Large bearings and slewing rings: how does PXL SEALS meet the specific needs of these sealing applications?

In this article, we highlight the design and manufacture of our seals, why they are ideally suited to large bearings and slewing rings, and some examples of applications.

1) Seals for large bearings and slewing rings: 30 years of expertise

For over 30 years, PXL SEALS has been designing, manufacturing and supplying customized and standard sealing solutions for large bearings and slewing rings.

Our expertise is used in a wide range of sectors including energy (wind power, offshore), shipbuilding (PODs), industry (bottling lines....), construction, civil engineering and other activities requiring specific seals for bearings.

The command of the value chain, from solution design to on-site delivery, makes PXL SEALS a preferred partner of manufacturers and end-users of large bearings and slewing rings which are strategic components.

Sealing design in the design office

All the seals for large bearings and slewing rings designed by PXL SEALS are developed by our design office.

To do this, our engineers and design office technicians carry out studies and technical files, which can be based on on-site expertise.

They use advanced tools such as :

• Finite element analysis (FEA): analysis of seals’ behavior under stress.


• Laboratory tests: experiments on test benches, etc.

For these high-value applications, PXL Seals favours fully moulded solutions with tight tolerances.

When requirements are common to several applications, sealing solutions are integrated into PXL SEALS’ standard product range.

Manufacturing of large and very large diameter seals

Some equipment, such as tunnel boring machines or wind turbines in civil engineering, require very large-diameter seals that can be more than ten meters in diameter.

In its manufacturing facility, PXL SEALS is equipped with the machines and presses needed to produce these seals, guaranteeing total quality control.

Our products are then carefully packaged and shipped to site, with the option of installation by our PXL On-Site team.

2) Seals that meet the requirements of large bearing manufacturers

Large bearings and slewing rings are subject to extreme conditions:

• Continuous vibration: affecting part alignment


• Variations in temperature and humidity: affecting the ageing of seals.


• Abrasive environments: exposure to dust and mineral residues.


• Significant eccentricity: due to oscillating or slow rotating movements.

Our one-piece, fully moulded seals offer optimum sealing, preventing the intrusion of foreign bodies, while maintaining component lubrication.

These high-precision seals can be manufactured in a wide range of elastomer grades and sizes. They can be installed and joined on site using our MD WAY moulding process, which guarantees the same quality as mouldings made in our workshop.

The durability of the materials used is crucial to minimize maintenance operations on sites that are often difficult to access.

3) Case studies 

Discover some of our experiences on applications using large bearings and slewing rings, from design, manufacture to maintenance.

Naval sector: sealing of thrusters (PODS)

Seals on thrusters (PODS), propeller shafts and boat engines are particularly strategic, as replacing them is generally costly in terms of equipment downtime and the resources required to carry out the replacement (taking the vessel out of the water): they must therefore be extremely reliable.

Different options are available, depending on the type of seal and the needs of the equipment:

• Perobat-type rotary lip seals can be supplied ‘split’, enabling on site installation by cold gluing, without dismantling the equipment


• Full-elastomer seals can be supplied open for on-site moulding using the MD-WAY process, hot or cold joining.


• All these seals can also be supplied single-piece, without junctions, for original equipment.

Read the full article

Replacement of a propeller seal (PODS)

Our teams had the opportunity to replace POD seals in Las Palmas (Spain) following a leakage.

PXL SEALS replaced this strategic POD seal on a cruise ship with a fully moulded seal joined on site using the MD WAY process.

This kept dismantling to a minimum, enabling the work to be carried out in a short space of time and minimizing the vessel's downtime.

Monaco breakwater: maintenance of mechanical ball joints

Since 2000, PXL SEALS has been carrying out the 10-year maintenance on the seals of a mechanical connection linking a floating barge to the coast.

The seal, 2.30 m in diameter, is located 8 m below sea level.

In 2016, following a study, we replaced the ball joint seal without dismantling it, using the PXL SEALS’ MD WAY on-site moulding process, guaranteeing maximum protection against water intrusion.

Read the success story

Brighton: British Airways i360 seal replacement

After designing the seal, our team carried out a seal replacement of the observation tower's bearings of pulley, without disassembling the equipment, in a cramped environment.

Read the success story

4) Examples of seal types by sector

The following seals can be designed and manufactured by PXL SEALS:

Wind energy seals

Common seals include blade seals, rotor bearing seals, gear shaft seals, alternator seals and nacelle ring seals.

Seals for the offshore / oil and gas sector

Oil platform swivel seals are bearing seals that we supply to players in the offshore oil extraction sector.

Sealing for the naval and maritime sectors

In the naval sector, we design POD seals (rotating ring seals, slewing ring seals), propeller seals (nacelle bearing seals, blade seals and propeller shaft seals), radar seals such as tilt reducer seals and slewing ring seals.

Seals for public works and forestry machinery

Various types of seals are produced for the public works and forestry machinery sectors, such as crane seals (muffle gear seals, slewing gear seals, nacelle crown seals and carriage gear seals) and seals for mechanical machinery, mainly slewing bearing seals.

Construction and civil engineering equipment

Various types of seals, generally with large diameters, are used on construction equipment, such as seals for tunnel boring machines (TBMs), mainly to seal the bearing at the head of the TBM.

Industry in general: Seals for industry

PXL SEALS applies its expertise to equipment using large bearings and slewing rings.

From design to maintenance, our sealing solutions guarantee performance and reliability in complex environments.

We support our customers in their technical challenges with total control of manufacturing, our design office and unique on-site expertise to ensure the longevity of their equipment.

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