News & Tech Tips

Choosing a Rubber Compound for High Temperature Gasket Applications

There are several rubber gasket compounds for use in elevated temperature applications.  There are, as usual, many things to evaluate before selecting the proper material.

Besides the temperature range, the fluid (or media), system pressure, and exposure conditions need to be considered.  Those factors will affect the final choice, but this brief overview will highlight temperature limits.

For applications where the rubber material will not be exposed to acids, alkalis, superheated steam (over 250ºF), aromatic hydrocarbons, and certain fuels, Silicone is a good choice for the gasket you will using.  Silicone has a superior temperature range, generally remaining flexible from -75ºF to + 450ºF, and is the compound of choice for hot, dry air gasket applications.

Viton®, while not a very good compound for low temperatures, is an excellent choice in high temperature gasket applications up to approximately 400ºF.  Viton® has superior resistance to a wide variety of chemicals, including many acids, fuels, aromatic hydrocarbons, chlorinated hydrocarbons, and non-flammable hydraulic fluids.  All of the Viton® gaskets we supply are made from genuine DuPont material; not a generic FKM.

EPDM is the best rubber gasket material for steam and hot water applications to 350ºF, with some EPDM materials capable of handling temperatures in steam to 400ºF.  EPDM is not compatible with petroleum based fluids, but can handle many Glycol based fluids to 300ºF.

Perfluoroelastomers handle a wider range of chemicals than Viton®, but most commonly are available only as O-rings.  Perfluoroelastomers (the most commonly known is Kalrez®) generally are heat resistant to 600ºF, but due to their extreme expense, and limited shape and size availability, should be considered only when the application cannot be sealed with another material.

When temperatures exceed the limits noted above, it is likely a material other than rubber will be needed.

Please contact Expert Gasket & Seal for additional assistance with your application.

Expert Gasket & Seal Offering Solutions to Sealing Challenges with Custom Gaskets

Cleveland, OH-based experts for dynamic sealing products, Expert Gasket & Seal have recently announced that they’re now offering a wide range of custom gaskets. The company’s custom gasket manufacturing services will provide clients with clear sealing solutions for industrial applications where specific performance parameters must be met to ensure cost-efficiency, safety and productivity.

Industrial manufacturing firms require sealing products that have been tested to meet many standards and specifications for their applications. This means that firms must consult with sealing specialists and find the best materials from which to create custom gaskets. Only a company with years of experience in the sealing marketplace can be trusted to provide a pinpoint solution to an array of issues. This is the reason that firms are now turning to the specialists at Expert Gasket & Seal.

Expert Gasket & Seal is now offering their expertise for creating high performance custom gaskets for a range of industrial applications. The company’s standout work begins with the creation or prototypes and ensures that clients and their objectives are a continued presence through the design and fabrication processes. The company’s team works tirelessly to help clients resolve core working challenges and provide cost-effective gasket products for seamless integration within the client’s systems. It’s the professional sealing system design process for companies with complex demands.

To learn more on the custom gaskets now offered through Expert Gasket & Seal, please contact their offices in Cleveland, OH directly today or visit www.expertgasket.com.

Tips for Designing the Right Gasket

When it comes to gaskets, there are so many different materials and designs out there, choosing the best one for your application isn’t always plain and simple. Since gaskets are mechanical seals that are designed to be airtight and prevent contaminants from entering your important equipment, you need to be precise when designing them.

As one of the leading manufacturers of custom rubber gaskets in Ohio, the team from Expert Gasket & Seal wants to make things a bit easier on you. So, here you’ll find some of the most important things to consider when designing your gaskets.

Key Considerations for Custom Gasket Design

Materials

Before beginning any of the real design work, you’ll first need to decide upon what type of material you want your custom gaskets fashioned from. When looking over the different options at your disposal, pay close attention to characteristics such as hardness, density, and elasticity. These properties will play a large role in the performance of your gasket and should never be overlooked.

Some of the most common gasket manufacturing materials include:

  • Neoprene / Chloroprene rubber: This is a synthetic rubber compound that’s both durable and resists damage from exposure to UV radiation, ozone,  and refrigerants.  . Another benefit of neoprene is that it remains flexible in a temperature range of -40° C-120° C.
  • Nitrile: Nitrile is a synthetic rubber used in a wide range of applications, but most commonly where the gaskets are exposed to petroleum based fluids.
  • Silicone: One of the most versatile gasket materials, silicone is available in everything from solid to sponge form and is excellent in temperatures to +232° C.  Silicone is typically FDA compliant and is used in food service and pharmaceutical applications.

