Mechanical Face Seals — Heavy Duty Seals for Extreme Operating Conditions
Mechanical face seals — also known as heavy duty seals, floating seals or duo cone seals — are metal-to-metal rotary seals in which two identical precision-lapped rings seal against each other at right angles to the rotating shaft, while an elastomeric energizer centers the rings and maintains the axial face load.
From excavators and bulldozers to tunnel boring machines, conveyor systems, mining machinery and wind power gearboxes, Lycotek mechanical face seals protect bearings against dirt, dust, water and abrasive media — with cast alloy or bearing steel rings in bore diameters from 64 mm up to 1,200 mm, at temperatures from -45 °C to +150 °C depending on the O-ring material.
Key features
In construction, mining and tunneling machinery, bearings run under some of the harshest conditions imaginable — dirt, dust, water and abrasive media on one side, oil and grease that must stay in on the other. Conventional elastomer lip seals wear rapidly in these environments, which is where mechanical face seals take over.
1. Sealing Effect Against Dirt, Dust and Abrasive Media
The two precision-lapped metal rings form a leak-proof interface at right angles to the shaft, keeping external contamination — dirt, dust, water and abrasive media — out of the bearing while retaining oil and grease inside. This dual sealing function makes them a standard choice for tracked vehicles such as excavators and bulldozers, conveyor systems and tunnel boring machines.
2. Maintenance-Free Operation with Long Service Life
Hardened seal rings — 58–65 HRC in shell mold cast iron, 58–63 HRC in forged bearing steel — seal against each other on lapped faces supported by a thin lubricant film, delivering the long, maintenance-free service life these seals are known for ("lifetime seals"). No re-greasing, no adjustment, no scheduled replacement of the seal faces.
3. Self-Centering Compensation of Shaft Eccentricity and Misalignment
The elastomeric energizers center each seal ring in its housing, automatically compensating for shaft eccentricity or misalignment. This self-centering action keeps the lapped faces uniformly loaded even when perfect alignment cannot be achieved, protecting sealing performance over the whole service life.
4. Simple, Reliable and Cost-Effective Design
Each assembly consists of just two identical metal rings and two elastomeric energizers — a simple design with few wear parts that stays reliable and cost-effective. The standard tapered housing can normally be machined on an NC machine tool, so installation is straightforward and no special tooling is required.
5. Corrosion-Resistant Material Options
The standard high-alloy shell mold cast iron has demonstrated its resistance under tough test conditions in salt water, making it suitable for maritime climates, salt plains and winter road salt. Forged bearing steel offers a cost-effective alternative, and the elastomeric energizers are available in NBR (standard), HNBR, FKM or VQM for higher thermal loads.
Typical Applications
Mechanical face seals are predominantly used for sealing bearings in construction machinery and production plants operating under extreme arduous conditions and subject to severe wear. They are also proven in general machine engineering wherever maintenance-free lifetime sealing is expected.
· Tracked vehicles, such as excavators and bulldozers
· Conveyor systems
· Heavy trucks
· Axles
· Tunnel boring machines
· Agricultural machinery
· Mining machinery
· Gearboxes
· Mixers and stirrers
· Wind power stations
Technical Data
Material: Cast Alloy / FC15Cr3Mo / …
Temperature: -45℃ ~ 150℃ (depend on O-ring Material )
Pressure：up to 0.3Mpa
Speed: up to 3 m/s
Available size: up to 1,200mm
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