4 Reasons To Switch From O-Rings To Quad Rings
Maintaining the seals in your hydraulic equipment is essential if you want to ensure that your machines work properly. Most machinery is equipped with rubber O-rings that help create an airtight seal within the hydraulic system. While O-rings are functional enough, their performance can't compare to that of quad rings.
Quad rings are unique types of seals that are slowly starting to replace traditional O-rings in industrial settings. Learn more about the benefits you will enjoy when you make the switch from rubber O-rings to quad rings in your hydraulic machinery.
1. Maximum Sealing Capabilities
The major reason for the shift away from O-rings to the newer quad rings is the enhanced sealing capacity quad rings offer. A quad ring is manufactured to feature multiple lobes. This multi-lobe design increases the surface area of the quad ring. More surface area means a greater capacity to prevent air or hydraulic fluids from leaking through the seals in your machinery.
You will notice a significant difference in the overall performance of your machinery after making the switch to quad seals.
2. Extended Seal Life
Frequent replacement of the seals on your hydraulic machinery can become costly over time. If you are looking for a simple way to reduce your maintenance costs without compromising the performance of your hydraulic machinery, making the switch to quad seals could be the answer.
The increased surface area and resulting contact points allow quad seals to wear much more evenly than their O-ring counterparts. Less friction will be required to maintain the position of a quad seal, allowing you to effectively minimize the amount of strain placed on the seals in your hydraulic machinery each day.
Quad seals may cost a bit more than O-rings initially, but the overall amount you spend on seals will be reduced when you switch to quad seals because of the longer lifespan these seals offer.
3. Maximum Lubricant Retention
Seals in hydraulic machinery often fail because they become too brittle. Each seal is made from durable rubber compounds that must be lubricated to preserve their integrity. You will need to apply lubricant to both O-rings and quad rings, but the unique design of quad rings allows them to retain lubricant over a longer period of time.
Quad rings are manufactured with small grooves on the inner and outer diameters of each seal. These grooves create a channel that essentially traps lubricating fluids. You can expect your quad rings to remain soft and supple over a longer period of time because of this maximized lubricant retention design.
4. Increased Seal Stability
One of the problems that you might encounter when using O-rings as seals in your hydraulic machinery is the rolling of your seals within the seal groove. Seal rolling has the potential to allow for leaks, and rolling can cause premature wear to the seals in your machines.
Quad rings are uniquely designed to prevent them from rolling within the seal groove. A quad ring is manufactured with a flat profile. This flat design can provide more stability than the rounded profile of an O-ring.
You can rely on your quad rings to remain firmly in place, no matter how long your hydraulic machines are used at any given time.
Finding the right seals is essential to maximizing the efficiency of your hydraulic system. O-rings have been the most commonly used type of seal to date, but quad rings are emerging as a superior seal. Take advantage of the longevity, durability, and enhanced performance quad rings offer by swapping out all the O-rings in your hydraulic machinery with quad rings.
Contact a company like Rothkopf to learn more.