Although rotary shaft seals have been used successfully in many industrial applications for decades, their tribological behavior is still not completely understood. In-depth knowledge of the structural mechanics is essential for the design and optimization of such sealing systems. High complexity results from the multiscale interactions in the tribological system rotary shaft seal. Large macroscopic deformations occur due to the hyperelastic material behavior of elastomers coupled with microscopic tangential distortions of the sealing edge surface in the contact area. This paper includes both numerical and experimental studies on the tribological behavior of rotary shaft seals. A multiscale finite element model provides the simulation of the macroscopic deformations and the microscopic displacements. A test rig equipped with a hollow glass shaft enables in situ visual contact analyses, qualitative determinations of pressure distributions and quantitative measurements of elastomer surface distortions. The optical phenomenon of frustrated total internal reflection enables qualitative evaluations of the pressure distribution. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) is employed to quantify the tangential distortions. The test rig enables the measurement of the friction torque with the same configuration. The results of the numerical and experimental investigations for the radial load, friction torque and tangential distortions are compared and discussed. This serves to validate the simulation methods and the correlation of the measured parameters. This finally results in a solid and validated basis for further tribological investigations of rotary shaft seals.

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