Parker Hannifin’s Prädifa Technology Division has developed adaptive seals—Warp Seals—specifically designed to compensate for large component tolerances. They reliably seal housing connections, feed-throughs, and plug-in connections and are used in applications where conventional static seals reach their limits due to manufacturing tolerances. This ensures a reliable seal even with large tolerance chains, reducing costs and assembly time.
The Challenge of Tolerance Compensation
Many ports, feed-throughs, and connectors are manufactured today using high-pressure die casting, plastic injection molding, sheet metal forming, or similar manufacturing processes. The tolerances that can be economically achieved with these manufacturing processes are relatively large. This poses a significant challenge for the reliable sealing of housing openings and connections. Conventional static sealing solutions are often unable to compensate for the cumulative tolerances in the assembly’s tolerance chain, nor can they be installed with process reliability.
When manufacturing tolerances exceed the range that standard seals can reliably cover, additional costs arise due to rework, tighter manufacturing specifications, more complex assembly processes, or even increased warranty risks. Efficient design therefore no longer requires that the component fit the seal profile perfectly, but rather that the seal actively compensates for the actual installation space.
Seal Development with a Technology-Driven Approach
Parker Prädifa’s technology-driven approach to developing the Warp-Seal product family reliably compensates for axial, radial, and angular tolerances. With appropriately selected materials, Warp-Seals offer high resistance to a wide variety of media and environmental influences. Additional advantages include the straightforward assembly of various components without significant design or functional limitations. The product family is available in several variants to accommodate different installation spaces and tolerance compensation requirements.
The robust design of the seals, made from appropriately selected materials, guarantees reliable sealing of housing feed-throughs and plug connections even under demanding conditions. Depending on their design, Warp Seals can even function as pressure relief valves.
Versatile Applications
Warp Seals cover a wide range of applications, particularly where large tolerances and high sealing requirements are involved. These include sealing connection ports and bushings in housings with axial, radial, or angular tolerances, as well as sealing rods and pistons in hydraulic and pneumatic systems. Potential applications range from the automotive industry to aerospace, defense, HVAC, plant engineering, mechanical engineering, off-road vehicle manufacturing, hydrogen and fuel cell technology, and electrification and electromobility—all areas where compact and flexible seals are required.”
