Custom Radial Shaft Seals – Development – Design – Engineering

I develop and engineer customer-specific radial shaft seals (Simmerrings) for demanding, dynamic applications—from the first idea through to the approved series part. My focus is on high-pressure applications, energy-efficient seal design and minimal leakage with maximum service life. Over many years in practice, I have successfully developed, tested and commissioned seals for pumps, gearboxes, turbines, agitators, rolling mills, offshore plants and more.

What I solve for you

• Seals for elevated pressures – design of lip geometry, support and counter rings, and matched materials.

• Lower friction & temperature – low-friction sealing concepts to reduce thermal losses and protect the medium.

• Minimal leakage – lip- and gap-optimized geometries, defined pressure distribution, robust sealing even with axial/radial vibration.

• Longer service life – tribologically optimized contact surfaces, wear-resistant material pairings, and process-reliable manufacturing.

Technical focus areas

• Lip and geometry optimization: New designs and re-engineering of the sealing lip (contact angle, support groove, guidance of the sealing gap), load-collective-appropriate design for pressure, speed, temperature and medium.

• Surface & tribology engineering: Tailored roughness and hardness requirements for the shaft surface; optimized contact zone of the sealing lip, e.g. with a PTFE-based inner layer or suitable compounds—for friction reduction and minimization of heating and wear.

• Metallic support/clamping rings: Design of carrier, support and clamping rings for dimensional stability under pressure and temperature, secure fixation and reproducible lip pre-load.

• Material selection: NBR/HNBR, FKM/FFKM, EPDM, PTFE blends, etc.—depending on the medium (oil, gas, water/sea water, chemicals, food), temperature and pressure range, and regulatory requirements.

Procedure – from application case to series part

• Inquiry & data collection
  Operating conditions (pressure/temperature, medium incl. chemical/food requirements, speed), installation situation/geometry (drawings, photos, 3D), shaft surface (roughness/hardness), run-out accuracy, permissible leakage, target service life.

• Concept & CAD model
  Initial solution proposals as a CAD model with functional description (lip structure, support rings, materials, surface requirements). Review with you.

• Design & verification
  Material and geometry design, calculations, FEM/CFD-supported assessments where appropriate, tolerance and assembly concept, safety/hygiene requirements.

• Tooling & fixture design
  Design of vulcanization tools and metallic rings/clamping parts, definition of manufacturing processes.

• Prototyping
  Manufacturing of prototypes or functional samples—appropriately staged (e.g. zero series).

• Bench tests under operating-like conditions
  Verification on the internal seal test rig: pressure, temperature, speed, medium, if applicable salt content/particles—leakage, friction, temperature and wear measurements with documentation.

• Optimization & release
  Iterative adjustments until targets are met, release trial, quality report.

• Production & handover
  Series production with partners according to the released status. On request: support for assembly/commissioning, run-in/operation monitoring and service-life assessment.

Data I need at the beginning

• Operating data: pressure, temperature, speed, load collective, permissible leakage, target service life.

• Medium: type, viscosity, aggressiveness/compatibility (chemicals, food, gas/water/oil).

• Mechanics: shaft Ø, housing, installation space, tolerances, run-out, possible eccentricities.

• Surface: roughness/hardness/heat treatment, coatings.

• Standards/regulations: hygienic, ATEX, offshore or in-house standards.

• Drawings/3D: installation and section representations, photos, test/measurement reports if available.

Seal types & performance range

• Single-lip seals for low to medium pressures

• Multi-lip seals (e.g. dust/media protection, barrier lips)

• High-pressure seals with support/counter rings

• Complex sealing systems (e.g. double seals with barrier medium, condition monitoring, safety concepts)

Industries: mechanical and plant engineering, process industry, energy, metallurgy, marine/offshore, food & pharma (as specified).

Why work with me?

• Many years of project experience in developing dynamic high-pressure seals.

• System view: seal, material, surface, installation space and operation are optimized as a unit.

• Measurably better: lower friction/temperature, minimal leakage, higher efficiency and longer service life.

• Documentation & proof through bench tests and quality reports.

• Fast time-to-solution thanks to lean coordination and reliable manufacturing partners.

Next step

Send me your key parameters (pressure/temperature, medium, speed, shaft Ø, surfaces/run-out, drawings). I will quickly check feasibility and send you a concept & CAD proposal with a procedure plan.