Engineered Rubber Products

Mobile Equipment Rubber Gaskets

Rubber Gaskets for Mobile EquipmentRubber gaskets for mobile equipment provide sealing and insulation for doors and windows. They prevent the entry of outside air and water, but also absorb road and engine noise. For mobile equipment manufacturers, the right rubber gaskets need to provide both environmental sealing and acoustic insulation. Otherwise, unwanted sounds can enter the cab where the operator sits. Seals that admit wind, water, dirt, or outdoor temperatures are problematic, but so is mobile equipment insulation that fails to reduce noise levels.

Gasket quality is important, but design engineers and sourcing managers also need to consider material costs. This includes not just the gasket rubber, but also the method of attachment, such as clips, fasteners, or liquid adhesives. Engineers and buyers also need to consider the tools, skills, and capabilities of the personnel who will install rubber gaskets for mobile equipment. Outsourcing your gasket fabrication may seem expensive, but consider your true costs. (more…)

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Skylight Seals and Load Requirements

Skylight SealsSkylight seals from Elasto Proxy can meet requirements for dead loads, live loads, local maintenance loads, and wind compression loads.

Skylights are windows that are installed in a building’s roof or ceiling. They admit natural light, support passive solar heating, and provide a visual connection to the outdoor environment. Skylights feature large spans of glass, but there’s more to these windows than meets the eye. Glass loads can be heavy, and wind loads can add weight and pressure to skylight panels. If heavy loads cause a skylight to collapse, people can get hurt. Serious damage to a building’s interior can result, too. (more…)

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Military Gaskets

military gasketsMilitary gaskets provide sealing and insulation in some of the world’s most demanding environments. Marine applications include amphibious landing craft, battleships and submarines, and radar and sonar systems. Aerospace applications include aircraft, unmanned systems, satellites, and radar. Military gaskets for land systems are also used in armored vehicles, tanks, tankers, trucks, and onboard electronics.

For design engineers, specifying the right rubber gaskets for military projects can be a complex task. Many defense contractors are familiar with acronyms like MRAP, but has your design team heard of MTAP? This four-letter acronym from Elasto Proxy explains how engineers need to consider media, temperature, application, and pressure during gasket design and compound selection. (more…)

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Medical Gaskets and Platinum-Cured Silicones

medical grade gasketsMedical grade gaskets made of platinum-cured silicones are used in medical devices and equipment. Elasto Proxy custom-fabricates these rubber gaskets from an ultra-clean line of silicones that are FDA, USP Class VI, and RoHS compliant. At our manufacturing center near Montreal, Canada, we use water jet cutting to convert elastomers with speed and precision. Because there are no tooling charges, water jet cutting is ideal for prototyping and producing low-to-medium volumes of medical grade gaskets.

Elasto Proxy’s custom fabrication expertise includes assistance with seal design and compound selection. Just send us your CAD files and our technical team will use SolidWorks to review your schematics. The medical grade silicones that we custom-fabricate come in a range of durometers, and are available in custom colors to support your product designs. Although platinum-cured silicones are normally translucent, Elasto Proxy can manufacture medical grade gaskets in white, olive drab, and other colors. (more…)

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Genset Rubber Parts

GensetsGensets or generating sets are designed to supply off-grid electricity. They usually consist of a diesel or gasoline-powered engine and an electrical generator (such as an alternator) that converts mechanical power into electricity. Some gensets, such as the ones that provide emergency backup power at hospitals and water treatment plants, are large and stationary. Others gensets are portable because they’re wheeled, or are mounted on wheeled trailers that are pulled by trucks or other motorized vehicles. (more…)

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Military Land System Rubber Gaskets

Military Land SystemsRubber gaskets for military land systems provide sealing and insulation under battlefield conditions. These reliable rubber products are found in main battle tanks, light armored vehicles, armored fighting vehicles, weapons systems, and mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicles. As a gasket fabricator that’s been serving the defense industry for over 25 years, Elasto Proxy supports military land systems from gasket design assistance and compound selection to custom fabrication, warehousing, and logistics. (more…)

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Silicone Gaskets with High Flex-Fatigue Resistance

Flex Fatigue ResistanceElasto Proxy custom-fabricates silicone gaskets with high flex-fatigue resistance. These specialty gaskets are made of materials that meet the A-A-59588 3B specification for 50, 60, and 70-durometer silicones.

Silicone gaskets have many desirable properties. They’re chemically inert, resistant to ozone and ultraviolet light, offer thermal stability over a wide temperature range, and can repel water and form watertight seals. Silicone rubber is used in a variety of sealing and insulation applications, but some silicones have inadequate flex-fatigue resistance – a measure of a material’s ability to withstand repeated flexing or bending without cracking.

In some industries, however, flex-fatigue resistance is required. For example, aerospace engineers need silicones with high flex-fatigue resistance for door seals, window seals, and vibration-isolating mounts used with alternators, compressors, and assembly bolts. Members of the mobile equipment industry need crack-resistant silicones for engine mounts and exhaust hangers. Designers of aerospace and defense electronics need silicones that can flex without cracking in high-performance keypads. (more…)

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What’s the Shelf Life of Rubber Gaskets?

Shelf LlifeDoes your company keep rubber gaskets in inventory for long periods of time? Buying and storing large quantities of gaskets can help to reduce unit costs, but rubber doesn’t last forever. Shelf life, the storage period prior to gasket installation, varies by material type. Temperature, humidity, ozone, and exposure to ultraviolet light (UV) can also affect the shelf life of rubber products. By understanding these factors and evaluating all of your options for ordering seals, you can make stronger procurement decisions. (more…)

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Three Types of Custom Silicone Gaskets

Custom Silicone GasketsCustom silicone gaskets provide strong environmental sealing and excellent temperature stability. They resist water, ozone, sunlight, weathering, and aging; withstand high temperatures; and maintain their flexibility at low temperatures. Silicone rubber is also chemically inert and provides good dielectric properties. Custom silicone gaskets can be categorized in various ways, but there are three basic types: solid, sponge, and foam.

For product designers and technical buyers, it’s important to understand the differences between these three types so that you can choose the right one for your application. Type is just one of many specifications you’ll need to consider, but it’s a good place to start. For example, depending on your application, you may need to choose a silicone that’s UL listed for flame-resistance or FDA approved for medical or food processing applications.

For over 25 years, Elasto Proxy has been helping companies like yours get the custom silicone gaskets that they really need. In addition to design assistance and help with compound selection, we provide gasket fabrication services that are fast, dependable, and cost-effective. From prototyping and custom fabrication to warehousing and shipping, Elasto Proxy saves you time and money. (more…)

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Rubber Hatch Seal Case Study

military vehiclesRubber hatch seals for military vehicles don’t just keep out wind, water, dirt, and mud. They need to withstand extreme temperatures and various weather conditions. Hatch seals must avoid compression set, too. If a vehicle’s hatch causes a rubber seal to over-compress, the part won’t provide proper sealing. Ultimately, this permanent deformation creates a gap and causes seal failure. That’s bad news for military vehicles and the highly-trained personnel who operate them.

In this case study from Elasto Proxy, you’ll learn how we solved a sealing challenge for a manufacturer of military vehicles. The rubber hatch seals that we supply resist over-compression and demonstrate the value that we add to defense contracts. For our 25 years, Elasto Proxy has been an important link in the military supply chain. Elasto Proxyalso holds a Controlled Good Certificate (CGC) and works closely with trade groups such as the Canadian Association of Defense and Security Industries (CADSI). (more…)

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