PREFACE

This book has set out to be a revision and update of the fifth edition. That edition was
a complete rewrite with new format, which attempted to provide the subject matter grouped into usable sections. I have been humbled to learn how many readers use
it on a regular basis. For this revision it therefore seems sensible to retain the overall
format. We have, I hope, corrected all the inevitable errors that crept in to the fifth edition, updated areas where there has been significant progress and included additional
experience that I have gained over the intervening 7 years.
Seals are everywhere. It is over 40 years since my introduction to a detailed study
of seals, working on a test rig to investigate hydraulic cylinder seals. And yet, the range
of seal types and the applications continue to expand. Over the last few years I have
assisted with a number of equipment developments where performance of the seals
was a critical path item. Seals are a vital component of virtually every area of our lives.
This includes our houses, domestic appliances and vehicles, while transport and virtually all industries are totally dependent on them for safe and reliable operation.
They are often treated as a trivial commodity product, but the costs and consequences of a failure can be substantial. One failed fitting in the water system of a
house can cause a lot of damage. In our vehicles they can be costly to replace, and, in
a hydraulic braking system, fundamental to our safety. In many industries reliable seals
are equally fundamental to reliable operation of the plant and containment of fluids.
The costs of seal replacement on process plant can be very high and the implications
of sudden failure can be substantial in terms of lost product, cleanup and pollution.
Unreliable seals can be a rapid cause of loss of reputation to a manufacturer.
Whether it is a domestic appliance, road vehicle, earth-moving equipment or industrial
plant, frequent seal replacement and the inconvenience of clearing up leakage can soon
make the customer start looking elsewhere. For this reason nearly all engineers require
some appreciation of seal selection and application and this book sets out to provide an
unbiased overview of the potential options.
During the last 2030 years our understanding of seal function and progress with
new materials have seen quite relentless progress. Our understanding of how seals
operate and the ability to optimize the design have progressed substantially. This has
been accompanied by a steady flow of new or improved materials that can be used to
improve seal performance. It is interesting to note that since the previous edition there
have been quite significant developments in the research on both rotary and reciprocating polymeric seals, and the avid reader will be able to find reference to key areas of
this work.

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Preface

There are individual chapters for rotary, reciprocating and static seals, so that it is
relatively easy to explore the potential variants available for an application. It has been
another aim when preparing this book to provide a balance of suitable information as
a basis for initial seal selection across all the potential seal types available in each application area. This is intentional as I find that in many cases I deal with, the engineers
involved may have a lot of experience of one seal type for an application, but may have
never considered, or even been aware of, potential alternatives. Alternatively they may
have contact with one supplier who only offers a limited range of products. Hopefully
the book will also help the reader to carefully question overenthusiastic sales staff, some
of whom appear to have limited comprehension of the challenges involved with a new
application.
Almost every sealing application is some sort of challenge. At high temperature,
pressure or speed, there is the technical challenge of reducing leakage and friction or
increasing life. With apparently simple applications the challenge can be ever-present
demands to reduce cost and improve reliability. Designs that will operate at wider tolerance bands or are easier to assemble may then be required. You will find that design
for assembly occurs frequently throughout this book. And then, when it seems that a
reliable solution has been found, the seal supplier changes the manufacturing or supply
route and quality issues appear.
Working with seals may seem extremely specialist, and indeed it does require specialist knowledge of the design criteria, the materials and the limitations of an individual seal arrangement. But it is also important for the seal specialist to have a very broad
understanding of engineering including manufacturing techniques and machinery
operation. I have seen many good ideas fail because at least one of two vital criteria
has been overlooked: the requirement for assembly in a real working environment and
appreciation of the fact that machinery does not run at constant conditions forever; in
the real world it stops and restarts.
The preparation of this book has been supported by many of the friends that I
have been fortunate to make across the sealing industry and the organizations that
have helped are acknowledged separately. My thanks go to all who have contributed
to making this book as up to date and relevant as possible. My special thanks are also
due to my wife, Christine, without whose unstinting support it would never have
happened.
Robert Flitney