News & Tech Tips

Does Your Application Call For a Viton® Gasket?

Greencrest Digital on August 25, 2020

When you have demanding applications in need of specialty seals, it’s a good idea to turn to an Ohio custom gasket manufacturer for expert advice. A well-established custom gasket shop will have a huge range of materials available, like Viton® gaskets, and can consult on which will be best for your application.

Viton® – the Chemours brand name for a synthetic rubber called FKM – is one of the most unique and resilient materials from which gaskets can be made, but that doesn’t mean it’s right for every application.  Let’s take a look at which situations call for it.

When Do Your Custom Gaskets Need To Be Made From Viton®?

What makes Viton® unique is its ability to seal a great variety of fluids and do so within a wide temperature range greater than what typical rubber seals can achieve.

Viton® has a higher density than common elastomers such as Neoprene and Nitrile.  The increased density allows Viton to outperform those materials in vacuum applications.

Gaskets made from Viton® have a number of unique properties, including:

  • Continuous heat resistance up to 450°F with excursions to 500°F
  • Cold resistance without cracking, down to -20°F.
  • Superior resistance to petroleum based fluids, strong acids, and solvents that would compromise other organic rubber materials.

Viton® seals are used extensively in aerospace, chemical, and other demanding industries since their chemical properties make them an excellent choice for critical applications.

Please know when you purchase Viton® gaskets & seals from Expert Gasket & Seal, you will be receiving genuine Chemours Viton® – not a generic equivalent.  Don’t be swayed by “bargain “ FKMs for critical and safety sensitive applications.

If you have a difficult engineering job and are working on a project that needs high-performance gaskets, Expert Gasket & Seal can help!  Contact us to consult with a top-quality Ohio custom gasket manufacturer.

When is it Better to Use Custom Gaskets & Why?

Greencrest Digital on July 25, 2020

Depending on your needs and applications, there may be times when it’s better to purchase custom gaskets rather than relying on traditional ones. However, unless you’re an expert like the team from Expert Gasket, determining precisely when can often be difficult, which is why we’re here to help.

Below, our Ohio custom gasket manufacturer team has put together some of the scenarios where purchasing custom gaskets will make a difference, as well as why it can be so important sometimes to get the right gasket for the job.

Different Types of Custom Gaskets

There are two main types of gaskets.  Gaskets for pressurized systems most typically are those used in piping.   These can be made from a number of different materials depending on the needs of the application.  Gaskets for non-pressurized systems include door seals, electrical enclosure seals, and other similar products.  These gaskets are more commonly made from softer materials such as foams or sponges.

Custom Gasket Materials

Again, the type of custom gasket material you’ll require will depend upon the specific application that you’re using it for. However, when choosing a custom gasket manufacturer, it’s always best to go with one that offers a wide variety of materials to choose from, such as metal, soft plastics such as PTFE,  and rubber such as Neoprene, Silicone,  and Viton FKM.  Some applications may require a compressed gasket material, such as Durlon 8500 and Durlon 8400.  Chemical and food applications may require a PTFE based material such as Durlon 9000 or Durlon 9600.   Don’t be afraid to ask for samples and be sure you know exactly what specifications you need, because any mistake on your part could wind up being costly since custom gaskets are made to order.

Let us be your Ohio custom gasket manufacturers!

If you’re still unsure of precisely what type of gasket or material will best suit your applications, our team of experts is always available to lend a hand. To learn more about custom gaskets or place an order, contact us online for a quote today or call (330) 468-0066 or toll-free at 1 (800) 956-8766.

Choosing the Best Rubber Gasket Materials for Your Needs

Greencrest Digital on June 25, 2020

When it comes to rubber gaskets, the right materials can certainly go a long way. This is because if your gaskets are going to be exposed to the elements or installed in applications where they’ll receive high-stress, they need to be up to the job. That’s why the team from Expert Gasket has collected some important facts for you here. As one of Ohio’s leading custom rubber gasket manufacturers, we wanted to share some of our years of insight with you.

