Bal Seal Engineering’s seals and springs improve the performance and reliability of robots and robotic systems for medical and industrial environments. Our custom-engineered products help designers of surgical, articulated, SCARA, DELTA, gantry, and other robot types achieve more accurate, consistent movement, conduct more power in less space, and dramatically improve uptime. FDA compliant materials and designs supporting strict IPX requirements are available.
IP67 & IP69 Pre-Certified Seals for Robotics
To help you speed up development cycles and advance the performance and durability of your robotics designs, we can pre-certify custom and standard Bal Seal® spring-energized seals to IP67 and IP69 rating requirements. This eliminates the need for in-house or outsourced testing/verification, and it takes the guesswork out of sealing for aggressive washdown and immersion environments per standard IEC 60529.
- Pre-tested & pre-certified by an accredited lab to meet IP67 or IP69 requirements
- Documentation included with shipped products
- Offering applies to both standard and custom designs
- Rotary & reciprocating service types
In robot end effectors, joints, actuators and motors, no other seal combines the value of pre-certification to IP67 & IP69 rating requirements with the unmatched leakage/contamination protection and accuracy-promoting low friction performance of the Bal Seal®.
Why Choose Bal Seal for Robotics?
Whether you’re designing surgical robots for the operating room or industrial robots for the factory floor, Bal Seal Engineering provides seals and springs built for the precision, durability, and environmental protection that robotic systems demand.
Ultra-Low Friction for Precise Motion
Spring-energized seals eliminate stick-slip and promote smooth, repeatable movement in joints, actuators, and end effectors — helping maintain positional accuracy and consistent force control over thousands of cycles.
IP67 & IP69 Pre-Certification
Save development time with seals pre-tested and pre-certified by an accredited lab to meet IP67 (immersion) and IP69 (high-pressure washdown) requirements per IEC 60529. Documentation ships with your products.
Extended Service Life & Uptime
Wear-regulating canted coil spring energizers deliver consistent sealing force throughout the life of the seal, reducing unplanned maintenance and maximizing the operational availability of your robotic systems.
Products for Robotics
Bal Seal® Spring Energized Seal
Our seals help you achieve the perfect balance of sealing effectiveness and friction. They guard against leakage and ingress while eliminating stick-slip and promoting precise movement over thousands of cycles. With nearly limitless material, energizer, and geometry options, our seals can be customized to meet the toughest wear and serviceability requirements for rotary, reciprocating, or static use.
Product Features
- Controllable friction forces
- FDA compliant jacket materials
- Excellent media resistance
- Wear-regulating spring energizer
- IPX-ready designs
Bal Spring® Canted Coil Spring
Our spring mechanically fastens, conducts electricity, and shields sensitive electronics from EMI/RFI. Its independent coils, which serve as multiple contact points for optimal current carrying capability, ensure consistent, reliable connection—even under shock and vibration.
Product Features
- Superior conductivity & power density
- Multi-point contact for reliable, consistent electrical performance
- Compact, space-saving profile
- Multifunctional for simplifying design & maintenance
- Customizable force ranges
- Repeatable performance over 1000s of cycles
- FDA compliant
Medical Robotics Applications
Industrial Robotics Applications
Robotic Sealing & Spring Applications
Bal Seal Engineering provides custom-engineered sealing and spring solutions across the full range of robotic platforms and use environments.
Surgical & Medical Robots
Low-friction seals for robotic instrument shafts, wrist joints, and trocar interfaces. FDA-compliant materials withstand repeated sterilization while maintaining the precise motion control surgeons depend on. Springs provide reliable electrical contact and EMI shielding in control arms and instrument drives.
Articulated & Collaborative Robots
Seals for multi-axis joint modules, actuators, and gear reducers in articulated and cobot platforms. Our designs protect precision bearings and gearing from particulate ingress, lubricant leakage, and washdown fluids while maintaining low breakaway torque for safe, responsive operation.
SCARA & DELTA Robots
Compact seals for high-speed pick-and-place, assembly, and packaging robots. Engineered for the rapid reciprocating and rotary motion profiles of SCARA and DELTA architectures with minimal friction contribution and long cycle life.
Food & Beverage Processing Robots
IP69-rated seals for robots operating in aggressive washdown environments. Our seals resist high-pressure hot water, steam, caustic cleaners, and sanitizing chemicals while protecting internal components from ingress per IEC 60529 requirements.
Semiconductor & Cleanroom Robots
Ultra-clean seals for wafer-handling robots and vacuum equipment. Low-outgassing, low-shedding materials minimize particle generation in ISO Class 1–5 cleanroom and vacuum environments.
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR)
Seals and springs for drive motors, wheel hubs, lidar turrets, and sensor assemblies in warehouse, logistics, and inspection robots. Engineered for extended unattended operation with minimal maintenance requirements.
Robotics Seals & Springs FAQs
Spring-energized seals offer several advantages over elastomeric O-rings in robotic applications. They deliver significantly lower and more consistent friction, which improves motion accuracy and reduces motor loads. They resist compression set, maintaining sealing force over millions of cycles. And they can be machined from PTFE, PEEK, and other engineered polymers that outperform elastomers in chemical resistance, temperature range, and wear life.
Our IP67 and IP69 pre-certification program means your Bal Seal® seals are tested and certified by an accredited third-party lab to meet the immersion (IP67) and high-pressure washdown (IP69) requirements defined in IEC 60529 — before they ship. This eliminates the need for you to perform in-house IP testing and provides certification documentation you can reference in your own product qualification.
Yes. We offer seal materials that maintain performance through repeated autoclave, EtO, hydrogen peroxide plasma, and other sterilization methods used in surgical robotics. FDA-compliant and USP Class VI materials are available. Our engineering team can recommend the optimal material for your sterilization protocol and cycle count requirements.
Our spring-energized seals eliminate the stick-slip (stiction) that causes jerky, imprecise movement in robotic joints. The canted coil spring energizer provides consistent, low-level sealing force that doesn’t vary with temperature or age, enabling smooth breakaway and uniform dynamic friction throughout the full range of joint motion.
For food processing and washdown environments, we recommend FDA-compatible PTFE and UHMWPE seal jacket materials paired with stainless steel spring energizers. These materials resist hot water, steam, caustic cleaners, and common sanitizing chemicals. Designs can be pre-certified to IP69 for high-pressure, high-temperature washdown protection.
Yes. We engineer seals for wafer-handling robots and vacuum equipment using low-outgassing, low-shedding materials that minimize particle generation in ISO Class 1–5 cleanroom environments. Our seals are also available for vacuum applications in process chambers, load locks, and transfer modules.
Request Robotics Engineering Support
Our robotics engineering team can help you optimize seal friction, achieve IP certification, and extend the service life of your robotic systems. Contact us to discuss your application requirements.
Technical Resources
Industry Catalog
Application Bulletin
Material Data Sheet
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