications thanks to their outstanding characteristics.
FluoroXprene was developed to reduce the permeation of fuel vapors through the walls of fuel lines. This permeation makes a notable contribution to a vehicle’s hazardous emissions. But it is often overlooked when considering total emissions. FluoroXprene reduces the escape of fuel vapors through the walls of fuel hoses into the atmosphere, slashing them to a fraction of their usual amounts. And this is not just the case for standard fuels – alternative plant-based fuels such as E10 and E85 are also securely contained by FluoroXprene materials.
Lightweight design has recently become a much more significant trend in the auto industry. Even with small components like seals, a great deal of weight can be saved. From Freudenberg’s standpoint, several forward-looking issues come together in these approaches.
In his office, Dr. Ted Duclos, the CTO of Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, is holding up a palm-sized plastic ring. “I know that it seems very small and insignificant,” he said. “But components like this quickly add up to several kilograms of weight in an engine.” And weight is one of the factors getting special attention from the auto industry – for a range of very different reasons.
Duclos has just returned from the Lightweight Summit in Würzburg, an international gathering of more than 300 experts from industry and research. Specialized lectures, discussion panels and presentations focus on lightweight design in the auto industry and especially in electric mobility. “Lightweight design is a trend,” Duclos said. In the design of classic internal combustion engines because low weight reduces emissions. And for the future of the electric car because reduced weight increases the vehicle’s range. Or to put it another way, lightweight design is one of several trends that are now logically tied to one another.