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V-Packing
V-Packing — Stacked Chevron Seals for High-Pressure Cylinders
20 April 20255 min read
V-packing (also called chevron or vee packing) is a stack of V-shaped sealing rings squeezed between a male and female adapter. Pressure inside the cylinder spreads the lips outward, so the seal actually gets tighter as load increases.
Common uses
- 1Hydraulic presses, baling machines and metal-forming rams
- 2High-pressure rod seals in heavy industrial cylinders
- 3Mud pumps and reciprocating equipment in oil & gas service
- 4Re-packable cylinders where field rebuilds are required
Advantages
- Handles very high pressures — often where lip seals fail
- Stack height is adjustable — add or remove rings to tune sealing
- Rubber-fabric and PTFE versions resist abrasion and chemical attack
- Field-serviceable: rings can be replaced without specialised tooling
Disadvantages
- Higher friction than modern PU lip seals — more heat, more wear
- Wrong stack height = leak (too loose) or shaft damage (too tight)
- Needs adapters and a gland nut — more parts than a single lip seal
- Not the best choice for low-pressure or high-cycle dynamic applications
The bottom line
V-packing earns its place in high-pressure rebuildable cylinders and presses. Match the material to the fluid, set the stack correctly, and it will outlast almost any single-piece seal in heavy-duty service.
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