Energizers

Energizers

At the heart of almost every Bal Seal® is an energizer component that’s precision-engineered to promote even wear and longer seal service life. And choosing the right energizer – with the ideal combination of force, fit, and finish, can be as critical to the success of your design as the seal material itself.

Below is a selection of available energizers, along with typical use recommendations. Contact us with your specific application requirements, and we’ll custom-engineer a solution that increases the performance, safety, and reliability of your product.

Energizer Types/Performance Characteristics

Energizer
Type
Friction
Sealing
Wear
High Speed
Vacuum Gas
High Pressure
Cryogenic
Light Spring
Low
Low
Low
Excellent
NR*
Good
Poor
Medium Spring
Moderate
Moderate
Moderate
Good
Fair
Excellent
Fair
Heavy Spring
High
High
High
NR*
Good
Excellent
Good
Cantilever/
V-Spring
High
High
Moderate
NR*
Excellent
Excellent
Good
O-Ring
High
High
High
NR*
Excellent
Fair
Fair

(NR) Not recommended. Energizer would not provide optimal performance under these conditions.

 

cantedcoilcantedcoil

Bal Spring® Canted Coil Spring Energizer

Our core technology, the Bal Spring® canted coil spring, is a versatile component that functions in combination with precision polymer sealing and metal retaining elements to enhance the performance and reliability of your designs. Our innovative canted coil spring energizer design holds the spring force nearly constant over a wide deflection range. As the seal jacket wears, the spring continues to provide the same sealing force. Spring loads are customizable, enabling you to optimize friction, sealing, and performance life.

spring

As an energizing component, the spring compensates for lip wear, thermal cycling, and tolerance variations. The Bal Spring® canted coil spring can be customized to meet specific application load requirements and its unique design gives it superior resistance to compression set. It is suitable for the following types of applications:

  • Rotary
  • Reciprocating
  • Oscillating
  • Static/Face

 

Bal Spring® Materials

Material
Advantages
Limitations
Typical Applications
BSE1 or BSE2
(Stainless Steel)		 • Low cost and readily available
• Highest tensile strength of all standard Bal Spring® materials		 • Lower corrosion resistance than BSE3 or BSE 4 and BSE5
• Mechanical properties change at elevated temperatures		 • General service
BSE3 or BSE4
(Stainless Steel)		 • Better corrosion resistance than BSE1 or BSE2 due to higher nickel and molybdenum content • Mechanical properties lower than BSE1 or BSE2 • Food processing
• Biomedical
BSE5
(Stainless Steel)		 • Higher corrosion resistance than BSE3 or BSE4 due to lower carbon content • Higher cost than BSE3 or BSE4 • Biomedical
• Corrosive environments
• Laboratory
• Food processing
BSE9
(Beryllium
Copper Alloy)		 • High-strength copper alloy • Limited temperature range • Parts requiring good electrical conductivity
• EMI shielding
• Electronics
BSE17
(Nickel Alloy)		 • Higher corrosion resistance and operating temperature than BSE1 or BSE2, BSE3 or BSE4, and BSE5 stainless steels • Limited availability • Corrosive environments
BSE18
(Nickel Alloy)		 • High resistance to stress cracking
• High corrosion resistance
• Resistant to cracking under NACE Level VII conditions
• Compatible with hydrogen sulfide		 • Wire size • Petrochemical applications with hydrogen sulfide sour gas per NACE report MR-01-75
BSE19
(Cobalt Nickel Alloy)		 • Compatible with hydrogen sulfide
• Nickel-based material with higher modulus of elasticity than all other stainless steel materials with higher mechanical properties than other stainless steel materials		 • Galvanic corrosion can occur when coupled with dissimilar metals • Body implant applications such as pacemakers
• Petrochemical applications where corrosion resistance to hydrogen sulfide is necessary
BSE28
(Titanium Alloy)		 • Commonly used heat treatable with good stiffness and thermal properties
• Excellent combination of strength and corrosion resistance		 • Non-medical grade alloy
• High cost		 • Military, aircraft, spacecraft
• Medical devices
• Connecting rods for sports cars
• Some sports equipment

 

 

vspringvspring

Cantilever/V-spring Energizer

Our cantilever, or V-spring energizer is ideal for use in seals designed to perform scraping and wiping functions. The V-spring energizer simplifies cleaning operations by reducing the accumulation of debris when used in highly viscous media such as paint, hot melt adhesives, mud, and some types of foods. Our innovative short leg V-spring design is ideal for extreme temperature applications (–100 ℉ to 350 ℉) when used as an energizer in our short-lip self-retaining K-series seal with a metal locking ring. The metal-to-metal press fit prevents shuttling and rotation of the seal, and the unique locking ring design securely retains the seal and compensates for bore tolerance variations. The short-lip design provides flexibility and ensures even wear and longer service life for vacuum, wiping, and scraping applications. Bal Seal Engineering’s V-spring energizers are available in a variety of cross-sections, including 0.063 in. (1/16), 0.093 in. (3/32), 0.125 in. (1/8), 0.188 in. (3/16), and 0.250 in. (1/4). Depending on the application, the standard spring energizer can be either a medium or a heavy 316 stainless steel. Specialty materials include 301 and 304 stainless steel and Elgiloy.

Two types of seals are typically offered with V-spring energizers:

Reciprocating Seals
  • Scraping is typically improved with a V-spring
  • Open “V” allows for easy cleaning and reduced accumulation of debris
  • Typical media include paint, glue, mud, and food

Static Face Seals
  • Suitable for applications that also require easy cleaning

 

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