All the Fun of the Fair

Although some of you may find the differences between elastomer compounds and the technical parameters behind fluid power sealing fascinating, in reality – though I hate to say it – most of us just find seals boring. Which is why we at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions are challenging ourselves to make sealing not just interesting but even fun!

AT EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS Globally we try to engage with our audience and while showing them the lighter side of sealing, communicate some sophisticated and important concepts and ideas that can ultimately make our customers’ products perform more effectively.

Theme park design, with interactive exhibits
At Hannover Fair, we presented a series of interactive, themed 'islands' providing information about materials and production competencies. To emphasize the advantages of working with us, we used several methods. Virtual reality headsets took visitors on a tour of one of our manufacturing facilities. A large-scale 3-D projection screen presented Trelleborg's World of Seals visually alongside a large highlight table positioned centrally that displayed the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Hand-in-Hand collaborative engineering concept. It showed how Trelleborg gives its customers advice and support throughout the whole of the process chain - from the initial design process through to testing, on to a newly-developed sealing solution and up to series-production.

Having Fun
Holger Baur, Head of European Marketing and Communications for Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: "It is not only key for us to present our ideas and concepts to our customers but also to engage and inspire the engineers of the future. If they can see that we are an innovative and forward thinking company that resides in the digital age, we are more likely to attract them."

“It is not only key for us to present our ideas and concepts to our customers but also to engage and inspire the engineers of the future.”

-HOLGER BAUR, Head of European Marketing and Communications, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions

Designing for the Future

One key part of the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions stand at Hannover Fair was an area that focused on design studies. Here are the results of a study discussed at the fair two years ago and two new studies that were presented.

Lubrication Management

A design study at Hannover Fair in 2015, Lubrication Management systems for fluid power applications, is now in serial production.

Lubrication management is about adjusting lubrication conditions of all single sealing elements within a sealing system so the load on each element can be reduced and the performance in terms of friction-wear-lifetime can be optimized.

Best practice in demanding fluid power sealing applications is a primary and a secondary seal. The primary seal does the sealing job for as long as possible and the secondary seal is the redundancy, there when it is needed. The challenge for this secondary sealing element is length of life under dry running conditions.

The more effective the primary seal is at sealing lubricant within the hydraulic system, the drier the running conditions of the secondary seal. Starvation of lubricant can lead to wear issues that come in to play in the case of a needed redundancy. This dilemma in terms of optimizing the performance of the primary and secondary seal brings us to the new discipline of ‘Lubrication Management’, where the risk of leakage of lubricant is balanced to ensure performance of the primary seal and the extended life of the secondary seal.

Roto KA – redefining levels of performance

Roto KA is Trelleborg’s solution to today’s increasing variation in parameters and the performance limits of conventional rotary shaft seals. Traditionally, circumferential structures are not located on the pressure side. Various past theories have described how rotary shaft seals work and these always assume the sealing mechanism to be in the contact area along with the lubrication. However, the Roto KA design study includes supply and removal channels that are each adapted to the lubrication medium. In a rotating irrigation channel, this allows for the supply and removal of the pressure medium, keeping the oil in motion so it no longer collects in one place.

Through the innovative design of Roto KA, pressure circulation lubrication can be used for the pressure media and its movement can directly and immediately influence the friction speed and the heat generated by the friction. This has a positive effect on the service life of the seal.

Revolutionary modular design
To minimize the number of types of Roto KA seals the seal design is modular, meaning that it can be adapted to different types of activity, offering a whole host of variation options to suit any application.

Seal and Guide concept – flexibility and simplification through combined function

The new Seal and Guide concept brings together sealing and guiding into one seal and guide unit.

By the elastic absorption of the seal and guide part(s), there is a displacement or tension on the guide which is transmitted together with the seal over the elastic absorption of the static seal point. This shifts loads from the more sensitive dynamic sealing edge to the more robust static sealing area. To meet the different requirements of the seal point, the variable selection of material groups is modular.

For example, you can combine elastomer or thermoplastic sealing materials with thermosetting or thermoplastic or even metallic bearing materials as a guide element. Due to the modular design of Seal and Guide, one-sided (sealed) solutions, dual effect seal points or even combined functionalities, such as seal and scraper for translational applications, are used for rotating applications too.

The Seal and Guide concept is particularly suitable for rotating applications, since the guide element can also absorb radial pressure. This returns higher P-V values in these applications.

Trelleborg Joins the Smart Data Innovation Lab to Move Further Toward Industry 4.0

One of the interactive stands at Hannover Fair was about a move Trelleborg Sealing Solutions is making into industry 4.0 and big data. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has joined the Smart Data Innovation Lab (SDIL) and its first project with the lab is ‘Advanced Condition Monitoring for Sealing Solutions’.

Johannes Kunze von Bischhoffshausen, Manager Digital Transformation and Internet of Things at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: “Industry 4.0 and the internet of things are becoming an important focus for manufacturers worldwide and there is a call for products to become smarter and more intelligent whatever and wherever they may feature.

“SDIL is a great initiative that is　　easing the journey for component　developers and producers to fulfill　the objectives of Industry 4.0.”

－ JOHANNES KUNZE VON BISCHHOFFSHAUSEN Manager Digital Transformation and Internet of Things, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions

“Intelligent sealing systems have long been a dream of engineers at Trelleborg Sealing Systems. With the support of SDIL and in collaboration with our partners on the ‘Advanced Condition Monitoring for Sealing Solutions’ project, we hope that in some way we can make that dream a reality.”

Life Inside Colors

This year our booth at the Offshore Technology Conference sparked great interest of the attendees as we invited a special guest; performance painter Ange Hillz with Visual Paint. The local artist from Houston, Texas spent three days during the show painting two canvases that depicted Trelleborg’s wide range of solutions from space to seabed. Attendees thoroughly enjoyed watching Ange paint in the Trelleborg booth as he made use of bright colors and brought the vivid artwork to life. To learn more about Ange Hillz visit http://visualpaint.com/