It is essential to know about the different seals your machines use, even though you will not see them very often. To ensure that your hydraulic cylinder seals are the best for the job they are supposed to do, you need to know what each seal does—the difference between the materials used to make them.
Different types of seals used in Hydraulic Cylinders
Piston Seals
Piston seals help your hydraulic cylinder work by stopping the hydraulic fluid from going past your piston. This makes piston seals one of the essential parts of your hydraulic system.
You can control the movement of your cylinder thanks to the seal made by a piston seal. This seal keeps your piston in contact with the cylinder bore, which helps keep your cylinder in the same place when you are at rest, even when under much stress. In other words, fluid could get through and make your cylinder less useful.
Dynamic Seals vs Static Seals
Dynamic seals are found between parts that move together, like the rod, the piston, and the barrel, keeping them safe: piston seals, rod seals, rotating seals, wipers/scrapers, and oil seals. Dynamic seals need to be more flexible when parts move, and they are often made to run on a film of hydraulic fluid.
When two parts stay together, static seals make a barrier between them. Seal material may be less flexible, and the material may be better at coping with heat and stress. Static seals can be found in various places inside Hydraulic cylinders. They are usually located between the head and the cylinder bore tube.
Wiper Seals
Wiper seals, which are also called dust seals, excluders, or scrapers, keep dirt and other debris from getting into your cylinder when the piston rod retracts. Due to the thin layer of fluid on the piston rod, it can also pick up dirt and other things that could quickly damage the inside parts of your cylinder. Wiper seals keep these things from getting into your computer or phone.
Rod Seals
An elastomer seal, or rod seal, is a ring that goes between the cylinder's moving rod and the cylinder's wall. Its job is to keep the pressurised fluid inside the cylinder while the rod moves up and down. Keeping the operating fluid from spilling out is very important to how the cylinder works. It helps build up the operating pressure needed to move the actuator. Rod seals are also made to keep a thin layer of fluid on the cylinder rod as it moves up and down, which is essential for lubricating the rod, the wiper seal, and preventing corrosion.
Buffer Seals
Buffer seals are usually in front of the rod seals, and they act as an extra line of defence if there is a significant rise in pressure inside the car. They prevented that pressure from getting to the rod seal and potentially blowing it out of the way. Buffer seals also have a general effect on system pressure, which makes hydraulic seals run more smoothly, improves the performance of the rod seals, and helps them last longer by allowing the pressure to build up more slowly. It also helps keep system contaminants like metal particles from getting to the rod seal, where they can cause damage. Buffer seals do both of these things.
