NILOS Ring Seals: Uses and Applications

October 26, 2016

Adverse environmental conditions disrupt high-fidelity bearings. Imagine dirt and grime working their way into the critical contact points between rolling elements. The result is shortened service life, but NILOS ring seals can stop these contaminants in their tracks. The all-metal sealing mechanism ensures uncompromised, interference-free rolling operability is assured, for no pollutants can pass these robust barriers.

The Anatomy of a Formidable Bearing Shield 

Again, it’s the application field that determines a friction eliminating radial bearing’s need for extra layers of protection. NILOS rings seals represent the higher end of this shielding class, for these metal-faced loops girdle the space between two rotating races. The effects of this supplementary shielding solution are predictable. The rolling elements, now held behind the seal, are isolated from contaminants, which means they’re free to run without parts-retarding opposition. Otherwise, gritty particles would drastically reduce the smooth operability factor required for the bearing assembly.

Earthen Uses and Applications 

There’s potentially hundreds of engineering divisions that could find a use for a product with this degree of segregated operability, but let’s put them aside while we target abrasion-heavy scenarios. Mining and quarrying machinery favour reliably sealed bearings, likely because there’s so much particulate matter being created by various processes. Conveyor pulleys and reciprocating motor housings use steel-faced NILOS seals to stop fine clouds of sharp-edged quartz dust. Once ingrained in the moving parts of the bearing, the grainy stuff would score and wear its smoothened surfaces. Thankfully, the impenetrable all-metal seals are mounted tight against the lubricated parts, so there’s no chance of penetration.

General Applications 

The labyrinth-like enclosure created by metal-faced rings is superior to the plastic and rubber seals used by other bearing types. These materials are rated for dirt and fluids, but they don’t possess the stopping power of a robust alloy. Of course, different metals are intended for different conditions, so a galvanized steel ring seal is a fine fit for our previous mining example. Likewise, stainless steel variants target food processing environments. There’s even a brass ring model, a NILOS ring format that suits bearings that are intended for use in corrosive and salt-heavy fields. Marine pumps would obviously adopt this latter seal type.

It’s the engineered labyrinth seal that makes NILOS ring seals the parts-securing force that they are, but that reliable seal is reinforced by selecting the right metal for the right application, so various steel substitutes and brass alloys must be evaluated according to the very specific applications listed by each client.

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