Here are some things to consider that will help you choose the very best rubber gasket materials.

4 Materials that Stand Up to the Elements

  • Silicone: As one of the most versatile materials, Silicone boasts properties that are highly elastomeric, meaning they function well in both high and low temperatures. Additionally, it’s oxygen-resistant, as well as resistant to other things that can cause damage such as ozone, UV rays, inclement weather conditions, and more extreme temperatures.
  • Polyurethane:  While polyurethane is a plastic, it’s physical characteristics mimics rubber. When compared to many rubber materials, polyurethane outperforms in conditions requiring excellent abrasion resistance. It can also operate in temperatures as low as -22°F and as high as 230°F and offers great ozone resistance.
  • Viton®: This synthetic rubber, a fluorocarbon (FKM)  is most well-known for its chemical and high temperature resistance.  It is also designed to perform well in extreme chemical applications, as well as with synthetic oil, fuels, and aromatic hydrocarbons.
  • Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) Rubber: EPDM rubber is used mostly in hot water and steam applications.  It also is chosen for applications with glycol based brake fluids and some organic acids and alkalis.  EPDM has excellent ozone, aging and weather resistance.

Contact us for your Ohio custom rubber gaskets!

Want to make certain that your seals and gaskets never fail? Contact the team from Expert Gasket today online or call (330) 468-0066 or 1 (800) 956-8766. In addition to our custom gaskets, we also carry a wide range of mechanical seals, hydraulic seals, and more.

3 Benefits of Custom Die Cut & Flashcut Gaskets

Greencrest Digital on May 25, 2020

If you frequently use gaskets as connectors, or for your seals and other applications, it’s important to invest in the right ones. As you most likely know: no two manufacturing styles are alike, so how do you determine whether a particular gasket is the right one for you? Well, the team of experts from Expert Gasket & Seal is here to help by illustrating some of the greatest advantages of investing in custom die cut gaskets.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know to convince you that our custom die cut gaskets are able to outperform the competition.

1. Supply Chain Flexibility

One of the biggest advantages of investing in custom die cut gaskets is that you’ll always be able to find them; there’s no need to worry about a manufacturer running out. This is because since they’re made on a custom basis, you can choose from a range of different companies like the team from Expert Gasket & Seal. Many die cutters will offer a wide range of solutions, enabling you to design a gasket that’s ideal for your applications and one-of-a-kind, something you simply can’t get with traditional manufacturers.

2. Lower Costs

You might not think at first glance that custom die cut gaskets will be the cheaper alternative, but they are indeed. This is because the majority of custom die cut gaskets are produced using steel-rule dies on flatbed or rotary equipment.  Complimenting that process is Expert Gasket & Seal’s Flashcut fabrication which does not require tooling and uses a .dxf file to create and manufacture custom gaskets.  This process is ideal for smaller batch orders.

3. Design Changes without the Expense

For those who are creating prototypes and tweaking the parameters of a particular product, Flashcut gaskets are a great option when it comes to keeping costs down.

Let us be your custom die cut gasket provider!

Are you in need of affordable, high-quality die cut or Flashcut gaskets? If so, the team from Expert Gasket & Seal would love to hear from you. In addition to our die-cutting services, we also specialize in mechanical seal sales, FDA gasket and connector sales, and more.

For additional information or to speak to a qualified sales representative, contact us online today or call (330) 468-0066; or toll-free at 1 (800) 956-8766.

Four Critical Aspects of Choosing the Perfect Custom Gasket for Your Needs

Greencrest Digital on March 25, 2020

Manufacturers across Ohio, and the United States, know the value of partnering with an experienced custom gasket manufacturer.  Custom gaskets are an excellent solution for a range of problems, from difficulties in developing new products to maintaining older machinery when spare parts are difficult to find.

Your Ohio custom gasket manufacturer will do their best to understand your needs, and work with you to find the right gasket solution – but it helps if you go into the process prepared.  These are the factors to focus on when choosing between potential gaskets.

