O-Ring Groove Design Tool

How to Design an O'ring Groove

   Use our fully automatic design tool!
Simply select your seal type, then if it will be in a static or dynamic condition and lastly select the size of o'ring you plan on using. Our calculator will do the rest for you by bringing up the industry standard o'ring groove size and calculating all of the relevant groove parameters. After the default is loaded you then have the ability to adjust all of the groove geometry to suit your particular application and immediately see how it affects the grooves operational parameters. This calculator also has bumpers installed to keep impossible dimensions from being entered.

  This custom o-ring groove design tool calculates all of the relevant operational parameters for the groove after you select your o-ring size and as you enter or change any of the groove dimensions. All of the groove dimensions are adjustable and have bonds placed on them to prevent any invalid sizes from being entered. Give this custom o-ring calculator a try and let us know if you have any features you'd love to see by clicking the feature request link at the bottom of the page.

O'ring Groove Design Guidelines

   Proper o-ring groove dimension guidelines have been hashed out by major players in the industry including SAE, Parker, and Trelleborg just to name a few. These large organizations have tested and proven optimal design parameters and provide references for the industry to use as guidelines on proper grove design. For more information from these sources, scroll down to the “standards that apply” and the “tools that apply” list to get detailed information from them directly. Our website has the most common design parameters built in so you don't have to know them or reference them in a table.

What Could Go Wrong With O'rings?

   One common o-ring failure is extrusion. This happens when the pressure against the o-ring is so high that it extrudes out into the gap that it once sealed. This is why it's important to know how much of a gap your design will have and what your o-ring can handle.
   Another common failure is not enough squeeze to hold a seal. We've seen this happen, an engineer specified a dynamic type o-ring groove for a static situation that had really high pressures. This combination of low squeeze and high pressure resulted in the o-ring not being able to hold the pressure. The solution was to swap to a harder o-ring, and to include a better backup ring to help reduce the gap that the o-ring sees. This swap worked perfectly, but time would have been saved if the o-ring groove was specified correctly from the get go as static.

Parameter Definition

Groove ID Max & Groove ID Min

This parameter will be the smallest diameter that the o-ring touches.

Bore Dia Max & Bore Dia Min

This parameter will be the largest diameter that the o-ring touches.

Groove Width Max & Groove Width Min

This will be the linear axial distance of the first two parameters. (perpendicular, at 90°)

ID Stretch % Min & ID Stretch % Max

This is how much the inside of the o-ring is stretched. For internal face seals this will change over to how much the OD is compressed.

Compression % Min & Compression % Max

This is the amount of squeeze the cross section of the o-ring sees. This calculation accounts for changes in cross section due to stretching of the oring.

Gland Fill % Min & Gland Fill % Max

This is what percent of the groove volume does the o-ring occupy.

O-Ring Id Min & O-Ring Id Max

This is the inner diameter of the o-ring.

O-Ring Cross-Section Min & O-Ring Cross-Section Max

This is how thick the o-ring is.

Helpful Resources and References

Standards That Apply

These are the industry standard for O-ring Groove Design:
ISO 3601-1:2012
SAE AS4716 Dynamic & Static
SAE AS5857 Static Only, Higher Squeeze
SAE AS6235 Face Seals
Parker O-Ring Handbook ORD 5700
ERIKS Sealing Elements - Technical Handbook O-rings

Tools That Apply

Try out these O-ring groove design apps:
Parker O-Ring Selector
Trelleborg AeroGlands AS4716 & AS5857
Trelleborg AeroGlands AS4716
Trelleborg AeroGlands AS4716
Trelleborg AeroGlands AS6235
Trelleborg O-Ring Calculator

O-Ring Groove Design Tool Description

Introducing our advanced O-Ring Groove Design Tool, the ultimate solution for design engineers aiming to expedite the creation of precise o-ring grooves. This tool is thoughtfully engineered to offer instant calculations of O-Ring Groove Dimensions, streamlining the application process in your design workflow. When dealing with Gland Dimensions, our tool provides a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of calculating the proper measurements for your o-ring gland.

Our O-Ring Design Calculator is not just a tool; it's a comprehensive guide that assists you in determining the correct O-Ring Dimensions for a wide array of projects. With this powerful calculator at your disposal, you can quickly input your desired specifications and receive the necessary groove details without any guesswork. Whether you are working on small precise instruments or large machinery, this tool ensures your groove designs are accurate and reliable.

Make the most of the convenience and efficiency offered by this innovative calculator, and let it transform the way you approach o-ring groove design. With all the essential dimensions and calculations provided by this exceptional tool, designing dependable o-ring grooves has never been easier or faster.