The agricultural industry never sleeps. From planting season, to harvesting season, the need for production of food is steady.
When harvest season arrives each year, Australian farmers must ready their equipment, all the while considering the weather cycle, soil conditions, and the environmental impact of their operation.
Farmers rely on technologically advanced equipment that can resist Australia’s extreme temperature and environmental conditions, whilst delivering the operator comfort. Reliable sealing solutions are imperative to prevent any unnecessary downtime that could accrue costs and have a negative impact on the product.
For the last 50 years, Seal Innovations has been supporting the agriculture segment to provide equipment that will ensure a smoother, less stressful ride during harvest season.
Raj Jadow is part of Seal Innovations’ expert team of product managers and engineers who work closely with aftermarket customers and OEMs to identify innovative sealing solutions.
According to Raj, agriculture machinery is continuously exposed to a variety of substances that can be organic or chemical in nature, so seals need to be designed to protect the equipment’s systems from any kind of contamination.
“Our sealing solutions are required to stand up to high-pressure performance demands, temperature fluctuations, dirt, moisture, corrosive greases and fuels. Then the harvest needs to be brought in from the dusty fields and the goods have to be transported from A to B very quickly. There is simply no time for an equipment failure or standstill,” says Raj.
Over the years, Seal Innovations has partnered with some of the top OEM agricultural equipment and machine manufacturers in the country to design, develop, and manufacture a wide range of sealing products for the agriculture segment. Their ability to offer customised sealing solutions for a variety of agricultural applications has been a reliable service to customers during peak harvest season.
“One of our customers had severe dirt ingress and premature bearing wear on their machine, which lead to development of custom-made seal for the coulters. We designed a cassette style seal coupled with stainless steel gamma seals which solved the problem,” says Raj.
“Another project involved the redesign of an existing trailer seal. Our engineers studied the existing seal and the conditions that the seal was operating under. Similarly, the customer’s equipment was enduring a lot of wear and tear from contamination. Following a series of trials and simulations, our team designed a cassette seal solution to counter the problem,” he highlights with pride.
“We employ special approaches that can be adapted to enhance the life, performance and reliability of a seal product. Through input and field trials we can develop custom seals which will often outperform previous solutions in an operation. Our seals can be manufactured with standard or custom compounds to protect the systems.”
Moreover, Raj notes that Seal Innovations continues to develop and expand its seal range to compete with Australia’s diverse product market range, offering sealing products at competitive pricing, while still maintaining the OEM standard.
Seal Innovations agricultural sealing product range:
Rotary Seals: These seals are used with rotating components to protect lubrication fluids from mud or water. They are also designed to prevent corrosion from oil, gasoline, and other substances. Common types include regular low/ high pressure TC seals. (FKM, NBR, SIL)
Cassette Seals: A non-contact seal, their 2-piece design eliminates damage to the main shaft, which suits heavy duty and extreme conditions. These are generally made to order.
Duo Cone/ Mechanical Face Seals:
A large selection of OEM and aftermarket Duo Cone seals, both PADO and PADF profile, used in multiple applications. This range continues to grow as applications begin crossing over in the Agricultural segment.
Hydraulic Seals: A variety of flange, rod, and piston seals to prevent the ingress of contaminants. These seals are available with single or double lips. They can also be designed with a half or a full metal casing.