Critical Elements When Choosing Custom Gaskets

1. The basic specifications

First, of course, a company needs to know the basics of their order.  What will the gasket be sealing, and what are the mechanical details of the application? These, and other considerations need to be addressed before choosing an appropriate material.

2. Resistance requirements

What will be the maximum and minimum temperatures the gasket will have to operate under?  What sort of pressure will it be asked to withstand?  Are there any foreseeable usage cases that will go beyond the “on paper” resistance specifications?  These are all critical pieces of information.

3. Choosing a material

Anyone can carve out a piece of rubber using a CAD file.  True success when manufacturing custom gaskets comes from choosing the right material for the job.  This is why it’s best to know as much about the gasket’s predicted performance as possible.  Every potential gasket material – and there are dozens – has different physical properties.  The best manufacturers know how to pair material to purpose.

4. Testing

Finally, custom gaskets should be thoroughly tested prior to finalizing the order. Fluid compatibility and application testing should be performed to determine if the gasket is truly ready to be deployed in live machinery or sold to customers.

Expert Gasket & Seal Is Your Experienced Ohio Custom Gasket Manufacturer Companies from across the state, and across the nation, rely on us for gasket orders large and small.  From one-off prototyping to major production runs, we have the tools and experience to fulfill your needs.  Click here to consult with our experts

Why Partner with A Custom Gaskets Manufacturer?

Greencrest Digital on March 25, 2020

People rarely think about gaskets, at least not until something is leaking.  Perhaps your engineers are struggling to put together a product capable of accomplishing its intended tasks, due to challenging environmental elements.  Perhaps you rely on older machinery, where finding replacement gaskets is difficult.  Perhaps you simply want to stock up on spares in bulk, to save money.

There are numerous ways that a custom gaskets manufacturer can be a valuable partner – and much more helpful than trying to buy gaskets off the shelf!

Why Custom Gaskets Are Better Than Off the Shelf Products

1. No compromises in product design

There are thousands of “stock” gaskets in the world, but the potential combinations of size and material are genuinely endless.  If you rely entirely on stock gaskets, that means your product has to be designed around the gaskets – and that means compromises.  On the other hand, a custom gasket can be created specifically for your needs.

2. Avoid costly replacement parts

Too many hardware manufacturers try to lock you into relying on them for spares, then overcharge for basic products.  You can avoid that with a custom gasket manufacturer.  It’s entirely possible to replicate any product on the market, usually for less than the OEM price, and often with better quality!

3. Replace irreplaceable parts

Another benefit of working with custom gasket manufacturers is the ability to obtain replacement gaskets when official parts simply are not available.  A lot of industrial and machine shops still rely on older hardware, whose original manufacturer is long out of business.  If a gasket fails, replacements may be impossible to find – but they can always be custom-made!

4. Create better products

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of materials and material blends that can be utilized in creating gaskets.  Cork, rubber, or silicone are fine – but they aren’t always the optimal solution to your use-case challenges.  A custom gasket manufacturer can utilize more exotic materials, like Durlon 9000, to help improve sealing and system longevity.

5. Stock up

Buying custom gaskets in bulk is cheap and easy, particularly compared to small-batch jobs.  If you foresee a need for replacement gaskets stretching ahead into the future, why not go ahead and order them now to keep long-term costs down?

Expert Gasket & Seal Can Help

Expert Gasket & Seal are your custom gasket experts!  Contact us to consult with our engineers.

Custom Die Cut Gaskets Can Easily Protect Your Electrical Enclosures

Greencrest Digital on February 25, 2020

Vital electrical and electronic equipment should be kept in a protective enclosure – particularly if operating in an outdoor environment.  However, the enclosure is only as protective as the gasket sealing it closed!  Even small flaws in either the seal or flange can compromise the gasket, causing serious problems to your operation.

Custom die cut gaskets can be an excellent and cost-effective option for keeping your electrical enclosures secure against threats both in both indoor and outdoor applications.  There are other potential options but die cut gaskets will give you the best performance.  More importantly, they’re much more likely to adhere to Ingress Prevention (IP) standards that your equipment may be required to meet!

