Technology

What a VR seal does differently

Preloaded diaphragm sealing concepts on reusable support bodies. The result is one third of the friction power of a standard shaft seal — and the option of doing without any post-treatment of the shaft.

Request the catalog60-page PDF · 541 sizesDesign guidelines
Optical measurement of a rotary shaft seal in VR Dichtungen production
Principle

The annular gap decides

With rotating shafts the sealing lip of a pressurized rotary shaft seal twists. The shear stresses that arise in the elastomer are a function of pressure, surface speed, coefficient of friction and annular gap.

If the distance ds between the shaft and the support body bore is too great, material burns and shearing of the sealing lip can occur in service. The annular gap is therefore the decisive factor — and one the designer can influence — in whether a seal will withstand the specified pressure and surface speed.

We cover this through the support body bore D3 — D1 + 1.0 mm in the standard range, D1 + 0.5 mm at increased pressure. For very small gaps the stamped sheet-metal version gives way to a one-piece turned support body — that is type SOA.

For annular gaps below 0.10 mm we recommend gunmetal RG7 as the support body material, to rule out damage to the shaft.

Annular gap ds between shaft and support body Sectional view: the distance ds between the shaft surface and the support body bore determines the permissible pressure load. ds Housing Shaft Support body bore D3
Annular gap ds — distance between shaft and support body bore
Cover of the VR Dichtungen technical Catalog 2024/25
Technical catalog 2024/25

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