All mechanical seals are constructed with three basic groups of parts. The first and most important group is the mechanical seal faces, shown in Figure 1. The rotating seal face is attached to the shaft, while the stationary seal face is held fixed to the equipment case via the gland ring.

The next group of seal components is the secondary sealing members. In Figure below, these members consist of a wedge ring located under the rotating face, an O-ring located on the stationary face, and the gland ring gasket.

The third group of components is the seal hardware, including the spring retainer, springs, and gland ring. The purpose of the spring retainer is to mechanically drive the rotating seal face, as well as house the springs. The springs are a vital component for assuring that the seal faces remain in contact during any axial movement from normal seal face wear, or face misalignment.

Figure