Helical Spring Energized Seals — Reliable Sealing for Cryogenic, Vacuum & High-Pressure Environments

Helical spring energized seals deliver a high unit load with minimal deflection, making them a trusted energizer choice for static or slow-moving sealing systems used in vacuum, cryogenic and many high-pressure applications. At Handa Springs, our helical energizers are precision-manufactured to provide consistent sealing force, long fatigue life and minimal leakage — even under thermal cycling and pressure variation.

How Helical Spring Energized Seals Work

A helical energizer is a ribbon-wrap spring formed into a tight helix. It fits beneath a softer jacket or sealing lip (PTFE, PEEK, FKM, silicone, etc.) and supplies a continuous radial load to maintain contact with the mating surface. The geometry produces a high contact pressure over a small deflection range — ideal where friction and wear are secondary concerns but sealing integrity is critical. This configuration yields excellent vacuum and cryogenic performance when paired with suitable jacket materials.

Primary Advantages

• High unit load, low deflection: keeps seals tight with small movement.
• Excellent low-temperature behavior: typically used for cryogenic services where thermal contraction must be overcome.
• Vacuum and low-leakage capability: suitable for high-vacuum chambers and semiconductor equipment.
• Material flexibility: compatible with stainless steels and superalloys for corrosive or high-temperature environments.
• Customizability: ribbon width, pitch, heat treatment and jacket material can be tailored to application needs.

Typical Applications

Helical spring energized seals are widely used in:

• Cryogenic valves & LNG equipment — to handle extreme cold and maintain sealing during thermal cycles.
• Vacuum systems & scientific instruments — where tight leak rates are essential.
• Oil & gas high-pressure hardware — for static seals in valves and flanges.
• Semiconductor & high-purity processing — for chemical compatibility and low outgassing.

Material Options & Design Considerations

Selecting the right energizer material and jacket depends on temperature, pressure, chemical exposure and mechanical constraints. Typical spring alloys include stainless steels (301/304/316), 17-7PH for higher strength, and high-performance alloys (Inconel, Elgiloy, Hastelloy) for corrosive or high-temperature service. Jacket materials include PTFE, PEEK, UHMWPE and specialty elastomers. Our engineers match ribbon geometry, coil pitch and heat treatment to the requested unit load, compression set tolerance and expected cycle life.

Testing & Validation

Handa performs leakage, compression-set, thermal cycling and fatigue tests based on customer acceptance criteria. For mission-critical projects we provide test reports and can support third-party validation or on-site testing protocols to meet industry standards.

Ordering & Customization

We offer flexible MOQ, rapid prototyping and production scaling. Typical steps:

1. Send operating data (temperature, pressure, media, shaft/ID geometry).
2. Handa provides material and geometry recommendations and a prototype quote.
3. Prototype sampling and performance validation (5–7 business days for many prototypes).
4. Production and delivery with quality documentation.

Start your inquiry here: Contact Handa Springs (fast quote & technical support).

Why choose Handa?

We combine in-house precision forming, experience with exotic alloys, and fast prototyping to reduce development cycles and ensure reliable field performance. Our team helps you choose the correct energizer geometry and jacket pairing to maximize seal life and minimize leakage risk.

Related: Canted Coil Spring Energizers — when high dynamic deflection is required.