From the Parker O-Ring Handbook and Material Offering Guide to finite element analysis and blogs, our engineering experts run the gamut of all sealing solutions. So it's no surprise that the top blogs over the last six years fall into categories that highlight their recommendations on O-ring design tips, installation basics, and O-ring sealing alternatives.
Bookmarking these blog favorites are sure to come in handy for your future sealing challenges. Simplify your research by checking out these top ten sealing solutions and design blogs by Parker O-Ring & Engineered Sealing Division.
For further expert tips and advice, be sure to chat with our engineers by visiting our website or check out our Parker O-Ring eHandbook and Sealing Solutions eGuide.
Selecting the Right O-Ring Seal Squeeze Ratio:
One of the decisions equipment designers need to make when installing O-ring seals in their applications is how much the O-ring will be squeezed by its mating hardware to create an effective seal.
Racetrack Grooves: Can O-Rings be used in Non-Circular Groove Patterns?
Can O-rings be used in rectangular or non-circular groove patterns? This question comes up weekly, and the answer is a resounding “Yes!” however there are definite guidelines we want to follow.
Sealing Fundamentals | Face Seal:
The physics of creating a face seal is relatively simple. In most sealing systems, the objective is to prevent fluid from leaking from a high-pressure location to a lower pressure location through a sealing gap. Sealing fundamentals should be followed for trouble free application.
Why is Shore A Harness Important?
O-rings are the simplest, most readily available type of seal used across every industry and market. They are arguably the best seal for many applications, but perhaps daunting to an engineer with no experience in seal design.
O-Ring Squeeze - More is Not Always Better:
Conventional wisdom says that the more an O-ring seal is squeezed (i.e. deformed relative to it’s “unsqueezed” state), the tighter the seal. More squeeze equals greater force between the O-ring and its mating hardware — which means that liquids, gases and dry powders are otherwise prevented from flowing between the rubber seal and mating hardware.
The proper method of applying a lubricant to an O-ring always seems to be an area of concern for many of our customers and there are many methods used in the marketplace.
O-Rings and Seals for Automotive Transmission Fluid:
Efficiency gains in the automotive industry are not limited to engine designs. Transmissions are also undergoing significant changes to increase fuel mileage. To reduce friction and cope with more gears (or even an infinite number of gears with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)), new Ultra Low Viscosity (ULV) transmission fluids and CVT fluids have been developed. Fortunately, Parker has already performed a significant amount of testing in these new fluids.
3 Guidelines to Ensure Proper Seal Installation:
If O-ring damage happens with high frequency, you could be wasting time and money on seal replacement. Luckily, there are some easy steps that can be followed to help prevent this from occurring. Parker’s recommended guidelines for installation include always using lubrication, good gland design, and ensuring correct sizing.
TetraSeal: An Alternate Sealing Solution When An O-Ring Isn't Working:
It isn’t all that uncommon for a groove to be cut in a flange and a novice designer learns the hard way that standard O-rings cannot fit in just any groove geometry. For hardware that has already been machined, frustration ensues as the caller learns the O-ring solution requires tooling. Parker offers a TetraSeal® solution, which often does not require tooling and can be made of many of the same materials used for O-rings.
What O-Rings Do You Recommend for an E85 Rated Assembly?
There are nearly 20 million flex fuel vehicles on U.S. roads today, and over 2,900 ethanol fuel stations. With the increased use of alcohol/fuel blends there is also an increased demand for seals that are compatible with alcohol/fuel blends. Parker offers a variety of compounds to meet this crucial need in the automotive industry.
Samantha J. Sexton, marketing communications manager, Parker O-Ring & Engineered Seals Division
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