Product family
Oil Seals
We manufacture custom oil seals engineered for the exact shaft, speed, pressure and fluid your equipment sees. When a shaft is leaking and stock seals won’t hold, our engineers solve it — built to your print, never pulled from a bin.
Overview
Keep lubricant in, contaminants out
ARC designs and molds custom oil seals — rotary shaft, fabric-reinforced, heavy-duty, high-pressure, grease and fluid seals — matched to each application’s pressure, temperature, shaft speed, runout and fluid compatibility. Our seals bond an elastomer, most often nitrile, to a metal ring with a precision spring-tensioned lip for reliable dynamic sealing, and we select the elastomer to the media — from nitrile for general oils to PTFE for the widest temperature and chemical range. Every seal is custom-to-spec and Made in USA under ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016, backed by a free size chart, cross-reference guide and catalog.
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Capabilities
Elastomer vulcanized to a metal ring with spring-tensioned lip
Single- and double-lip configurations for retention and exclusion
Custom sizing to shaft diameter, bore and width per print
Engineered to pressure, temperature, shaft speed and runout
Fluid-compatibility matching across oils, fuels, grease and water
Free Oil Seal Size Chart and cross-reference (ungated)
ISO 9001:2015 & IATF 16949:2016 certified, Made in USA
What we make
Oil seal types we build
Spring-loaded lip seals for rotating shafts, retaining lubricant and excluding contaminants.
Fabric-reinforced construction for added strength in demanding service.
Rugged seals for high-load, harsh-environment machinery.
Engineered to hold under elevated system pressures.
Designed to retain grease and block dirt and moisture ingress.
General sealing against oils, fuels, water and other fluids.
Gallery
Oil Seals we've built
Industries we serve
Where it's used
Typical applications
Need oil seals to spec?
Send your drawing, sample or service conditions — our engineers confirm the compound, tooling and a path to production.
Understanding Oil Seals and Rotary Shaft Seals
Choosing the right rotary shaft seal or fabric oil seal to keep machinery free of unwanted leakage can be difficult, and this reference is meant to help you select the correct one for your application. Oil seals, also known as rotary shaft seals, fluid seals, or grease seals, play an important role in closing the gaps between the moving and stationary elements of mechanical equipment. By preventing lubricants from escaping, they protect critical machine components from damage caused by fluid leaks. Everything from car engines to assembly machines relies on oil seals to stay free of harmful interactions that can cause serious and expensive damage.
What Rotary Shaft Seals Are and How They Are Made
Rotary shaft seals, or oil seals, are placed between the moving and stationary parts of machinery so that contaminants, moisture, corrosive materials, and abrasives do not damage the components. They also prevent unwanted mixing of fluids, such as water and oil combining inside a machine. In manufacturing, an elastomer, most often nitrile, is vulcanized to a metal ring. This creates a stiffening effect and incorporates a specialized metal tension spring directly behind the sealing lip, keeping the oil seal firmly in place against the moving part.
Oil Seal Materials and Types We Manufacture
Many different materials are used to manufacture oil seals. As a custom-to-spec, made-to-print manufacturer, we produce rotary shaft seals, fabric-reinforced oil seals, heavy-duty oil seals, and high-pressure oil seals to meet demand across many sectors and application-specific requirements. For details on size, type, material, and application-specific rotary and oil seals, please refer to our Oil Seals catalog.
How to Choose the Right Oil Seal
Several key factors should be considered when selecting oil seals for a project, so that you protect your machinery from both immediate and long-term damage:
- Temperature: Know the operating temperature so you can choose a seal that withstands the heat or cold. PTFE seals offer the widest temperature range, making them useful for machines exposed to extreme weather or elements.
- Speed and shaft conditions: Consider the shaft speed, the runout, the housing bore, and the type of oil being sealed to select a seal that will not suffer from abrasion or spiralling.
- Fluid compatibility: Various oil seals can withstand contact with oils, fuels, grease, water, and more. Knowing which fluid the rotary shaft seal will be in constant contact with helps ensure the longevity of the seal and the surrounding components.
- Lubrication: Seals perform best when lubricated, but some machines run through dry spells. In those cases a leather or PTFE seal is beneficial, as both can operate with less lubrication than other materials.
With dozens of specifically designed oil seals available in a variety of materials, identifying the best choice for a given machine can be challenging. Our engineering-led team is always available to help you choose the correct style, material, and size of oil seal, for everything from commercial machinery to hobby car building, so you can be confident the rotary shaft seal you specify will protect your components and extend the life of your machines.