Mechanical Seals Introduction

Mechanical Seals Introduction

Mechanical seals are being used increasingly on fluid pumps to replace packed glands and lip seals.   Pumps with mechanical seals perform more efficiently and generally perform more reliably for extended periods of time.

Mechanical seals are provided to prevent pumped fluids from leaking out along the drive shafts.   The controlled leakage path is between two flat surfaces associated with the rotating shaft and the housing respectively.   The leakage path gap varies as the faces are subject to varying external loads which tend the move the faces relative to each other.

The mechanical seal requires a different shaft housing design arrangement compared to that for the other type of seals because the seal is a more complicated arrangement and the mechanical seal does not provide any support to the shaft.