FALK™ MAGNUM SEAL™ SYSTEM SELECTION GUIDE

Types A, Y, YF Parallel Shaft Drives

Types AB & YB Horizontal Right Angle Drives
The Falk Magnum Seal™
Keeps oil in
Keeps dirt out
A new standard for performance
For years, the standard for shaft sealing in the parallel shaft and
horizontal right angle reducers was the single or double-lipped
contact seal. They worked relatively well if they were handled
gently and installed properly, if the shaft was plunge-ground and
not scratched and if they were protected from abrasive material.
Since they are “contact,” eventually this contact wears material
away and leakage occurs. It will happen sooner or later.
Falk™ has now changed that with a good idea, the Magnum™
seal system. It’s simple-the oil seal has no wearing parts. That
means no leaks. It will last as long as the reducer.
A short history of shaft seals
The Challenge
Since standard enclosed speed reducers were first produced by
Falk™, we’ve searched for the answer to a problem. If precision
gears are to perform satisfactorily, lubricant must be retained in
the gearbox and external contaminants must be kept out.
However, the input and output shafts extend through the housing
walls and provide a path from the inside to outside of the
enclosure and vice versa. And, of course, both of these shafts
rotate. So the challenge is simply this, what is the most effective
and economical device to keep oil in and keep dirt out?
Sleeve Bearings
When sleeve bearings were commonly used, this rotary shaft seal
took the form of a labyrinth sealing arrangement, requiring close
fitting mating surfaces, including straight, tapered, and
interlocking shapes. In the early days, Falk™ even used a device
with a mercury barrier to prevent oil leakage. These methods
worked well if the close tolerances were maintained. They were
very expensive and difficult to manufacture.
Anti-friction Bearings
With the development of anti-friction bearings as a very
economical alternative to sleeve bearings, the sealing method
changed. Larger radial clearances were required for anti-friction
bearings, and contact seals in various flexible materials became
available. Contact (lip-type) seals were promoted as a non-leaking
seal. However, an oil film is required between the seal lip and the
shaft to prevent wear on the seal lip. If wear results, then leaks
would occur. With close shaft tolerances, plunge-ground surface
finishes and careful handling and assembly, contact seals were
adequate for most applications.
In 1978, seal manufacturers stated that even with excellent
manufacturing and application conditions, contact lip seals would
eventually wear and leak.
The Answer
At this time Falk™ intensified its search for a standard shaft seal
that would not leak. This development and testing involved many
different concepts, from multiple labyrinth designs with slingers, to
baffles, bushings and wiper combinations. The seal development
specifications were exacting:
1) It must be incorporated as a standard design.
2) It must satisfy the customer. It must work.
2 (141-110.2)
After four years of tests, Falk™ engineers came up with a good
idea-the Magnum Seal System™.
Any good idea is basically simple, and the way the Magnum™
seal works is simple.
It Keeps Oil In
SHAFT CENTERLINE
EXCLUSION AXIAL BUSH
LIP SEAL
RADIAL BUSH
BEARING ROLLERS
GREASE
OIL
DRAIN BACK
PASSAGE
OIL SUMP
The location of the inner seal cage to the bearing race and to the
shaft form a throttling bush seal. Oil is retained in the housing by
very close fitting tolerances in both the radial and axial directions.
These tight clearances make it difficult for oil to get out, but still
permit shaft rotation, since there is no contact. But what insures an
effective oil seal, is a drain back feature. Under normal operating
conditions, no oil comes through the bush seal. However, if oil
does get through, it immediately returns to the unit through drain
back passages in the inner seal cage and the housing wall. Since
there are no wearing parts, the Magnum seal lasts the life of the
gear reducer.
It Keeps Dirt Out
The second feature of the Magnum™ seal is the ability to keep
contaminants out. An outer cover assembly, when filled with
grease, traps abrasive particles. A single lip-type seal is effective in
preventing the grease and contaminants from entering the inner
seal area. Periodically, introducing fresh grease through the
grease fitting in the cover will purge contaminants.
Leaks Cost Money