Gasket Design

After deciding on the right material for your gasket, you’ll then need to consider what type of design you’d like it to have. Of course, the end design will depend upon what application you’llbe using it for, but you’ll need to design its shape, as well as consider its cross-section and thickness.

Application Environment

Lastly, consider what type of environment your gaskets will be installed in. What type of wear and tear and operating temperatures do you expect? Will there be any chemicals present? Answering these questions will help you make certain your finished gasket is both well-designed, as well as durable.

Contact us for custom rubber gaskets in Ohio

For more about our custom rubber gaskets, seals, and other products, contact us online today or call (330) 468-0066 or 1 (800) 956-8766.

Choosing gaskets: Are FDA gaskets necessary for your business?

Because the Food and Drug Administration oversees the safety of the food processing and pharmaceutical industry, it’s important that FDA gaskets are used in any business in these fields. Not only will this ensure that your company is in line with industry standards and best practices by consistently producing high quality goods, it also ensures that your products are produced safely at your facility and pose no risk to the consumer.

As you can see, there are no downsides for using these products – only benefits! And when you partner with Expert Gasket & Seal, you’ll get affordable FDA gaskets made exactly to order. Because we fabricate our gaskets on-site, we provide small and large quantities in short lead times.

Our regular customers for FDA gaskets include:

  • Food processing businesses
  • The beverage industry – beer, spirits, soft drinks, filtered water and fruit juices
  • The dairy industry
  • Meat packing facilities
  • Pharmaceutical production companies

Our FDA gaskets are all made of materials that are generally regarded as safe (including Nitrile, EPDM, Neoprene, PTFE, Durlon 9000, Durlon 9600 and Durlon 9200W), are chemically compatible and can function in temperatures from -50F to 500F.

With over 50 years combined experience in the business and a reputation for exceptional customer service and no-nonsense expertise, you can trust us with your FDA gasket needs.  Contact us in Cleveland, Ohio, today for more information.

Why Quality & Consistency Is So Important With Custom Gaskets

Quality rubber gaskets create leak tight seals using rubber’s natural memory to minimize the chance of unwanted leaks. They also need to have the correct compound chosen to resist extreme temperatures, pressure, and a variety of fluids and gases.  That’s why so many trust their custom gasket creation to Expert Gasket & Seal.

However, we wanted to let you know more about why we place such an emphasis on quality, so take a look below!

  • Saves on Time & Money: One of the top reasons that quality and consistency when creating custom gaskets is essential, is because it makes the process much quicker and reduces waste.  Expert Gasket & Seal can provide prototypes at low or no cost to properly evaluate your design and possible changes.
  • Enhanced Efficiency: In custom gasket design, precision is the penultimate goal. It needs to perfectly match the application for which it’s designed. This creates gaskets that are less likely to fail, and you can design your custom gaskets for optimal efficiency. You’ll find less need to replace properly designed gaskets.
  • Outstanding Quality: Having a gasket fail during operating hours can be a real nightmare. Thankfully, custom gaskets drastically reduce that scenario since they are properly spec’d and designed for your specific application.  Custom gaskets are designed with all of your exact needs and specifications, as well as your gasket performance expectations.  A professional and knowledgeable company will create custom gaskets of unmatched quality.
  • Flexible for Every Industry: Another great thing about working with custom gasket designers is they have experience designing gaskets for every type of industry you can imagine. For those needing gaskets that will withstand the extreme conditions of chemical processing plants or the specific materials and requirements of FDA applications,  custom gaskets are an absolute must.

Contact us today for more about custom gaskets, seals, and more!

For those in need of custom gaskets that are built to your exact specifications, contact the team from Expert Gasket online today or call (330) 468-0066. We also specialize in mechanical seals, braided packing and hydraulic seals, and more!

5 Tips for Choosing the Best Custom Gasket Manufacturer

When you work with a custom gasket manufacturer, make sure that they’ll be capable of manufacturing precisely what is needed. That’s why the team from Expert Gasket works with all of our clients to assure we’re clear about their needs, expectations, and the type of performance required from their custom gaskets.

