quad ring seal
- February 07, 2023
Quad-Ring vs O-Rings - What makes them better?
The O-ring is a doughnut-shaped circular cross section seal that can be used nearly anywhere in the sealing industry. The Quad-Ring™, a 100% retrofit option for any O-ring application, can and will outperform an O-ring in many technical areas.
The Quad-Ring™ has four definitive sealing advantages over an O-Ring:
- Hidden parting lines, or flash lines. The flash lines (a line of excess material where the compression mold tool comes together) on an O-ring is always on the outer most diameter, which consequently is a sealing surface. On a Quad-Ring™, that flash line is on the inside of the two outer lobes; therefore, it does not effect the sealing lips.
- The Quad-Ring™ is more stable in dynamic applications. It is also more resistant to rolling as it has a wider footprint and takes up the corners of the hardware
- May 19, 2016
Founded in 1945, Minnesota Rubber and Plastics is a pioneer in the design and production of four-lobed seals with the Quad-Ring® Brand seal design.
Today these seals are used around the world for a wide variety of static and dynamic sealing applications.
Avoiding Spiral Twist
To minimize breakaway friction, an O-Ring groove must be wide enough to allow rolling or twisting of the seal. In the long stroke of a reciprocating seal application, this twisting action can strain and eventually tear the rubber, causing a failure mode known as spiral twist.
To prevent spiral twist, the Quad-Ring Brand seal four-lobed configuration is designed to withstand the distortion and extrusion often caused by high or pulsating pressure. To accommodate these forces, a Quad-Ring Brand seal uses a narrower groove than a comparable O-Ring seal.