When seals leak, the reducer loses lubricant vital to the life of the
gear elements and bearings. As a result, gears and bearings can
fail long before their time. That’s expensive. And leaks are messy,
the unit and floor get covered with oil. It’s a real housekeeping
problem. Also, airborne contaminants stick to the oil, which is
unsightly.
Repair Downtime
In some cases, a lip seal can be easily replaced, however, when
connected equipment must be moved or the drive is part of a
continuous process, the job takes longer and costs more.
In theory, lip-type seals run on a film of oil between the seal lip and
the shaft. Airborne particles, which are present in most industrial
areas, embed themselves in the seal lips. As a result, a groove is
worn in the shaft and oil leaks through. Replacing the seal won’t
help. The leak will still be there because of the grooved shaft.
Reconditioning or replacing the shaft can be very costly and require
more downtime than production will allow–not a good solution. The
simple, less costly solution is the Falk Magnum Seal™.
Copyright 1983, 1987, Rexnord Industries, LLC. Rexnord,Steelflex, and “A Good
Name in Industry,” are registered trademarks of Rexnord Industries, LLC. Falk is a
trademark of Rexnord. The MAGNUM SEAL is a trademark of Falk for its rotary shaft
sealing system for enclosed gear drives. All rights reserved. September 1987.
© Rexnord Industries, LLC, 1983,1987.
Magnum Seal For Types A, AB, Y, YB, and YF Speed Reducers
Reduced Maintenance, Reduced Downtime
You’ll never have to worry about dirt or grit getting into the
bearings of any properly maintained Falk™ speed reducer. Nor
will you ever have to wipe up an oil leak. Falk’s exclusive Magnum
Seal™ (below) assures it. With this design, a unique drain back
passage works in conjunction with both radial and axial bush seals
to effectively retain lubricant in the inner chamber. On a very few
high-oil requirements, two tandem lip-type seals may be used
instead of the bush seal design.
Then, at the outboard side of the seal, a purgeable grease
chamber provides an effective barrier to the infiltration of dirt or
grime. The end result: Dirt stays out. Oil stays in.
To further maximize gear, bearing, and lubricant life, every Falk™
speed reducer is designed for an oil sump temperature of no more
than 200°F. This provides a “thermal margin” that some of today’s
manufacturers simply do not offer. It’s one more reason Falk™
speed reducers stay on the job, even in the toughest applications.
OIL TO BEARING
GREASE FITTING
GREASE
RADIAL BUSH SEAL
AXIAL BUSH SEAL
BEARING
GREASE
EXCLUSION
SEAL
OIL
INSIDE
DRAIN BACK PASSAGE REDUCER
© Rexnord Industries, LLC, 1983, 1987.
Matched To Your Needs
No speed reducer, regardless of how well designed and built, will
perform efficiently if it’s mismatched to the application. So it’s
worth knowing that when you come to Rexnord, you deal with
North America’s most experienced producer of gear drives...
offering today’s widest selection of standard reducers to fit virtually
any application.
Service That Never Stops
Wherever you are, Falk™ parts and service are nearby, with 4
distribution centers and more than 600 distributors located across
North America. This network provides day and night service plus
spare parts availability. It’s our way of saying that we understand
the vital importance of keeping your plant equipment running...
and do something about it. No customer has ever been without
product or service because of a Rexnord work stoppage.
Confidence
Rexnord has been serving the needs of heavy industry for nearly
100 years. Over this span of time, widespread acceptance of our
products has made us the nation’s largest and most diversified
source of gear drives and related equipment. We take this
leadership role seriously, and stand solidly behind what we build
and what we sell. It is this sincere concern for our customers’
welfare that has led to Falk’s™ reputation as “A Good Name in
Industry.”™
(141-110.2) 3
Type Y, YB, and YF Speed Reducers
Standard Availability
Type Y and YF speed reducers are furnished with the full INNER SEAL CAGE
Magnum™ seal system as is Type YB low speed shafts. Due to GREASE FITTING
space limitations, the housing drain back holes are not furnished INNER SEAL CAGE
on Type YB high speed shafts. Type YB high speed shafts are GREASE-PURGE
GREASE FITTING CAGE
furnished with one or two, single lip seals with a grease purge GREASE-PURGE
cover or cage. C0VER

