The Performance of a Radial Lip Seal with an Axial Excluder Lip in a Dust Environment

Dust and dirt exclusion for sealed mechanisms is a prime concern for both the seal user and the seal manufacturer. Ingression of contaminants past the seal reduces the performance of the sealed mechanism as well as that of the seal itself. Many exclusion systems exist, each with its own characteristic performance in a contaminated environment. This paper describes the improved dust exclusion offered by an optimized axial dirt lip integrally molded with the primary seal lip and a contacting flange that is part of an overall unitizing feature which includes a wear surface for the primary seal lip (Figure 1).