Rolling Bearing Journal Seal Reinforcement Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing neck seals in roll stands face issues such as uneven radial loads due to centrifugal forces, leading to tilting and potential failure, as well as reduced service life due to thermal stress and frictional heat, especially in rolling mills where regular checks are difficult without disassembling the rolls.
Innovation Solution
A neck seal design with a reinforcement element that increases in rigidity with axial extension, decoupling the web area from the bearing surface area, ensuring symmetrical prestressing of sealing lips and absorption of unequal centrifugal forces, and using materials like steel, fabric, or fibers for enhanced stiffness and durability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a steel bandage reinforcement element is placed on the outside of the seal body, then the seal body is reinforced against centrifugal forces, but the bandage can tear open at welds and cut through the rubber seal
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement element is embedded within the seal body structure rather than placed externally. The seal body is formed as a hollow cylindrical shell with the reinforcement element nested inside, creating a integrated structure where the reinforcement is protected by the seal material and cannot cut through the seal.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal body is constructed as a composite structure combining a flexible seal material (such as rubber) with an embedded reinforcement element (such as steel bandage). This composite construction provides both the sealing properties of the flexible material and the structural strength of the reinforcement, while the reinforcement is encapsulated to prevent it from cutting the seal.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the sealing body is made flexible to accommodate conical roll neck, then the seal can be installed and adapt to geometry, but the webs become skewed under centrifugal forces and do not provide consistent sealing
Solution Approach 1:
The seal body is divided into functional segments: a flexible outer shell that provides adaptability during installation, and an embedded rigid reinforcement structure that maintains web alignment during operation. The reinforcement element includes radially extending webs that are structurally supported to remain stable under centrifugal forces while the flexible seal material allows initial installation on the conical roll neck.
3Force
If the seal body is reinforced with embedded steel bandage, then the seal resists centrifugal forces better, but the bandage slips and causes uneven pressure distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement element is merged with the seal body structure through embedding, creating a unified composite structure. The reinforcement element is positioned within the hollow cylindrical shell and integrated into the wall structure, ensuring that centrifugal forces are distributed evenly throughout the combined structure rather than causing the reinforcement to slip relative to the seal material.
4Productivity
If the seal runs for longer periods without maintenance, then productivity is improved, but thermal stress from frictional heat causes the seal to harden and crack
Solution Approach 1:
The composite construction with embedded reinforcement provides structural stability that resists the deteriorating effects of thermal stress. The reinforcement element maintains the structural integrity of the seal body even as the flexible seal material undergoes aging from frictional heat, preventing hardening and cracking that would occur in unreinforced seals during extended operation periods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design prevents tilting moments and ensures consistent prestressing of sealing lips, enhancing the seal's reliability and service life by evenly distributing radial forces and reducing thermal stress effects, thus maintaining effective sealing without frequent maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
the sealing body is subject to different loads in the radial direction when it is pushed on and in subsequent operation due to the unequal centrifugal forces that occur, caused by the unequal arrangement of masses in the axial direction
Implementation Method 2
they are designed to prevent oil from escaping from the bearings and to prevent foreign bodies, such as coolant or roll sinter, from entering the bearing
Data Source
Figure 1a~1f
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The invention relates to a journal seal for rolling bearings, wherein the journal seal comprises: - a ring-shaped sealing body (50), which is rotatably fixed to a roller journal (2) with the bearing surface (53) coaxially oriented in relation to the bearing axis (52) and with at least two spaced webs (54, 55) facing away from the bearing axis (52), the webs being directly or indirectly in contact with an annular projection (7), - and - a reinforcing element (51) for reinforcing the sealing body (50). The reinforcing element (51) has a width that is greater than the outer distance (59) of the two webs (54, 55).