Why Custom Die Cut Gaskets Are Best for Sealing Electrical Enclosures

Fundamentally, you have three options for gaskets on your electrical boxes – Strips, Foam-In-Place (FIP), and Custom die cut or Flashcut.

Strips are the worst choice, although they can occasionally be deployed as a “quick fix” until a more permanent solution can be obtained.  This simply means taking a length of sealing material, such as silicone, and cutting it into strips that are applied to the box’s door.  This may leave gaps in the protection and will cause leaks.

Foam-In-Place is another option.  FIP involves buying specialty liquid polyurethane and spraying it around the edges of the mating surfaces.  The liquid creates a foam, which cures into a harder seal.  If properly applied, it can create a relatively good seal.  However, it’s also fairly easy to damage, and the process is messy.   Special equipment will need to be purchased to accurately dispense the foam, necessitating additional cost.

Custom Die Cut or Flashcut Gaskets are the best permanent solution.  An experienced gasket manufacturer has a wide range of materials to choose from and can select the gasket material to best meet your needs and the operating conditions for the enclosure.  Die-cut /Flashcut gaskets are continuous, eliminating seams and other potential leak paths.  Plus, it’s easy to buy a handful of replacements at a low cost, so that you’ll have plenty of spares on hand for the years to come.

For Top Quality Gaskets, Call Expert Gasket & Seal

Companies across America trust us for custom die cut gaskets, as well as a variety of other custom plastic products and sealing solutions.  Contact us to consult with our experts!

What to Do – And Not Do – When Installing A Gasket

Greencrest Digital on January 25, 2020

When you order gaskets from a custom gasket manufacturer or any other source, they’re only going to perform as well as the installation job that puts them in place. Even the best-designed custom gasket will fail if it’s improperly installed – and a gasket failure can be very costly indeed. This is a situation where the installation simply needs to be done right the first time, every time.

So, here are some important tips on how to properly install a gasket – and what not to do, even if it seems tempting.

Three Must-Dos When Installing A Custom Gasket

1 – Always thoroughly clean the mating faces.

To get the best seal from your gasket, it should be applied to surfaces that are as clean as reasonably possible. Unless the mating faces are fresh off the assembly line, they should always get an appropriate cleaning to ensure a strong seal.

2 – Check flange condition

Flanges should be flat and parallel. Large nicks, deformations, and other major surface imperfections cannot be overcome by any gasket. Poor flanges should be either resurfaced or replaced.

3 – Tighten any bolts in a sequence.

For best fit, the bolts holding the gasket shouldn’t merely be each tightened in turn. Instead, work with opposite pairs – for example, top/bottom then left/right. Do at least three passes, tightening each bolt a bit more with each pass. This creates the best seal.

Three Gasket Installation Mistakes to Avoid

1 – Never reuse old gaskets.

An old gasket can never be relied on.  It’s already compromised and guaranteed to fail in an unpredictable fashion.  Remember, new gaskets are less costly than leaks.

2 – Never stack multiple gaskets together.

Never put two or more gaskets stacked together to try to correct poorly aligned flanges. Gaskets are not spacers, and overly thick gaskets are not the answer to correcting this problem. Contact your gasket specialist for help with this situation.

3 – Don’t over-tighten rubber gaskets.

Rubber gaskets that are over-tightened are more likely to fail, as this increases the pressure, they’re under.  This is one reason that you should tighten the bolts in sequence, as mentioned above, to avoid putting too much pressure on any part of the gasket.

Expert Gasket & Seal Makes Gaskets Easy

We are a custom gasket manufacturer with fast turnarounds and a long history of satisfied customers.  Contact us for a consultation.

How Your Business Benefits from Using Custom Gaskets

Greencrest Digital on December 25, 2019

If your products require gaskets to function properly, you want those gaskets to be as high-quality as possible.  Gaskets are generally inexpensive, as components go, but can significantly impact the overall lifespan of the products they go into.  Better gaskets make for better products, and that makes for better customer relationships.

