Klozure High Performance Dynamic Seals

Glossary of Terms
This page contains industry terms and concepts, broken down by product line. Please select from the following products types below to view the related terms.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

ASSEMBLED SEAL:
A group of parts, which includes sealing surface(s), provisions for initial loading, and a secondary sealing mechanism that accommodates the radial movement necessary for installation and operation.

AXIAL CLEARANCE:
The gap between the toe face to the head section and the inside surface of the inner case.

BACK LIP ANGLE:
The angle seen from the back of the seal coincident of the seal interface.

BEARING ISOLATOR:
Sealing technology that uses labyrinth sealing methods in conjunction with other methods to provide a high-performance sealing solution

BONDED SEAL:
Seal assembly where the insert and/or spring is bonded to the elastomer element.

CONTACT LINE HEIGHT:
The axial distance from the outside seal face to the lip contact line.

CONTACT POINT:
The interface where the sealing element reacts dynamically with the shaft or bore housing.

CONTACT WIDTH:
The amount-of area that is reacting dynamically in the axial direction.

DYNAMIC RUNOUT:
Twice the distance the center of the shaft is displaced from the center of rotation and expressed in TIR. That runout to which the seal lip is subjected due to the outside diameter of the shaft not rotating in a true circle. Synonym: Shaft Runout.

ELASTOMER:
Synthetic and natural products able to be vulcanized and capable of being l eongaeat least double their original length at room temperature but return to their approximate length when released.

END PLAY:
A measure of axial movement encountered or allowed, usually in reference to the shaft on which the seal lip contacts.

FACE LIP ANGLE:
The angle seen from the face of the seal coincident of the seal interface.

FLUID SIDE:
Typically, referred to the face of the seal when the primary sealing objective is to retain lubricant, but can be the back of the seal when the primary sealing objective is to exclude contamination.

GARTER SPRING:
A helically coiled wire with its ends connected to form a ring. Close wound can be used in tension or open wound used in compression for maintaining a radial sealing force between the element of a radial lip seal and a shaft or bore.

HEEL:
The portion of a lip seal case located tangent to the back of the seal.

HINGE:
The point at which the seal lip pivots about the seal assembly.

HOUSING BORE:
A cylindrical surface which mates with the outside diameter of the seal outer case (standard lip seal) or the external contact lip (external lip seal).

INCLUSION:
Retaining lubricant by facing the seal in toward the lubricant.

INNER CASE:
A rigid, cup shaped component of a seal assembly used as one or more of the following: reinforcing member, shield, spring retainer, and lip-clamping device.

LABYRINTH SEAL:
Seal which uses a torurous pathway to both exclude debris & retain lubricant

LIP DIAMETER:
The inner diameter of the seal lip, measured with the spring installed.

LIP LOAD:
The radial force exerted by the seal lip geometry as well as any spring loading. Lip load is expressed as force per unit of shaft circumference.

LIP SEAL:
An elastomeric element which prevents leakage in dynamic and static applications through means of geometry and loading.

LUBRICANT STARVATION:
Lack of proper lubrication at the seal interface which may cause premature wear and early failure.

OFFSET:
The radial distance between centerline of seal bore and the centerline of the shaft rotation.

OUTER CASE:
The rigid structure of the lip-seal assembly which houses all components of the seal assembly.

PLUNGE GROUND:
The surface texture of a shaft or wear sleeve produced by introducing a grinding wheel perpendicular to the rotating shaft without axial motion.

PRIMARY LIP:
The elastomeric sealing element which typically rides against the rotating surface facing in toward the lubricant for lubricant inclusion or out away from the lubricant for contamination exclusion.

RADIAL LIP SEAL:
An assembly containing an elastomeric element which prevents leakage in dynamic and static applications through means of geometry and loading.

RADIAL LOAD:
The radial force exerted by the seal lip geometry as:well as any spring loading. Lip load is expressed as force per unit of shaft circumference.

ROUGHNESS:
Irregularities in shaft surface texture which result from the production process. (See SAE J446a [June, 1963].)

SEAL CASE:
A rigid member to which the seal lip is attached

SEAL OUTER DIAMETER (O.D.):
The external diameter of a lip seal assembly, which interfaces with the housing bore diameter.

SHAFT ECCENTRICITY:
The radial distance which the geometric centerline of the shaft is displaced from the axis of shaft rotation.

SHAFT LEAD:
Helical grooves on a shaft surface caused by relative axial movement of the grinding wheel to shaft.

SLIP STICK:
A friction related phenomena in which the sealing element tends to adhere and rotate with the shaft surface momentarily until the elastic characteristics of the sealing element overcome the adhesive force, causing the seal lip to lose connection with the rotating shaft long enough to allow leakage. This cycle repeats itself continuously and is normally associated with non-lubricated and boundary-lubricated conditions.

SPRING GROOVE:
A depression formed in the head section of the seal. It is generally semicircular in form and serves to accommodate and locate the garter spring.

SPRING RETAINING LIP:
The portion of the primary lip that restricts the axial movement of the extension spring from a predetermined position.

SURFACE FINISH:
A term used to describe the quality, appearance, and/or characteristics of the shaft surface resulting from operations such as grinding, polishing, burnishing, etc. See SAE J488a (June, 1963) for additional information.

UNIDIRECTIONAL/UNIROTATIONAL SEAL:
A seal designed for applications having a single direction of shaft rotation.

UNITIZED SEAL:
A seal assembly in which all components necessary for accomplishing the complete sealing function are retained in a single package.

VOLUME SWELL:
Increase in physical size caused by the absorption of the fluid the elastomer is immersed in typically leading to signs of incompatibility.

WEAR SLEEVE:
A replaceable metal sleeve generally used in assemblies to eliminate expensive shaft replacement due to grooving from contamination at the seal-shaft interface.

WEEPAGE:
A minute amount of liquid leakage by a seal.