Timken Industrial Seal Catalog

Oil Seals Appendix D – Failure Analysis
Identifying the Cause
If just one seal in a heavy industrial application becomes damaged or fails to operate properly,
it can result in extensive product and equipment damage, lengthy downtime and unexpected
maintenance costs. Familiarizing yourself with damage analysis techniques can help you
prevent further damage to equipment while identifying how to stop future seal and machine
damage before it occurs.
The diagram below organizes common symptoms with common root causes of seal failure
and is designed to help you:
• Sort possible causes of failure in a logical manner
• Identify areas for data gathering
• Identify, explore and display all possible causes related to the failure
to determine the root cause
• Keep any collaboration on defining the root cause focused and on track
Manufacturing / Shipping
Delamination
Case Damage
Excessive Leakage
(Shaft/Seal Element)
Excessive Leakage
(Bore/Seal Case)
Excessive Shaft Wear
Excessive Element Wear
Seal Element Damage
Equipment Preparation
Excessive Shaft Wear
Excessive Leakage
(Bore/Seal Case)
Excessive Leakage
(Shaft/Seal Element)
Delamination
Damaged/Fractured
Carrier Spring
Case Damage
Carbonized Lubricant
Chemical Degredation
Excessive Leakage
(Shaft/Seal Element)
Excessive Leakage
(Bore/Seal Case)
Excessive Shaft Wear
Excessive Element
Wear Fractured Element
Installation / Maintenance
Carbonized Lubricant
Application Parameters
Excessive Element Wear
Fractured Element
Lack of Lubricantion
Seal Element Damage
Spring Delamination
Thermal Degredation
Rolled Seal Element
Lack of Lubrication
Leakage
Thermal Degredation
Spring Delamination
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