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The primary functions of bearing seals are to prevent lubrication from escaping and foreign material from entering, the effectiveness of which is determined by the design of the seal lips. Bearings with low friction rotation are in great demand in the automotive market as a direct result of enforced vehicle fuel economy and reduced CO2 emissions regulations. Therefore, bearings with good sealing function and low friction rotation are required. This makes designing a seal challenging as the ideologies of high seal-ability and low friction rotation tend to be contradictory. Current estimations of bearing seal friction or rotational torque require significant time and cost through empirical methods of trial and error. Research into the estimation of bearing rotational torque through numerical analysis, based on finite element methods, is the focal point of this paper.

The ever tightening of fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards globally continues to challenge bearing companies toward lower torque, lower mass products. This paper focuses on improving fuel efficiency by considering the torque of automotive wheel bearing seals. This study establishes the level of drag torque reduction achieved through the structural design of the bearing seals. Wheel bearing seals are a critical component that must pass stringent torque, water exclusion, and other critical OEM and supplier performance specifications. They are designed as non-serviceable and must maintain full performance through the life of the vehicle. As a result of the application of specialized structural design, the drag torque, per the study, is reduced by more than 50% compared to existing bearing specifications. Electric vehicle companies are also seeking low friction wheel bearing solutions to further reduce CO2 (indirect or wheel-to-wheel) emissions.