Metal Bellows Single Cartridge Seal RBW-125 – Durable Industrial Solution
Metal Bellows Single Cartridge Seal RBW-125 – Durable Industrial Solution
Overview
The RBW-125 is a Metal Bellows Single Cartridge seal with Quench, Drain, and Flush environmental ports and an outboard restriction bush. The seal has hydraulically balanced, shrink-fitted seal faces in a metal bellows rotary.
Rotary Bellows Wet (RBW) Single Cartridge Seal has O-Ring secondary seals and is designed as standard for use on parallel rotating equipment shafts. The Metal Bellows rotary is available in a number of material configurations, including Hastelloy, AM350, and Inconel 718.
The cartridge seal is set screw driven for positive engagement with the equipment shaft.
The seal has a number of further design features, including Quench and Drain port connections and restriction bush (for API Plan 62) and Flush Connection (for API Plan 11), and comes factory assembled and tested.
Product Description
Technical Specifications
| Seal Shaft Sizes | 20mm – 100mm (1.000″ – 4.000″) |
| Inboard Seal Face Combination | Car/TC, Car/SiC, TC/TC, TC/SiC, SiC/SiC |
| Gasket | Graphite |
| Bellows | Stainless / Hastelloy / Stainless Stainless / AM350 / Alloy C42 Inconel 625 / Inconel 718 / Inconel 625 |
| Inboard Wetted Parts | 316 Stainless Steel |
| Elastomers | Viton, ERP, Aflas, Kalrez |
| Shaft Speeds | Up to 20 m/s |
| Pressures | Up to 232 psig – shaft size specific |
| Temperatures | Up to 356°F (below material specific) |
WARNING: The Safe seal performance characteristics are typical characteristics for each variable in isolation. The individual upper limit values of each variable should NOT be used in multiple combinations of Speed, Pressure, and Temperature.
Typical Applications & Industry Use Cases
The RBW-125 is a metal bellows single-cartridge seal designed for demanding pump and rotating-equipment installations where reliability, chemical resistance, and high temperature stability matter. It features a hydraulically balanced rotary metal bellows, shrink-fitted seal faces, and options for quench, drain, and flush port connections.
Industries Served
Chemical processing
- pumps handling solvents, aggressive media, or requiring compact cartridge seals.
Petrochemical & refining
rotating equipment requiring high temperature / high corrosion resistance and minimal leak risk.
Mining/power/utilities
auxiliary and process pumps where durability and reduced downtime are key.
Water & wastewater
specialist services where high-performance sealing is required in harsh or elevated temperature conditions.
Equipment & Use-Case Scenarios
- Parallel shaft pumps with shaft sizes between approx. 20 mm to 100 mm (~1″ to 4″) requiring a cartridge seal.
- Services where flush, quench, or drain ports are required (for example, Plan 11, Plan 62 support arrangements) and where a compact, high-performance seal is preferred.
- Applications running at surface speeds up to ~20 m/s, pressures up to ~16 bar, and temperatures up to ~356°F (depending on bellows material).
- Installations where material options (Hastelloy, AM350, Inconel 718, etc) are required for high chemical resistance, elevated temperature, or harsh fluid conditions.
Why It Fits These Applications
- The metal bellows design provides axial and angular flexibility, accommodating shaft movement and thermal expansion while maintaining alignment and sealing integrity.
- Hydraulically balanced faces reduce face loading, improving seal life and stability under variable operating conditions.
- Built-in quench, drain, and flush ports support environmental control and varied piping plans, improving system design versatility.
- High-end material options for the bellows and wetted parts ensure the seal can withstand aggressive, high-temperature, or high-corrosion services where standard seals would fail.
Installation Guidelines
Prior to installation, ensure the shaft, seal chamber bore, and gland face are clean, aligned, and within tolerance; scoring, deposits, or misalignment will reduce seal life.
Insert the cartridge seal carefully: avoid forcing the metal bellows, and ensure the flush/quench/drain ports and the set-screw drive engagement are correctly oriented.
Secure the gland/clamp and engage the set-screw drive to the shaft, as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Connect any flush/quench/drain port piping according to your selected support plan.
Commission the system: bring up the flush/quench fluid, ensure the barrier or drain loop (if applicable) is operating correctly, and verify seal-face temperature and fluid conditions before full-load operation.
Record baseline operating parameters (shaft speed, temperature, pressure, flush/quench flow) for future maintenance references.
Maintenance & Inspection Best Practices
- Monitor system parameters regularly: flush/quench flow, pressure, fluid cleanliness, seal-face temperature. Any deviation (reduced flow, increased temperature) may indicate wear or blockage.
- During planned shutdowns, inspect the cartridge if feasible: check for wear on seal faces, bellows bleeding, condition of O-rings or elastomers, and evidence of corrosion or damage.
- Keep a detailed operational log, noting shaft speeds, changes in fluid chemistry (aggressiveness, solids content), temperature excursions, and flush/quench system performance. This tracking supports predictive maintenance.
- Replace secondary seals (O-rings, gaskets) and refresh flush/quench/drain systems on a preventative schedule rather than a reactive basis; maintaining fluid cleanliness enhances longevity.
- If service conditions change (e.g., higher speed, higher temperature, more corrosive fluid), reassess the suitability of the RBW-125 and discuss whether upgraded materials or alternate seal designs are required.
Service & Support Options
- Pre-installation consultation is available to confirm correct material selection (face materials, bellows alloy, elastomer) and correct flush/quench/drain plan for the service.
- Field or remote commissioning support can validate flush/quench flow, monitor seal-face temperature, and ensure correct installation and setup.
- Spare-parts kits tailored to the RBW-125: include seal faces, O-rings, gaskets, springs (if applicable), set-screw drives, and cartridge hardware to minimise maintenance downtime.
- Upgrade pathways exist: as operations intensify (e.g., elevated temperatures, more corrosive media, higher shaft speeds), you can migrate to advanced alloy bellows, alternative face materials, or a higher-duty seal configuration.
- Preventive-maintenance programmes are available—scheduled inspections, performance trending, and condition-based monitoring help increase the mean time between maintenance and reduce the total cost of ownership.
Related Products
Contact HydroMax Seal
Contact HydroMax Seal today for innovative solutions, expert guidance, and over a century of engineering excellence. Your journey to mechanical sealing excellence starts with HydroMax Seal!
E-Mail: sales@hydromaxseal.com
Address: 18511 Beaumont Hwy Building D
Houston, TX
77049
