WD Series - Bearing Isolator

WD – Compact profile wash down design for food and beverage, meets IP69K 

This non-contact, labyrinth design PTFE bearing isolator passes IP69K testing for protection in food and beverage service applications requiring exclusion of high pressure water spray, dust and other aggressive contaminants. 

 

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Performance Advantages

Machine downtime due to bearing failure is costly. By keeping lubrication in and contaminants out, ProTech™ bearing isolators provide reliable protection of rotating equipment for extended bearing life – particularly in high pressure food and beverage wash down conditions. Labyrinth sealing technology applied to high performance materials allows ProTech WD Profile bearing isolator to operate far beyond shaft speed limits of standard radial lip seals and avoid shaft wear. 

The non-contact design has virtually no torque consumption and therefore will not wear or groove shafts, and allows for non-lubricated dry runs. It also accommodates the greatest axial movement in the industry, reducing the major factor that causes labyrinth seal leakage. 

We can custom engineer solutions to meet exacting specifications for new or retrofit applications in most shaft and bore combinations. When used to replace seals during planned or unplanned rebuilds, the WD Profile lowers shaft cost due to liberal specifications. Costs can also be eliminated on tooling charges due to the fact that ProTech is a precision-machined seal. 

Design

An external O-ring on the outside diameter of the stator allows for easy seal installation, maintains a press fit in the seal housing, and provides a static seal against the bore for oil retention. The stator has a sophisticated series of grooves to retain oil splash, which has been tested by a major pump OEM and proved to be the most effective design for oil retention when compared to various competitor designs.  

The rotor uses an external O-ring to maintain a static press fit on the shaft. Since the rotor spins with the shaft, it will not wear, groove, or damage the shaft. This eliminates costs associated with having to recondition the sealing surface of the shaft. 

The rotor and stator are assembled at the facility where they are permanently unitized, allowing for a one-piece installation. This unitized design also maintains the seal’s integrity by keeping high-pressure water spray, vibration or axial movement from separating or increasing the gap between the rotor and stator. 

Additional features include: 

• Delivers highest level of exclusion against high-pressure water spray and dust
• Meets IP-56, IP-66, and IP69K testing for dust and water exclusion
• Specifically designed to exclude high pressure water spray and dry contaminants in limited space applications.
• Narrow flanged designs
• Food grade and anti-microbial material available per ASTM JIS Z2801 testing
• Not compatible with oil lubricated systems

Applications

Retains: Grease 

Excludes: Heavy water spray and dry contaminants from bearing cavity 

Equipment: Small disposable motors and equipment for the food processing industry; economical seal for 140 and 180 frame motors and other high volume OEM equipment requiring wash down protection where cost to upgrade the seal has been a deterrent. 

Materials

Stator & Rotor: ProTech uses proprietary PTFE compounds making it well suited for harsh environments, such as citric acids and strong caustics. This superior chemical resistance allows for the standardization of a single material within a plant, eliminating the need to stock duplicate sizes in expensive stainless steel or other exotic materials. 

Characteristics of the various PTFE materials offered: 

• Temperature range: -40 to 250 F (-40 to 121 C)
• Higher temperature applications can be handled with alternate materials
• Low wear, low coefficient of friction. Superior for dynamic applications
• FDA compliant
• Anti-microbial
• USDA 3A sanitary standards for food and dairy product contact

O-Rings: Come standard as FKM, but are also available in: 

• NBR
• FDA silicone
• Fluorosilicone
• EPDM
• Aflas®

SHAFT MOUNTING POSITION: Compatible Lubrication types 

• Horizontal: Grease, Dry
• Vertical Up: Grease, Dry
• Vertical Down: Grease, Dry

Size Range

The WD Profile in standard shaft diameters ranging from 0.492” to 10” (12.5 mm to 254 mm). Because this is a precision machined seal, we can manufacture virtually any configuration. 

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