Why Do We Call These Seals Stepseal and Glyd Ring?

Stepseal and Glyd Ring are two special names for seals used in hydraulic cylinders.Most other seals get their names from how they look—like O-ring,Y-ring,V-pack,or flower- ring.These two are different.

The names sound like they were made up in Chinese,but they actually started as brand trademarks.The company that invented them registered the names,and later everyone in the industry started using them.

1.What Are Glyd Ring and Stepseal?

1.Glyd Ring

The English name“Glyd Ring”means“sliding ring seal.”The old Shamban company (W.S.Shamban)created and registered it because the seal slides easily and has very low friction.

2.Stepseal

The English name“Stepseal”means“step-style seal.”The PTFE sliding ring has a special step shape in its cross-section.This shape gives excellent one-way sealing.

At first,these were just patent names from Busak+Shamban(now Trelleborg).A Hong Kong agent later turned the English words into the Chinese names“格莱圈(Glyd Ring)”and“斯特封(Stepseal)”using

Cantonese pronunciation.As more people used the products,the names became normal industry words and were even added to national standards.

2.How They Are the Same and Different

Both Glyd Ring and Stepseal are common combined seals in hydraulic systems.Each one has a PTFE sliding ring plus a rubber O-ring.

The O-ring gives the first tight squeeze and helps fix any wear later.

The PTFE ring keeps friction low,handles high heat,and lasts a long time.

The biggest difference is the direction they seal.This decides exactly where you can use.