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HIGH SPEED LIP SEAL

High Speed Lip Seals meet the extreme.

   

 

 

 

Saint-Gobain’s High Speed Lip Seals meet the extreme demands of today’s increasingly fast EV electric drive units. They are designed to cope with extremes of speed, friction, operating temperature and, crucially, frictional surface heat, in both oil-cooled and water-glycol-cooled systems.

 

 

    

      

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

High Speed / Rotation	High Temperature	Cost Effective	Lowest Leakage
up to 25,000 rpm	up to +260°C friction temperature	easy to assemble	structure and geometry ensure reliability

High Speed challenges in e-axles.

With e-motor speeds now reaching 18,000 rpm and more, seals are subjected to much higher amounts of friction and heat. This can lead to rapid wear, ageing and deterioration. In addition to high maximum temperatures in the system as a whole, even greater temperatures are generated at the frictional contact surfaces.

For e-axles, there are two distinctly different sealing applications depending on the type of e-motor:

e-Motors with oil cooled rotors
They often use rubber seals. These are prone to ageing effects including roughness, air pockets and cracks which increase friction and risk of failure. They are only safe for speeds up to 8,000 rpm. Above this, PTFE seals are necessary.

e-Motors with water-glycol cooled rotors 
These have the highest power ratings. Rubber seals are not an option here, regardless of speed, as water-glycol has poor lubrication capabilities. Its low viscosity compared to oil makes sealing more difficult. Our PTFE High Speed Lip Seals answer these challenges. An alternative to PTFE would be mechanical seals, but these add greatly to the size (space needs), complexity and expense of the solution.

Having overcome the challenges posed by e-axles, our High Speed Lip Seals cater easily for other fast applications. These include hydrogen gas compressors for fuel cell vehicles and fuel pumps for heavy-duty diesel trucks.

e-axle	hydrogen gas compressors and pumps	fuel cell vehicles	heavy-duty diesel / H2ICE trucks

Proven solutions.

Our solutions rely on our well-established and trusted Rulon® PTFE material, whose reliable and durable performance has been proven in critical applications over many years. We have provided High Speed Lip Seals for a variety of aerospace applications in which seal failure is unthinkable. In each case our product has successfully dealt with high speed, friction and temperature, and has been manufactured in high volumes.

We are also ahead of the game in the application of this technology to EVs. We were the first movers in supplying PTFE seals for water-glycol-cooled high speed e-axles designed for use at 25,000 rpm.
The structure and geometry of our High Speed Lip Seals ensures reliable sealing in both forward and reverse directions, with very low leakage. As in all Rulon® products, the material’s properties ensure a long lifespan without degradation. This, in turn, enables stable performance of the e-axle over its entire lifetime.

We have tested our High Speed Lip Seals at speeds up to 25,000 rpm and over temperature ranges between -40 and +260⁰C. Importantly, we are able to study and precisely measure temperature at the surfaces where friction occurs. This is a key issue, as friction surface temperatures are higher than the e-motor’s overall operating temperature. Our seals are tested to withstand 260⁰C at these surfaces.

Work with us.

In terms of e-motor velocity, any application of 30 m/s or more certainly requires a co-developed sealing solution rather than an off-the-shelf seal. We will work closely with you to ensure the whole system functions optimally in the face of high speed, friction and temperature. 
With our unmatched experience, simulation technology and testing facilities, we can help bring your product quickly to the market. Aided by FEA simulation, we will create the perfect seal geometry for your specific application and its conditions. We will then test it using our specialised test rig, developed for unprecedented precision in measuring, for example, friction contact surface temperatures and frictional torque.

Need further information? Please download the document or contact our experts directly.