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Global O-Ring and Seal has developed o-ring groove design and gland dimension guidelines. These are intended for use in basic design consideration and to understand the core principles involved in o-ring gland/groove design. Numerous factors go into the appropriate design of a gland/groove including but not limited to static or dynamic applications, pressure conditions, fluid characteristics being sealed, and tolerances of both the o-ring and groove.
The o-ring cross-section in your design will determine all your subsequent dimensions and specifications. Standard o-rings are available in various cross-sections and inside dimensions (ID). For example, an o-ring with an ID of 5 ¼ can be purchased in four standard AS568 cross-sections. Below, is a list of advantages in the selection of smaller and larger cross-section o-rings.
The ID or OD of the o-ring should be sized to create some interference, per the guidelines below:
Below, four standard application groove design guidance tables are presented along with dimensional reference drawings. The first table is for industrial face or flange seals. The second table is for static industrial radial applications. The third table is for dynamic industrial reciprocating applications. Lastly, the fourth table is for dovetail groove design. These o-ring groove design guides offer default dimensional guidance for basic o-ring groove design applications.
A flange or face seal is static and will not have a gap between surfaces, eliminating any design issues associated with extrusion. This is the most straightforward of groove designs.
AS568 Series O-Ring Cross-Section Gland Depth (D) Squeeze Gland Width (W) Liquids Gland Width (W) Vacuum & Gases Gland Corner Radii Nominal TOL (+/-) Actual Percent Nominal TOL (+/-) Nominal TOL (+/-) R1 R2 -0XX 0.070 0.003 .055-0.057 .010-.018 15%-25% 0.103 0.002 0.084 0.003 0.010 0.005 -1XX 0.103 0.004 .088-.090 .010-.018 10%-17% 0.140 0.003 0.121 0.003 0.010 0.005 -2XX 0.139 0.004 .121-.123 .012-.022 9%-16% 0.180 0.003 0.160 0.003 0.018 0.005 -3XX 0.210 0.005 .185-.188 .017-.030 8%-14% 0.280 0.003 0.240 0.003 0.028 0.005 -4XX 0.275 0.006 .237-.240 .029-.044 11%-16% 0.352 0.003 0.310 0.003 0.028 0.005
A dovetail face seal is a special static gland designed to retain the o-ring in the groove. This design is beneficial when the seal is opened and closed during use.
AS568 Series O-Ring Cross-Section Gland Depth (D) Gland Width (W) Gland Corner Radii Nominal TOL (+/-) Nominal TOL (+/-) Nominal TOL (+/-) R1 R2 -0XX 0.070 0.003 0.052 0.002 0.064 0.002 0.015 0.005 -1XX 0.103 0.004 0.078 0.003 0.088 0.003 0.015 0.01 -2XX 0.139 0.004 0.106 0.003 0.120 0.003 0.031 0.01 -3XX 0.210 0.005 0.164 0.004 0.176 0.003 0.031 0.015 -4XX 0.275 0.006 0.215 0.004 0.235 0.003 0.063 0.015A static gland seal is used when two mating components have a designed gap between surfaces. Typically, these applications involve designs involving one mating part being inserted into another part requiring design clearances.
AS568 Series O-Ring Cross-Section Gland Depth (D) Squeeze Gland Width (W) Gap (H) Gland Corner Radii Nominal TOL (+/-) Actual Percent Nominal TOL (+/-) w/ 1 Backup Ring w/ 2 Backup Rings MAX R1 R2 -0XX 0.070 0.003 .050-0.052 .015-.023 22%-32% 0.095 0.002 0.140 0.207 0.002 0.007 0.005 -1XX 0.103 0.004 .081-.083 .017-.025 17%-24% 0.142 0.003 0.173 0.240 0.002 0.007 0.005 -2XX 0.139 0.004 .111-.113 .022-.032 16%-23% 0.189 0.003 0.210 0.277 0.002 0.017 0.005 -3XX 0.210 0.005 .170-.173 .032-.045 15%-21% 0.283 0.003 0.313 0.412 0.003 0.027 0.005 -4XX 0.275 0.006 .226-.229 .040-.055 15%-20% 0.377 0.003 0.410 0.540 0.003 0.027 0.005A dynamic gland seal is used when two mating components are moving in relation to each other while maintaining a seal. There will always be a gap between the two surfaces.
