The First Line of Protection for Your Bearing
Guard against fine or coarse environmental contamination and splashing liquids no matter what direction the inner or outer surfaces are turning.
All Labyrinth Seals completely operate without friction.
CF Non-Contact Seal
Eliminate added space inside a spindle using CF Seals. Our CF seals sit directly against the bearing & offer 100% sealing efficiency against splashing liquids.
Type L Labyrinth Seal
Best for protecting the bearing against regular amounts of splashing liquids. Designed with a low gap height.
Type M Labyrinth Seal
Guards bearings against heavy & direct spray liquids. When in use, rotational force pushes liquid out through outer grooves in the ring.
What is a Labyrinth Seal?
A non-contact labyrinth seal is a type of mechanical seal designed by layering together metal sealing plates that combine to form a bunch of angles in a “maze-like” pattern. This complex maze-like pattern prevents contaminants and splashing liquids from hitting the bearing.
Labyrinth seals are usually the first barrier of protection and help prevent bearing failure.
In complex sealing systems when a contact seal is required, using a non-contact labyrinth seal before the contact seal will boost the sealing protection and we definitely recommend doing this for harsh, dusty or contaminated environments.
Our GMN manufactured non-contact labyrinth seals:
- Have a compact design & are easily installed
- Operate without causing friction to rotating parts
- Don’t increase running temperature
- Guard against fine or coarse contamination & splashing liquids
- Provides a limitless operation lifespan (pending no hard contamination)
Operating with contact seals? Easily swap out rubber or contact seals with non-contact labyrinth seals, especially when operating at higher speeds.
Overview of GMN Non-Contact Seal Product Line
CF Seals
Our newest advancement in non-contact, labyrinth seal technology.
CF Seals sit directly against the bearing, eliminating the need for added space inside a spindle and they offer 100% sealing efficiency against splashing liquids.
CF Seal Stats-at-a-Glance
- Shaft Diameter (d) (mm): 10 to 100
- Outer Diameter (D) (mm): 30 to 150
- Width (mm): 6
- Material Choices: Nitride Steel or Aluminum
- Max Temp: -40° F (-40° C) to 392° F (200° C) (Aluminum)
- Matched bearing sizes
Type L Labyrinth Seal
Our GMN Type L Labyrinth seals are made from non-separable rings layered on top of each other and combined. The inner ring is made of steel and the outer ring is made of aluminum. They come ready to install.
Type L Labyrinth Seal Stats-at-a-Glance
- Shaft Diameter (d) (mm): 15 to 210
- Outer Diameter (D) (mm): 26 to 250
- Width (mm): 10, 14, 15, 20, 22
- Max Temp: 340° F (170° C)
Type M Labyrinth Seal
Our GMN Type M Labyrinth seals have the same sealing technology as the L Type seals but are designed with outer ring grooves to allow heavy splashing particles to be centrifuged out.
Type M Labyrinth Seal Stats-at-a-Glance
- Shaft Diameter (d) (mm): 15 to 210
- Outer Diameter (D) (mm): 26 to 250
- Width (mm): 10, 14, 15, 20, 22
- Max Temp: 340° F (170° C)
Gap Seal
These high-quality plastic seals are extremely resistant against chemicals, bacteria, fungi and splashing water.
- Shaft Diameter (mm) = 10 to 160
- Width (mm): 10, 12, 15
- For heavy contamination and lightly splashing liquids
- Temp Range: -40° F (-40° C) to 140° F (60° C)
Also available with drain groove for heavy splashing liquids.Check out SA Gap Seals.
What are Non-Contact Labyrinth Seals?
These special seals protect high precision bearings from rust, contamination and dirt, which help eliminate bearing failures or unexpected maintenance issues.
No matter how the machine is spinning, Labyrinth Seals effectively protect the high precision bearing with these key benefits:
- No rotating friction
- No running temperature increases
- A limitless lifespan*
*Pending no hard contamination
Many times dust can be the contaminant that enters into the rotating application. Pre-greasing the labyrinth seal will stop the dust from getting into the bearing system.
Important: All GMN labyrinth seals are directionally specific when mounted, therefore make sure you double check the contaminate side of the labyrinth seal before you install.
Lip Seal vs Non-Contact Labyrinth Seal
The table below highlights the different results you will get when using a lip seal over a non-contact labyrinth seal.
| Criteria | LIP SEAL | NON-CONTACT LABYRINTH SEAL |
| Usage Degradation | by friction | none |
| Loss of Power | by friction | None: Energy saving results (may lead to smaller driving units) |
| Temperature Increase | see diagram below | none |
| Max. Speed Limit | depending on material | none |
| Lifetime | limited by wear & tare | unlimited |
| Lubrication | required at the sealing location | no lubrication required |
| Mating Parts | Shafts operating at higher speeds require hardening & grinding | hardening and grinding not needed |
| Temperature Range | Limited by lip seal material (plastic or rubber) | Large Temperature Range Plastic: Very low temps -40°F (-40°C) to very high temps 284°F (140°C) Metallic Material Steel + Aluminum: Very low temps -40°F (-40°C) to even higher temps 340°F (171°C) |
| Space Requirement | Small | Small (only GMN labyrinth seals) |
| Field of Applications | grease lubrication | grease lubrication |
| oil lubrication | oil lubrication if oil level below sealing diameter oil mist lubrication | |
| water – limited, as water may increase the friction at sealing location | water – with the use of rust proof materials and level below sealing diameter | |
| fine and coarse granular contamination not possible, as this environment causes rapid wear of the lips | fine and coarse granular contamination can be sealed reliably if applied to horizontal shaft |
Chart illustrates a spindle running with a lip seal vs a spindle running with a GMN Labyrinth Seals. Note: Temperature increase caused by the bearings – not by the seal.