The thoroughly tested Magnum seal design effectively seals oil in

and prevents the entry of dust and water. The Magnum™ seal is
suitable for operation in atmospheres laden with contaminants EXCLUSION
and abrasive dusts such as taconite. LIP SEAL

The grease purge cover or cage prevents the ingress of foreign

matter. Contaminated grease can be purged from the assembly by EXCLUSION
DRAIN BACK LIP SEAL
introducing fresh grease through the grease fitting. Contaminated PASSAGE
HOUSING
HOUSING WALL
grease will be forced out along the shaft. WALL
DRAIN BACK
PASSAGE
The usable shaft extensions with Magnum™ seal are slightly
reduced compared to reducers with a single, dual-lip seal. These SIZES 2050-2135
values are listed below.
SIZES 1080-1195
Retrofitting & 2140-2195

The Magnum™ seal system can be installed on Type Y, YF, and YB For the sizes shown above,
For the sizes shown above,
reducers that were originally equipped with standard single, the grease-purge cover the grease purge cage is a
dual-lip seals or optional grease purged assembly. Manual consists of a one-piece split assembly. The
148-140 provides instructions for ordering and installation. Both stamped cup design with a exclusion lip seal and
the inner seal cage and the grease-purge cover/cage are required grease fitting for purging the grease fitting are located in
for field retrofitting and some external piping or housing drilling is contaminants. The exclusion the grease purge cage.
required. lip seal is seated in the inner
seal cage.

GREASE FITTING

GREASE PURGE CAGE

EXCLUSION LIP SEAL

INNER SEAL CAGE

Usable Shaft Lengths for Units with Magnum Seal™ System

TABLE 1 — Types Y and YB TABLE 2 — Type YF

DRIVE LSS High Speed Shaft DRIVE High Speed Shaft
SIZE Y & YB SIZE LSS
Y1 Y2 Y3 YB2 YB3 YB4 Dia Length Dia Length
2050 4 3 1/16 2 1/ 4 2 1/16 2 3/ 8 2 1/ 16 2 1/16 1080 6 3/ 8 2 1/2 4 1 /8 3 1/ 4 5 1/4
2060 4 13/16 3 3/ 8 2 5/ 8 2 1/16 3 2 1 /16 2 1/16 1090 7 1/ 4 2 3/4 4 5/ 8 3 1/ 4 51/4
2010 5 3/8 3 7/ 8 3 1/ 16 2 7/16 3 7/ 16 2 5 /8 2 1/16 1100 8 1/ 4 3 5 1 /8 3 1/ 2 5 5/ 8
2080 6 7/ 16 4 1/ 8 3 3/ 8 2 7/16 3 13/16 2 5/ 8 2 1/16 1110 9 1/16 3 1/4 5 5 /16 4 5 11/16
2090 7 1/16 4 3/ 4 3 7/ 8 2 7/8 3 7/ 16 3 2 1/16 1120/25 9 7/8 3 1/2 5 13/16 4 6 5/ 16
2100 8 1 /4 5 9/ 16 4 1/ 8 2 7/8 4 5/8 3 1 13/16 1130/35 10 11/ I6 4 1/2 7 7 /16 ... ...
2110 9 1/16 5 11/16 4 3/4 3 3/16 4 5/8 3 7/ 16 1 13/16 1140/45 12 1/ 8 5 8 1 /4 5 1/ 2 9 1/ 8
2120/25 9 7/ 8 6 5/16 5 9/ 16 3 1/2 5 3/ 16 3 7/ 16 2 5/8 1150/55 12 5/8 5 8 5 /16 6 9 11/ 16
2130/35 10 11/ 16 6 3/4 6 3 1/2 5 9/ 16 3 13 /16 2 5/ 8 1160/65 13 13/ 16 5 1/2 9 5 /16 6 1/ 2 10 1/8
2140/45 12 1/ 8 8 5 /8 5 15/16 4 1/16 5 3/4 3 7 /16 ... 1110/15 15 1/ 16 5 1/2 9 3 /8 7 11 3/ 4
2150/55 12 5/8 ... 5 15/16 4 5/16 6 9/ 16 4 5/ 8 ... 1180/85 16 11/ 16 6 9 3 /4 7 1/ 4 12 1/ 2
2160/65 13 13 /16 ... 6 13/16 5 1/16 7 1/ 2 4 5/8 ... 1190/95 18 11/ 16 6 1/2 10 3/8 7 3/ 4 12 1/ 2
2110/15 15 1/ 16 ... 7 9/ 16 5 13/ 16 8 1/ 8 5 3/16 Q ... Q Dimensions shown are for shaft diameters 3.00, 3.25, & 3.50 respectively. Large
1
2180/85 16 11/ 16 ... 8 7/ 16 5 7/8 9 5 9/16 Q ... diameter usable lengths are as follows: 2170/75=8 /8 , 2180/85=9, 2190/95 =
2190/95 18 11/ 16 ... 9 3/ 8 6 7/16 9 5/8 5 3 /4 Q ... 9 5/8.

4 (141-110.2) © Rexnord Industries, LLC, 1983,1987.