Here are some of the most important things to look for when choosing a custom gasket manufacturer.

1. Variety of Materials Offered

A reliable custom gasket manufacturer will have a variety of gasket materials from which to provide the correct product for your application. Such materials include Neoprene, Viton®, Durlon®, PTFE, and more.

2. Technical Experience

Choosing a gasket provider with extensive industry experience will assure that your custom gaskets will meet the specified requirements. Gasket manufacturers with a long history in the industry will know what works best for different and challenging sealing applications.

3. Safety Features

Any custom gasket manufacturer you work with should also adhere to the strictest safety precautions at every step of the way, from the design and development process to the manufacturing of the gaskets themselves. Make certain you work with a manufacturer familiar with all of today’s latest best practices that also strictly follows local laws and guidelines.

4. Customer Support

This is, perhaps, one of the most important characteristics of any gasket manufacturer. How they handle their relationships with clients is a direct reflection of the products that they produce. Choose a provider that offers support and prompt service for the best results.

5. Competitive Pricing

It’s no secret that running an industrial firm, water processing plant, or another type of enterprise-level industrial facility is a costly endeavor. That doesn’t mean they always require costly gaskets and seal products.  A knowledgable custom gasket manufacturer, like Expert Gasket & Seal, will recommend a cost-effective solution for your seal problem.

Let us be your custom gasket manufacturer!

Are you in need of quality, custom gaskets, and mechanical seals that are enduring? Contact Expert Gasket online today to learn more about our services or call (330) 468-0066.

Four Big Benefits of Custom Die-Cut Gaskets

Custom die-cut gaskets can be a great investment, and it’s a good idea to partner with a qualified manufacturer.  Working with custom gaskets frees you from having to make “best fit” compromises to work with off-the-shelf components.  They’re also less expensive than you might expect from custom work!

There are plenty of reasons, and plenty of situations, that call for custom die-cut gaskets. Here are just a few…

Reasons to Choose Custom Die-Cut Gaskets

1. Custom cutting fits your needs

When you’re designing products, you should be designing them for the best possible functionality, rather than making compromises.  Ordering custom gaskets means they can be any size or shape you require.  Your design can be optimized, and you’ll still be able to get the best gaskets for the job.

2. A wide selection of materials

The performance of a gasket depends a lot on the material from which it’s made, and that’s determined by the operating conditions.  Factors such as temperature, pressure, range of movement, and local environment or atmosphere will all affect how long a gasket lasts.

Custom die-cut gasket manufacturers have a wide range of materials at their disposal, ranging from common rubbers to specialized materials such as Durlon 9000, Viton®, and PTFE  designed for difficult environments. Gasket experts can work with you to find the best material for your needs.

3. Replace old parts for cheap

Custom die-cut gaskets aren’t only for manufacturing new products – they’re also a great option for maintaining your current machinery.  If you have a custom machine with expensive OEM parts – or if the manufacturer has gone out of business – a custom gasket shop can provide you with 1:1 replacements at a low cost.  You can even stock up on spares, to prevent any unnecessary downtime.

4. Adhere to regulatory standards

Are you working in fields that require a better grade of machinery, such as maintaining sterile conditions when working with food or pharmaceuticals?  You definitely want custom die-cut gaskets in this situation.  Gasket experts can help you select materials and designs which will adhere to all relevant regulatory standards, keeping your operation within the law – and keeping your customers safe.

America Trusts Expert Gasket & Seal

We have over 50 years of combined experience in custom die-cut gaskets, rapid prototyping, and other sealing solutions.  If you’re facing a tricky gasket problem, or need a custom part that other shops can’t handle, contact us to discuss your needs with the experts.

When Are Custom Rubber Gaskets the Right Choice for Your Project?

In general, partnering with a custom gasket manufacturer is a great idea, whether you’re developing new products or trying to keep older machinery running.  Custom gaskets can be quickly and affordably manufactured while giving you far more options in material and design than you get from off-the-shelf gaskets.

Rubber is one of the most popular types of gasket material, and custom rubber gaskets can fill a wide variety of roles. But are custom rubber gaskets right for your own application?  Let’s take a look at some of their advantages.