How do you guarantee the best quality from your gaskets?  Buy custom.  Custom gaskets don’t cost much more than off-the-shelf components but offer so much more.

Five Big Benefits to Purchasing Custom Gaskets for Your Products

1. Guaranteed quality

One of the big hazards of ordering pre-made gaskets today is that there is often little way of knowing where they came from, or what sort of QC policies were in effect.  Unless you know the source of the gaskets, you can’t fully rely on them for your products – and you can’t know that unless you’re working directly with the company that makes them.

2. No compromises

Chances are, even if you can find an existing off-the-shelf gasket that works in your product, it won’t be optimal for your product.  Using pre-made gaskets almost always requires a level of compromise, sacrificing some level of usability or stability to make the gaskets work.  But when you order custom, those gaskets can be made precisely tailored to your needs.

3. Design consulting

Gasket manufacturers know their machines and their supply of materials intimately – and that means they can help you get the most from your designs!  Rather than compromising, it becomes possible to get gaskets that exceed expectations and allow for higher performance than initially planned for.  Expert gasket design consultants can significantly improve your product, and that boosts your entire business.

For example:

4. More choices in materials

Typically, off-the-shelf gaskets only come in a few stock materials such as rubber, cork, or silicone.  However, custom gasket manufacturers will have a huge range of materials available, including exotic materials with high temperature or pressure resistance.  Often, just changing materials can significantly improve performance when in use!

5. Get replacement parts easily

Don’t overlook the benefit of having spares on-hand, either for your products or for the machine used in your own processes.  Custom-made replacement parts are often of higher quality than OEM originals and can be cheaper as well.

Let Expert Custom & Seal Help

Expert Gasket & Seal has years of experience creating great outcomes for our customers and their products.  Contact us for a consultation!

How Compression Setting and Stress Relaxation Can Affect Your Custom Foam Gaskets

Greencrest Digital on November 25, 2019

When creating custom foam gaskets, or any other type of custom gasket, one of the single most important considerations is the material from which they’re made.  Even among foam gaskets, there are numerous types of elastomers that could be used – and they’re all going to have different properties when put into use.

Many of these are obvious, like “Can this material stand up to expected working temperatures?”  However, others are less obvious, particularly when it comes to longer-term usage.  Compression setand stress relaxation are two problems that can develop in gaskets being used, and they need to be considered carefully to ensure your products function reliably for your customers.

How Compression Setting and Stress Relaxation Affect Custom Foam Gaskets

I. Compression Setting

Compression set (or “C-Set” for short) refers to the tendency of foam gaskets to lose their elasticity when put under compression.  In general, no foam gasket will ever regain 100% of its original elasticity when compressed and then released, but it’s vital that the type of foam be chosen to minimize this effect.  C-Set can also be affected by operating temperatures, particularly high temperatures.

So, for example, silicone foams have good C-Set at room temperature, whereas a neoprene/EPDM blend performs poorly at the same temperature.  Your custom gasket manufacturer should be giving as much information as possible about the expected operational parameters of your custom gaskets, to ensure they pick appropriate materials.

II. Stress Relaxation

Stress relaxation refers to the tendency of foam gaskets to lose their ability to deflect additional forces while under a heavy compressive load – ie, how ‘springy’ they are.  In some cases, this isn’t an issue, but it can cause problems when these gaskets are used in applications where they’ll be under multiple simultaneous stresses.

Generally, stress relaxation is predictable with foam materials.  They will each lose a set amount of resilience during usage but won’t degrade further once they’ve hit their natural stress relaxation point.  So, again, a custom gasket manufacturer must choose the material carefully, to ensure that its natural level of stress relaxation won’t interfere with intended usage.

For Top-Quality Custom Foam Gaskets, Call in Expert Gasket & Seal

Our expert staff has extensive experience working with a huge range of gasket materials, and we love taking on new challenges! If you have a sealing problem that your engineers can’t overcome, contact us and we’ll find a solution that works.