Non-Contact Labyrinth Seals

Designed with a maze-like path that traps contaminants & splashing liquids.

GMN Labyrinth Seals are the first line of protection for bearing systems.

Guard against low, moderate, or heavy environmental contamination and splashing liquids. All Labyrinth Seals are non-contact and operate completely without friction.

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 our non-contact labyrinth seal before the contact seal will boost the sealing protection. We recommend this setup for harsh and dusty environments that lead to contamination.

Our GMN manufactured non-contact labyrinth seals:

• Have a compact design & are easy to install
• Operates without friction
• Doesn’t increase operating temperatures
• Guards against all types of contamination & splashing liquids
• Has a long lifespan

Operating with contact seals? Easily swap out rubber or contact seals with non-contact labyrinth seals, especially when operating at higher speeds. For extra protection, we recommend placing our non-contact seals before the contact seal in your application.

Overview of GMN Non-Contact Seal Product Line

CF Seals

Offers the best protection for all types of environmental contamination and splashing liquids.

CF Seals are proprietary to GMN and are the 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 moderate direct spray 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

Our GMN Gap Seals are manufactured with plastic and are not a good choice for machine tool applications. They are a great choice for food conveyors and food manufacturing facilities that direct spray machines to clean them off.

Our Gap Seals are high-quality plastic seals and 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.