Rotary Shaft Seal Styles and Sizes

Kalsi Engineering’s rotary shaft seal product line consists of several patented styles that address a variety of sealing challenges. For the most up-to-date lists of available styles and sizes, click on the links below. For technical information, consult our rotary seal literature, e-mail us, or call us directly with your rotary seal questions at 281-240-6500.


Standard Kalsi Seals (344 & 381 Series)
Standard Kalsi Seals are used in a wide variety of difficult rotary sealing applications for retaining lubricants and excluding contaminants. They are available in seven standard cross-sectional sizes, ranging from 0.145" to 0.415" (3.68 to 10.54 mm) deep (as shown below), and are currently produced in diameters ranging from 0.394" to 16 1/2" (10.0 to 419.1 mm). Custom cross-sections and diameters can be furnished if desired. For optimum abrasion resistance, lubricant pressure or spring force is recommended to assure optimum seal orientation in the gland.
 

Wide Footprint Kalsi Seals (507 Series)
Wide Footprint Seals are interchangeable with standard 0.335'' Kalsi Seals, and provide significantly longer life in abrasive service conditions. The geometry has been optimized to improve environmental exclusion, and to provide more lip width and compression to accommodate wear and compression set, while at the same time assuring efficient hydrodynamic lubrication. For optimum abrasion resistance, lubricant pressure or spring force is recommended to assure optimum seal orientation in the gland.
 

Axially Constrained Kalsi Seals (462 Series)
Axially constrained seals provide improved abrasion resistance in near-zero pressure-differential applications, without the need for axial spring preload. They are recommended for applications such as mud motor pressure-balancing pistons, where the lubricant pressure may fluctuate slightly above or below the environmental pressure during operation.

The improved performance is the result of constraining the seal axially, as shown below, to assure seal orientation in the gland. For ease of assembly, the seal width is initially narrower than the groove, but radial compression causes the seal to expand axially into stabilizing contact with the groove walls. A lubricant-side void provides room for elastomer thermal expansion to prevent over-confinement at high temperature, so that hydrodynamic lubrication is not impaired. Due to thermal expansion considerations, the groove width is slightly wider than the width that is currently recommended for Standard Kalsi Seals.
 

Enhanced Lubrication Seal Option
The Enhanced Lubrication (EL) hydrodynamic geometry provides improved seal lubrication and reduced running torque in either direction of rotation. Compared to Standard and Wide Footprint seals, an Enhanced Lubrication Seal™ accommodates higher differential pressure conditions with thin viscosity lubricants, and can tolerate higher speeds. Enhanced Lubrication Seals have significantly higher hydrodynamic leakage than Standard Kalsi Seals. Developed for applications such as rotating heads/rotating bop’s and high pressure hydraulic swivels.

Hybrid Seals
Hybrid seals mix enhanced lubrication waves with more conventional waves to temper the hydrodynamic leak rate while still providing a torque advantage over standard seals.

Dual Durometer Kalsi Seals (409 Series)
The dual durometer seal incorporates a patented dual material construction that provides improved extrusion resistance and lower interfacial contact pressure, torque and heat. The outer part of the seal, which defines the static sealing lip, is made from a relatively soft material to minimize interfacial contact pressure and friction between the seal and the shaft. The inner part of the seal, which defines the dynamic sealing lip, is made from a harder, more extrusion resistant material to bridge higher pressure.
 

By appropriate material selection, the dual durometer seal can be tailored for specific applications. For high pressure applications, the dynamic sealing lip can be made from a harder, more extrusion-resistant material than would otherwise be possible in a solid single durometer seal, while keeping the interfacial contact pressure in a useful range for hydrodynamic lubrication. For a moderate pressure applications, the torque and self-generated heat can be minimized while maintaining the necessary extrusion resistance.

Because of a more complex manufacturing process, dual durometer seals are more expensive than single durometer seals of comparable size.


High Film Kalsi Seals (432 Series)
High Film Kalsi Seals incorporate an aggressive hydrodynamic geometry that provides increased film thickness, lower running torque and cooler operation – at the expense of significantly higher lubricant leakage. In some operating conditions, water can even be used as the seal lubricant. When used with oil, the aggressive geometry can also be used to provide the necessary seal lubrication in ultra-slow speed pressurized equipment. In high speed equipment, the lubricant pumping action of the high film seal can be used to flush and lubricate a series of lip seals; click here for an example.

 

Filled Kalsi Seals (555 Series)
The Filled Kalsi Seal features a deep environment-end groove that is filled with and bonded to a soft silicone energizer that significantly reduces interfacial contact pressure, torque and self-generated heat, compared to standard Kalsi Seals. The C-shaped construction permits more economical manufacture compared to dual durometer Kalsi Seals, and permits the use of much softer energizing materials because the rotary seal torque is not carried by the energizer. Because filled Kalsi Seals offer increased resistance to compression set and lubricant pressure-induced distortion, they are typically recommended over the older generation Grooved Kalsi Seals. Filled Kalsi Seals are used in high-speed applications such as submersible dredge pumps and oilfield cement pumps. Call for available sizes.

Grooved Kalsi Seals (311 & 332 Series)
Grooved Kalsi Seals are special purpose rotary shaft seals that employ an environment-end groove that lowers interfacial contact pressure in order to achieve lower breakout and running torque, and less self-generated heat. Grooved seals are not recommended for abrasive environments, or for high differential pressure.