Know the Benefits of Custom Rubber Gaskets

  • Physical benefits

Rubber is a great choice when the application requires a seal with memory.  Unlike cork and other compressible materials, rubber’s natural memory allows it to seal effectively in situations when there are not optimal flange  and hardware conditions.

Plus, of course, rubber is extremely flexible and doesn’t deform easily, making it a good option for moving parts.

  • Rubber can be soft or hard

Another benefit to custom rubber gaskets is that you have a lot of options in the ‘grade’ or hardness of the rubber.  Most rubber gasket materials are available in hardnesses from 40 Shore A to 90 Shore A giving you a number of options for both durability and deformability.

Rubber is available in a variety of compounds 

Rubber compounds cover a wide range of capabilities.  EPDM rubber is excellent for steam and hot water applications. Viton® rubber can withstand strong acids and perform at temperatures to 450°F.  Silicone rubber remains flexible at low temperatures and seals hot air well up to 500°F.  Common rubber materials such as Nitrile and Neoprene are recommended for a variety of water and petroleum based fluid applications.

Expert Gasket & Seal Can Design the Custom Rubber Gaskets You Need

If you’re facing a sealing challenge, Expert Gasket & Seal can help!  Contact us for experienced gasket services and advice.

4 Tips for Finding the Right Die-Cut Supplier

Having the very best die-cut supplier is key to prolonging the lifespan of your equipment and avoiding costly repairs and breakdowns. However, finding a reliable die-cut supplier is often easier said than done. But don’t worry, as one of the industry’s leading custom die-cut gasket manufacturers, Expert Gasket & Seals has some tips for you here.

Below you’ll find all you need to choose the best die-cut supplier.

1. Quality Products

Before deciding upon the right die-cut supplier it’s important you find one that offers a variety of different commercial and industrial products. Suppliers that are first-rate will carry everything from gaskets, mechanical seals, O-rings, and related sealing products.  Additionally, the right custom die-cut gasket purveyor should be able to offer materials like Silicone & Viton® rubber, PTFE, Durlon® gasket sheets, and others.

2. Expertise & Experience

Expertise and experience is key when it comes to vetting potential die-cut suppliers. This is because an experienced company will be able to easily meet your needs and develop customized products that exceed expectations. Choosing a company with all of the necessary tools to get the job done is another important consideration to make.

3. CNC Machining & Die Cutting

Computer-aided, die-cutting machinery is a must for any reliable die-cut gasket manufacturer. The best technology will make production more efficient and your end product more precise. It also means there will be less labor involved, saving you both time and money in the long run.

4. Price & Performance

Price is certainly important, but don’t jump at the first low offer you receive. Often, if it seems too good to be true, it is. Selecting a die-cut supplier that offers a good balance of price and performance will ensure you receive the very best products.

Contact us to learn more about custom die-cut gaskets!

For more information about how to create the perfect die-cut gaskets for your needs, contact us online today or call 1 (800) 956-8766. We also specialize in rubber seal sales, molded rubber parts, and more.

Expert Gasket & Seal Offering Custom Durlon Products for a Range of Applications

Macedonia, OH-based leaders of effective sealing solutions, Expert Gasket & Seal is now inviting clients to review their custom Durlon fluid sealing products. The company has the capacity to manufacture Durlon gasket products to respond to a variety of service conditions. Their solutions are designed for use in applications such as power generation, petroleum refining, chemical processing, and water purification. Each available product offers exceptional sealability, chemical resistance, and durability.

Within the industrial marketplace, companies want sealing solutions that will give their processes effective, long-term performance. Any problem that leads to system leakage can slow or shut down lines and costs companies thousands of dollars in lost time and productivity. Wise organizations entrust their sealing system providers to those with the requisite marketplace experience. It’s the reason many firms are now choosing custom Durlon sealing systems from Expert Gasket & Seal.

Expert Gasket & Seal offers the full range of Durlon gasket materials. Included within the company selection is Durlon 9000 and Durlon 9600, both enhanced proprietary PTFE products designed for exceptional sealing performance and over a wide range of chemical and FDA applications. Companies might also consider Durlon 8700, which assures exceptional resistance to ozone, oils and non-aromatic solvents utilized within industrial plants. These materials are but a few of the available gasket and seal products offered by Expert Gasket & Seal.

To discover more on the custom Durlon products offered by Expert Gasket & Seal, please contact their offices directly or visit their business website at www.expertgasket.com.