Bonded Gaskets for Sealing and Insulation
Better bonded gaskets improve quality and perceptions of quality. They reduce labor costs and support sales, too.
Finished gaskets need strong bonds to provide reliable sealing and insulation. In applications where rubber gaskets are visible, bonds that look better also suggest higher product quality. Buyers of specialty vehicles, commercial ovens, and electrical enclosures (just to name a few) don’t want to see bonded gaskets that look like they’re ready to pull apart in the corners or that need touch-ups.
Even in applications (such as HVAC systems) where finished gaskets are hidden, failure is expensive. Replacing the rubber seal in an air conditioning unit may cost more than you realize. In addition to paying for a replacement part, there are direct labor costs. Indirect costs including traveling to and from the job site, scaling ladders, pulling and replacing panels, and completing paperwork. Over time, it all adds up.
Gasket bonding may seem simple, but it’s skilled labor. You can buy your bonded gasket equipment, but machines don’t come with expertise. Even in an age of digital manufacturing, some activities still require craftsmanship. Plus, some bonding methods require cuts that you don’t have the equipment to make. You can try using guillotine saws or hand tools, but you can’t match water jet cutting. (more…)
Do you need to seal rounded corners against wind, water, dust, or dirt? Bulb trim seals are industrial rubber products that provide sealing and insulation for machine doors, vehicle hatches, and equipment enclosures. They’re designed to seal rounded corners and have separate bulb and retainer sections. Each of these sections can use a different material and have a different durometer or hardness.
Cold bonding for finished gaskets joins cut lengths of rubber without the use of heat. This bonding technique isn’t performed under low-temperature conditions but is manual process that requires a brush and glue. By contrast, injection molding is a semi-automated process that uses a C-press machine with a heated barrel, metal plates, and tons of pressure. To join cut lengths, uncured rubber is used.
Hot splicing uses heat, pressure, and a film splice to join the ends of rubber profiles into bonded gaskets. This joining technique uses either a conventional heating source or infrared (IR) light and polyethylene (PE) film. Hot splicing creates strong bonds at the molecular level and generally provides better results than vulcanization, a bonding technique that uses uncured rubber instead of a film splice.
Rubber profiles come in lengths that are cut-to-size and fabricated into finished gaskets. Examples include picture frame or bezel gaskets, O-rings, and gaskets with rounded corners.
There are four common shapes for extruded rubber seals. Do you know which shape is the right choice for your gasket application? Engineers and seal designers can choose P-shapes, D-shapes, E-shapes, and lip seals. Purchasing agents can either order cut lengths or buy spliced gaskets.
What are the true costs of industrial rubber products such as seals, gaskets, and insulation? Buying rubber materials and fabricating them in-house may seem cost-effective, but is your company really saving money? For that matter, are you sacrificing quality, consistency, and potential sales opportunities for a questionable cost savings?
What’s the best way to cut industrial rubber products like seals, gaskets, and insulation? Manual cutting, die cutting, water jet cutting, and abrasive water jet cutting each offer advantages. They also meet different business and technical requirements. As this article from Elasto Proxy explains, choosing the right cutting method for your application requires a complete and careful analysis. 