AS568 Series O-Ring Cross-Section Gland Depth (D) Squeeze Gland Width (W) Gap (H) Gland Corner Radii Nominal TOL (+/-) Actual Percent Nominal TOL (+/-) w/ 1 Backup Ring w/ 2 Backup Rings MAX R1 R2 -0XX 0.070 0.003 .055-0.057 .010-.018 15%-25% 0.095 0.002 0.140 0.207 0.002 0.007 0.005 -1XX 0.103 0.004 .088-.090 .010-.018 10%-17% 0.142 0.003 0.173 0.240 0.002 0.007 0.005 -2XX 0.139 0.004 .121-.123 .012-.022 9%-16% 0.189 0.003 0.210 0.277 0.002 0.017 0.005 -3XX 0.210 0.005 .185-.188 .017-.030 8%-14% 0.283 0.003 0.313 0.412 0.003 0.027 0.005 -4XX 0.275 0.006 .237-.240 .029-.044 11%-16% 0.377 0.003 0.410 0.540 0.003 0.027 0.005The design tables displayed above were created using best practices, including Compression Ratio, O-Ring Extrusion, Concentricity and Diametric Gap, and Backup Rings.
Our guidelines start with the nominal (or stated) dimension, then incorporate tolerances of the design elements to provide the correct basis for designing the gland/groove. Note: The designer will be making trade-offs between dimensional parameters. Ultimately, the final design must handle the extremes of tolerances.
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In the calculation above, we used the nominal (or stated) dimensions. However, when designing the groove, it’s necessary to look at the two extreme cases. First, the o-ring is at its upper tolerance limit and the gland height is at its lower tolerance limit. Secondly, the o-ring is at its smallest cross-section tolerance limit and the gland is at its largest size tolerance limit. These will produce the highest compression and lowest compression percentages. All three compression values must fall between 5%-30% squeeze.
The gland retaining the o-ring has a rectangular area. Once the o-ring cross-section is selected and the gland height is calculated (to achieve the desired squeeze to the o-ring), the final calculation will be the gland width. To find the minimum area necessary, calculate the total volume of the o-ring which creates the rectangle to hold that volume. Below, is the formula to calculate the volume of the o-ring based on the cross-section.
The target gland fill recommendations incorporate several factors that could impact the volume necessary to house the o-ring. These factors include room for thermal expansion, swell due to fluid exposure, and the effect of tolerance variations in the machined groove and molded o-ring.
Extrusion is a concern for radial seals where a designed gap exists between moving components: Either the piston and bore, or the rod and bore. The issue is that at higher pressures from one direction, the o-ring can be forced into the small gap and get damaged. The overall design of the sealing system must take into consideration this design gap.
In the sealing design, unless the bore and piston (or rod) are ensured to remain concentric by bearings, it must be assumed that all the gap possible can shift to one side. This is the gap used when designing for extrusion.
Many design elements can be used to address extrusion issues in sealing design. If the maximum allowable gap is decreased through alignment/bearings, this allows for an increase in pressure for the same o-ring. Another option is increasing the durometer (hardness) of the compound, which increases the allowable pressure for a defined gap. To read more about the elements involved in o-ring pressure tolerance, click here.
Another alternative is to use backup rings which are anti-extrusion elements. Backup rings are made of thin, hard plastic materials such as Nylon, PTFE, and PEEK. Backup rings work by covering the existing gap. Below, is an extrusion chart providing the pressure limits by gap and durometer of o-ring. If the trade-offs of gap design and durometer do not work, the use of backup rings are recommended to overcome extrusion issues.
Backup rings are designed to eliminate the extrusion gap in high-pressure sealing applications. If the pressure is from a single direction, only one backup ring is necessary. If the pressure is from both directions, it’s recommended a backup ring be placed on both sides of the o-ring. The addition of backup rings should be incorporated in the fill calculation for determining the groove width. Finally, backup rings can either be flat (solid, split, or spiral) or contoured.
PEEK offers chemical resistance that is similar to that of PTFE, but with better mechanical characteristics. The material is also becoming increasingly popular due to its high-temperature strength when used in processing technologies.
With a continuous service temperature of 260 °C, PEEK is clearly one of the most robust thermoplastics for temperature resistance. PEEK’s universal chemical resistance also makes it attractive for use in parts in processing equipment.
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