Fluid sealing in industry and engineering are important and demanding applications. The choice of the right sealing products is paramount in minimising the total cost of maintenance and maximising the performance of your equipment. In a sealing application the type of medium to be sealed, its operating temperature range and the maximum application pressure are the main considerations in choosing a suitable sealing product.
However many other diverse factors must also be taken into account and these factors do differ considerably from application to application. The application engineer must exercise care in understanding a specific application, evaluate its sealing requirements and choose the product that is most suitable for the job at hand. In general, applications may be divided into static seals or dynamic seals. This refers to the relative movement of the surfaces being sealed. If the surfaces are stationary like in a joint on the flange of a piping line then it is a static seal. When the surfaces are moving as in the rotation of a shaft against the housing of a pump, it is a dynamic seal.