Plus expand to seal

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Apr 7, 2003

Wixroyd Expander sealing plugs are used to seal cross-drilled holes in fluid power components without sealing compounds, threading, or costly machining necessary with other sealing methods.

Wixroyd Expander sealing plugs are used to seal cross-drilled holes in fluid power components without sealing compounds, threading, or costly machining necessary with other sealing methods.

Available in case-hardened steel and stainless steel, from 3 to 22mm, once properly installed the sealing plugs provide leakproof seals at up to 7200lb/in2 working pressure (with an inbuilt safety factor of 3:1) The Expander sealing plugs are based on the pressure/expand principle.

Each plug consists of a ball, as the expanding element, and a cup-shaped expansion sleeve.

The unexpanded plug is placed into the required drilled hole a fitting tool is then used to set the ball into the sleeve, causing the sleeve to expand outward.

The serrations on the outside of the sleeve anchors into the base material to provide a secure seal.

The top of the sleeve constricts slightly and prevents the ball from coming out.

Expander sealing plugs have found a wide range of application in hydraulic and pneumatic control valves, engine manifolds, brake and power transmission components and many more fluid applications.