Wipers are primarily designed to stop contaminants from entering a cylinder on the rod, however, they can also act as a secondary seal. If contaminants were allowed to enter the cylinder it could lead to damage of your rod and/or the damage of other sealing components. A properly selected wiper could help reduce the need for unscheduled maintenance and even increase the time between maintenance cycles.
It is important to determine the correct style and material for your application. Hi-Tech Seals standard wiper material is urethane, however, we stock a large range of Nitrile, HNBR, Viton®, PEEK and Hytrel®. Things that should be considered include: required abrasion resistance, elasticity, resilience and fluid compatibility.