DO Type Mechanical Face Seal
Mechanical Face Seals or heavy duty seals are specifically engineered for rotating applications in extremely arduous environments where they withstand severe wear and prevent ingress of harsh and abrasive external media. A Mechanical Face Seal is also known as Heavy Duty Seal, Face Seal, Lifetime Seal, Floating Seal, Duo Cone Seal, Toric Seal. The two different types of face seals are O-ring type (DO type) and trapezoid type (DF type). These types refer to the shape of the secondary sealing element cross-section. DO type is the most common. DF type offers easier installation without special tools, as well as more easily machined housings.
Mechanical face seal Introduction:
Mechanical face seal consist of two same metal steel rings and two same rubber rings. Its working principle is a pair of metal rings supported by a pair of rubber rings to form a closed space with the cavity (but no contact with the shaft). When running, the after-grinding sealing surface of the two metal rings act in close coordination and sliding relatively. On the one hand, to ensure good operation, on the other hand, to cut off the outside dust, water, rocks, gravel etc. effectively, and protect the inside grease or oil from leaking. The product types include DO style, DF style and XY style.
Mechanical Face Seal Advantage:
◆ Reliable design, simple installation
◆ Low cost, high efficiency
◆ Longer working life
◆ Automatically compensate eccentricity of the shaft
◆ Self-repair lapping sealing surface
◆ Cut off the outside dust, water, rocks, gravel etc. effectively, and protect the inside grease or oil from leaking
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Products Describe
DO type is standard mechanical face seal composed of two metal parts.This design consists of two symmetrically tapered seal rings and two O-rings. At installation, the o-rings are compressed between thetapered contact surfaces of the seal ring and housing.The o-rings undergo a calculated compression whichis critical for proper operation of the sealing system(dimension “S”). Cleanliness of the o-rings and housing(free of oil and dirt) is of primary importance. Lubrication of the o-rings with oil or grease is not permitted during the installation process.
The DO design uses two precision-matched metal sealing rings together with two elastomer O-rings. This proven configuration is widely used in construction machinery, mining equipment, agricultural machinery and other heavy-duty equipment where conventional shaft seals may not provide sufficient service life.



Product table
| Item NO. | Outer diameter | Inner diameter | Height |
| D1[mm] | D2[mm] | D3[mm] |
The DO Type Mechanical Face Seal is one of the most widely used mechanical face seal designs for heavy-duty rotating equipment.
◆ Protection against abrasive contamination – the metal face sealing system helps isolate bearings and lubricated components from mud, sand, dust and water.
◆ Reliable lubricant retention – closely matched sealing faces help reduce loss of oil or grease from the protected housing.
◆ Wear-resistant metal sealing interface – designed for equipment exposed to continuous contamination and abrasive operating conditions.
◆ Self-centering capability – the elastomer O-rings support and position the metal rings while allowing the sealing system to accommodate limited movement and eccentricity.
◆ Simple mechanical structure – two metal seal rings and two elastomer rings form a robust sealing arrangement suitable for heavy-duty equipment.
◆ Long-term sealing for difficult environments – particularly suitable where reliability and reduced maintenance are more important than the use of a conventional lip or shaft seal.
For applications where installation space, housing design or assembly requirements differ, ZHONO also supplies DF Type Mechanical Face Seals.
Material selection is an important part of floating seal performance, especially when equipment is exposed to abrasive particles, temperature changes and long operating cycles. ZHONO floating seal metal rings are available in high-chrome alloy cast iron, with hardness stated at 60–72 HRC.
| Elastomer | Typical Temperature Range | Suitable Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| NBR | -35°C to 100°C | General industrial and heavy-equipment applications |
| HNBR | -30°C to 150°C | Higher-temperature operating conditions |
| VMQ | -50°C to 200°C | Wide temperature range |
| FKM | -10°C to 180°C | Applications requiring higher temperature and fluid resistance |
For detailed metal and elastomer information, see our Mechanical Face Seal Materials.
DO type mechanical face seals and floating oil seals are particularly suitable for slow- to moderate-speed rotating systems operating in contaminated environments.
