CDI’s OptiSeal® system is a high-performance, low-friction, full-spectrum sealing solution. This widely used spring-energized seal offers performance benefits ranging from enhanced media compatibility to continuous performance over broad temperature ranges. OptiSeal seals come in a variety of profiles and materials – each specifically manufactured to address your individual application.
The basic design of the OptiSeal® system consists of a U-shaped jacket made from an inert thermoplastic and an energizing component inside the U. The energizing component is typically a metal U-spring, but garter spring, coiled flat spring, and elastomer cords are used for some applications. The energizing component provides the initial compressive stress between the seal lip and the gland body without depending on the initial interference fit of the inert thermoplastic jacket. This compressive stress is necessary to provide sealing at low system pressures. At higher system pressures, the seal becomes pressure-energized by the fluid media thanks to the thin-walled U design of the jacket. In this case, the energizing component ensures that the compressive stress between seal and gland always remains greater than the pressure differential of the system, thus affecting a seal across the entire pressure range.
High-Performance in Extreme Conditions
The CDI OptiVee® packing assemblies are specifically designed for conditions requiring redundant sealing surfaces. These seal stacks incorporate soft materials for sealing against imperfect surfaces, harder materials to contain the softer seals and even harder materials to bridge the extrusion gaps. By utilizing the design benefits of our OptiSeal systems, a more robust product is developed for application in the extreme conditions found in:
- High-pressure ranges
- Temperature variations
- Large extrusion gaps
- Dynamic conditions
- Potential misalignment
- Rough surface finishes
OptiSeal® Configurations:
- Standard
- OptiFace Seal
- Flanged
- Opti-Oilseal
Back-Ups
A back-up auxiliary device is made from a stronger material than used for the seal. Once placed within the OptiSeal® system, the back-up device prevents seal extrusion, allowing the seal to be used at higher pressures and temperatures while maximizing the seal life.
