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O-Ring Groove Design

  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.
Updated: 5/7/2024

STEP 1 Select Piston or Rod  


STEP 2 Select Dynamic or Static  


STEP 3 Select Your O-ring Size  



STEP 4 Review the Results

Feature Size Limit
Groove ID Max:
Groove ID Min:
Groove OD Max:
Groove OD Min:
Groove Width Max:
Groove Width Min:
ID Stretch % Min: > 0%
ID Stretch % Max: < 6%
Compression % Min: > 9%
Compression % Max: < 16%
Gland Fill % Min: > 70%
Gland Fill % Max: < 90%
O-Ring Id Min:
O-Ring Id Max:
O-Ring Cross-Sec. Min:
O-Ring Cross-Sec. Max:


STEP 5 Export This Table to CSV  


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.


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








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O-Ring Groove Design


Disclaimer

Recommendations on application design and material selection are based on available technical data and are offered as suggestions only. Each user should make their own tests to determine the suitability for their own particular use. Standards Applied LLC offers no express or implied warranties concerning the form, fit, or function of a product in any application.

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