Typical equipment includes:
Used in excavators, bulldozers and other tracked equipment where undercarriage and drivetrain components are continuously exposed to soil, mud, gravel and water.
Typical sealing positions may include:
◆ Track rollers
◆ Idlers
◆ Final drives
◆ Axles
◆ Gear housings
Mining equipment operates in highly abrasive environments containing mineral dust, slurry and debris. Heavy-duty metal face seals help protect lubricated rotating components against contamination.
Applications can include:
◆ Mining vehicles
◆ Conveyor systems
◆ Coal mining machinery
◆ Drive units
◆ Transmission systems
DO floating seals are also suitable for agricultural machines operating in soil, mud, crop residue and outdoor moisture.
Typical equipment includes:
◆ Tractors
◆ Rotary cultivators
◆ Harvesting machinery
◆ Agricultural axles
◆ Drive assemblies
Mechanical face seals can also be applied in equipment where contamination resistance and long maintenance intervals are important, including tunnel boring machinery, heavy conveyors and other industrial rotating systems. Explore additional examples in our Mechanical Face Seal Applications.
For industrial buyers, mechanical face seal quality depends on more than dimensional accuracy. Material composition, hardness, sealing-face condition and dynamic performance all influence service reliability.
ZHONO supports mechanical face seal quality verification with dedicated testing equipment.
Our testing capabilities include:
Testing equipment can simulate operating conditions and evaluate whether the seal maintains sealing performance at specified speed and temperature.
A spectrometer is used to analyze the composition of the metal sealing ring and help verify material consistency.
Metal ring hardness is checked because wear resistance and sealing life are closely related to material hardness.
Metallographic testing helps evaluate the internal structure of the metal material and provides additional information about its physical and mechanical properties.
Even a correctly selected floating seal can suffer premature failure when the housing, O-ring or sealing face is contaminated or incorrectly installed.
Before installation:
◆ Clean the housing groove thoroughly.
◆ Make sure there are no burrs or contaminants.
◆ Keep the elastomer O-ring free from twisting.
◆ Do not apply oil or grease to the O-ring simply to make installation easier.
◆ Make sure the sealing faces remain clean and undamaged.
◆ Check that both seal halves are installed evenly and correctly aligned.
A dedicated installation tool helps position the DO floating seal and O-ring evenly in the housing and reduces the risk of distortion during assembly.
See our complete Floating Seal Installation Guide and Tools before installation.
ZHONO focuses on the development, manufacture and technical support of mechanical face seals and floating seals for heavy-duty machinery.
Our product range includes DO, DF, XY and YY mechanical face seal designs, allowing equipment manufacturers, replacement-parts suppliers and industrial distributors to source different sealing configurations according to their application requirements.
ZHONO focuses specifically on mechanical face sealing technology rather than maintaining a broad general-purpose seal catalog. Our experience covers product design, manufacturing, application selection and installation support.
High-chrome alloy cast iron metal rings and multiple elastomer options including NBR, HNBR, VMQ and FKM allow seal configurations to be selected according to different working environments.
Dynamic lifetime testing, material analysis, hardness inspection and metallographic examination provide additional control over the properties that influence mechanical face seal performance.
If the required DO seal number is unknown, send us your seal dimensions, equipment information, drawing or application requirements. Our team can help identify the appropriate mechanical face seal configuration.
DO and DF mechanical face seals use the same basic metal-face sealing principle, but they use different secondary elastomer designs.
| Feature | DO Type | DF Type |
| Secondary sealing element | O-ring / toric ring | Diamond or trapezoidal elastomer |
| Design | Symmetrical metal rings | Metal rings with trapezoidal elastomer |
| Typical designation | O-Ring Type Mechanical Face Seal | Trapezoid Type Mechanical Face Seal |
| Installation | Installation tool recommended | Can simplify installation in suitable housing designs |
| Housing consideration | Standard DO-style housing | Requires different housing geometry |
If your application uses a trapezoidal secondary sealing element, view our DF Type Mechanical Face Seal.
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