American High Performance Seals

LABYRINTH SEALS

Labyrinth seals use a non-contact seal design and are specifically designed to protect bearings from splashing water and other contaminants. These seals are not designed to seal pressure differentials or to seal against high fluid levels. They are primarily for contaminants exclusion. They consist of a stationary and a rotating ring and are made of engineering plastic or other high performance polymer materials. Non-contacting rotary and stationary elements seal statically press-fit into the bore and/or on to the shaft and provide a restricted flow path through the controlled labyrinth gap based on a conic design and utilizes centrifugal force and gravity to prevent intrusion of contaminants into the bearing chamber. Unlike common lip seals, the labyrinth seal will not damage shafts and has a virtually unlimited life. It is very important that the labyrinth seal is mounted correctly. The bigger labyrinth diameter must be pointing to the contaminants