Newmarket, Ont. – November 11, 2019 – Elasto Proxy, an innovative provider of sealing solutions, recently hosted its first Rubber Event for manufacturers who want better gaskets. Elasto Proxy’s branch in Newmarket, Ontario hosted the October 23 event and welcomed seven attendees from two local manufacturing companies. Through a series of hands-on activities, Elasto Proxy’s solutions providers demonstrated how compound, hardness, and profile selection are keys to finished gaskets that add value.
The Rubber Event began with a look at the Elasto Pak, a convenient kit that contains examples of sealing solutions. Attendees then toured Elasto Proxy’s facility, which became the new home of the Newmarket team last September. By storing customer inventory and releasing products on-demand or according to sales forecasts, Elasto Proxy simplifies logistics. Elasto Proxy also adds value to finished gaskets by helping manufacturers during compound selection – the subject of several Rubber Event experiments.
For example, Elasto Proxy demonstrated how gasoline, hydraulic oil, window cleaner, and paint thinner affect different elastomers. Attendees discovered how gasoline and paint thinner caused SBR rubber to break-down almost immediately. They also saw how Viton® withstood chemical attack. Rubber Event participants said they weren’t even aware that these chemicals reacted with rubber. They also learned how media, temperature, application, and pressure (MTAP) can help guide compound selection.
Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), a group of rubber-like materials that can resist outdoor environments, were of special interest. Unlike EPDM, a popular rubber for door and window seals, TPEs are recyclable. They also come in custom colors and have tighter tolerances. Often, manufacturers who work mainly with metal aren’t aware that rubber has different tolerances, or allowable variations in size. This can cause gasket designers to specify tolerances that aren’t achievable with rubber seals.
Rubber Event attendees also performed interactive activities to learn about compression set, a measure of a material’s ability to return to its original thickness after a compressive force is removed. Attendees were surprised by how compression affects elastomers differently and how gasket compression should not exceed 50%. Elasto Proxy then shared stories about what can happen to a seal if a door is closed for long periods of time, and how doors that are opened daily are subjected to different cycles.
Finally, the manufacturers at Elasto Proxy’s first-ever Rubber Event used hand tools to cut a gasket. They observed that every cut was different, which led to a discussion about the repeatability and precision of computer-controlled water jet cutting. As a custom fabricator and value-added manufacturer, Elasto Proxy can combine water jet cutting with kitting and custom packaging that speeds operations. By putting all of the parts that a picker needs in one box, manufacturers can realize gains in efficiency.
Elasto Proxy would like to thank everyone who participated in our October 23, 2019 Rubber Event in Newmarket, Ontario. The feedback from our post-event survey revealed that customers enjoyed the interactive element and even wished that the four-hour event had been longer. “I was looking at rubber gaskets in black and white,” one attended remarked, “and now it’s a color picture”. For more information or to schedule a Rubber Event for your company, please email Elasto Proxy’s Sean Lillew.
