High Temperature SealsIn this case study, you’ll learn how Elasto Proxy helped a commercial oven manufacturer solve a sealing and insulation challenge. By applying our technical design, compound selection, and custom fabrication expertise, we provide high temperature seals for bakery and pizza ovens. How can we help you?

Commercial ovens don’t just need to achieve and maintain the proper cooking temperature. In busy environments such as sandwich shops, bakeries, pizzerias, and convenience stores, a commercial oven’s cooking speed and ease-of-use are also important. Oven door seals aren’t as bright and shiny as a brand-new stainless steel oven, but these rubber parts can shine brightly in their own way.

When a popular restaurant chain began toasting its sandwiches, a commercial oven manufacturer faced a challenge with high temperature seals for oven doors. The manufacturer’s oven contained a moveable tray that held sandwiches during cooking, but that caught on the door seal whenever a sandwich was removed. Eventually, the overlap between the rubber seal and the metal tray caused the oven seal to loosen.

Technical Design for Oven Door Seals

As the oven manufacturer explained to Elasto Proxy, the original seal manufacturer had been unable to modify its seal design. Without a solution to this sealing challenge, the sandwich oven wouldn’t meet the required standards and specifications – and the restaurant wouldn’t be satisfied. That’s when Elasto Proxy tested the existing seal and designed a rubber part that fit perfectly.

Eliminating the overlap between the oven seal and the sandwich tray wasn’t the only improvement that our technical team made. Elasto Proxy designed a rubber gasket with the right compression to prevent leaking. If a door seal doesn’t fit properly, a commercial oven won’t heat as effectively. Longer cooking times mean longer wait-times for customers, and higher energy costs affect a restaurant’s bottom line.

Compound Selection for High Temperature Seals

Choosing the right rubber compound for high temperature seals important, too. Silicone rubber provides excellent heat resistance, and can be used indefinitely at 150° C (302° F) with almost no change in its material properties. The compression set of silicone rubber is also consistent over a wide temperature change, and with temperatures as high as 250° C (482° F).

After listening to all of the oven manufacturer’s requirements, Elasto Proxy recommended a silicone compound that was suitable for temperatures as high as 400° F (204° C). This synthetic rubber was also a good choice because of its low compression set, high tear strength, and steam resistance. Silicone rubber is physiologically inert, and grades that meet FDA requirements for food contact are available.

Custom Fabrication for Commercial Oven Manufacturers

For over 25 years, Elasto Proxy has custom-fabricated sealing and insulation solutions for a wide variety of industries. By applying our application knowledge and technical expertise, we’ve solved numerous challenges with stainless steel equipment. As part of this process, our solutions providers help equipment manufacturers to reduce material waste during production while speeding gasket installation.

Oven seals may not seem like complex parts, but cut lengths of rubber need to be bonded or spliced into rectangular gaskets and then fitted onto the oven’s metal frame. Elasto Proxy uses waterjet cutting to make fine, fast, cost-effective cuts. We also offer a variety of bonding techniques, including infrared splicing. By outsourcing its gasket fabrication to Elasto Proxy, the commercial oven manufacturer choose high temperature seals that arrived ready-to-install.

How Can We Help You?

Does your company make commercial ovens or other stainless steel equipment such as mixers, blenders, refrigerators, countertops, or brewery vats? Do you need high temperature seals that meet all of your requirements, including faster installation times? To learn more about how Elasto Proxy can help solve your sealing challenges, contact us.

Contact Us