Introduction to Rotary Unions
A Rotary Union is a device which can be connected to a rotating shaft and allows for the leak-proof transfer of fluids to and from a stationary source service. When selecting the correct rotary union model for your particular application, the vital components to consider include the rotary seals and the bearing support systems.
Rotary Seals
Filton® Bellows Seal
For the majority of applications, the Bellows Seal is the most efficient seal used. It does not contain any elastomeric components which make it suitable for rotary applications ranging in ambient temperatures from subzero to 300°C. It is particularly useful for steam, hot water and heat transfer applications.
Filton® Mechanical Seal
The Mechanical Seal is generally used for higher pressure and higher speed applications such as hydraulic systems and machine tools. It is also used in applications where higher speed shafts are involved. The springs of the mechanical seal are located outside of the fluid flow area which improves performance.
Both variations of seal provide exceptional quality of the seal contact faces; each are lapped to a high degree of accuracy and are checked optically to ensure that the correct flatness is obtained.
BEARING SUPPORTS SYSTEMS:
Depending on your application, there are a range of different bearings that are available including standard ball bearings, angular contact bearings, carbon journal and thrust bearings. Although the ball bearings used generally have an upper temperature limit of 180°C, they are more suitable for higher speed applications and the upper temperature limits can be exceeded in some cases with special bearings and lubrication. Carbon bearings, although they have lower speed limit values, are useful for higher temperatures up to 300°C. For more information about bearing options, please Contact Us.