Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on Tips for Selecting the Right Polymer Material for Your Application
Selecting the proper polymer material for your application is a critical aspect of the product design process. Ensuring that gaskets form a proper seal means that your product will perform properly in your customer’s application and not cost their business money through downtime and malfunctions.
Determining the operating temperatures of your applications allows you to select polymer material that will withstand both the normal operating temperature, along with the maximum temperature that your application requires. The ability to withstand heat or cold prevents damage to the material during the normal life of your equipment.
Similarly, cost is also an issue. Using a very expensive material when it is not necessary can mean trouble for the bottom line. On the other hand, using inexpensive material that can’t withstand the rigors of the application can mean more lost money in repairs than was saved by using cheaper material.
Silicone
Silicone is a commonly used material for a number of reasons. Properties of the material include:
Resistance to temperature extremes, with an approximate range of -150°F to +500°F
UV resistance
Ozone resistance
Resilience with regards to mechanical fatigue
Excellent resistance to creep and compression-set
Although silicone is one of the materials that is higher in cost, it is offset by its temperature resistance and other properties that make it an excellent selection for various applications. With the somewhat higher cost, manufacturers can be assured that the material will last longer and be more resistant to temperature extremes and other factors which may be present in the application.
Styrene Butadiene Rubber (SBR)
SBR is the material with the lowest relative cost. For applications which do not require a material as robust as most others, SBR may be the choice for your application. Some of its properties include:
Temperature resistance between -65°F and +180°F
Excellent abrasion resistance
Solid adhesion to rigid metals
Excellent resistance to impact
While SBR rubber does offer low cost, its chemical resistance is poor. Engineers should take careful note of what chemicals are present in the intended application and decide if SBR is the right material for the job.
Fluorosilicone
Relatively, the most expensive material used in applications is fluorosilicone. While it does not provide the range of temperature resistance of other materials, it has excellent resistance to fuel and is commonly used in aerospace applications for fuel or lubricant systems. Some of its properties include:
Temperature resistance from -85°F up to +350°F
Resistance to fuel, oil and solvents
Good compression set and resilience
Suitable for exposure to air, ozone, sunlight, chlorinated and aromatic hydrocarbons
There are many other polymer materials available for use in various applications, and CGR Product can help you select the material that will best suit your needs. Visit our Materials page to see the full selection of available materials. We also offer guides with cost and temperature information on some of the most commonly used polymers. Whatever your application needs, contact CGR today and let us show you how we can assist you.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on The New CGR Website: Featuring Improved User Interface and Fresh Resources
For over 50 years, CGR has delivered custom gaskets and seals with top-of-the-line efficiency, combining skilled personnel, capabilities, financial strength and industry expertise.
Now, we’re proud to introduce our newest development: a brand new online home at cgrproducts.com.
Whether you’re an engineer, designer or procurement manager, we know that accessing the information you need, when you need it, is essential to your work. Our website is optimized to help you make that happen, and to do so with ease.
Working hard to make business fast and easy has helped CGR grow from a one-shop operation in Greensboro, NC to manufacturing facilities in three states with 125 employees and over 140,000 square feet of space. With over 100 pieces of specialized equipment, we dedicate our resources to getting your job done.
We’ve taken those priorities online with the new website. Our customers can anticipate a positive, fresh user experience that incorporates the following elements:
Whether you choose to visit via your tablet, phone, or computer, expect easy access to the product, service and reference information you need. With resources and guides outlining everything from general chemical resistance to relative polymer cost, the material you need is always in reach, and the team is ready to help find the best solution for your project.
There’s no reason that research should be difficult or stressful, and we’ve put great effort into making it simple. Be sure to watch the CGR blog for more news and helpful information, stay connected with our downloadable resources, or contact us directly with any questions you may have.
Get to know our new website today — we look forward to working with you.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on IBM’s “Indestructible” Thermosetting Polymer: Polyhexahydrotriazine (PHA)
Jeannette “Jamie” Garcia is the researcher credited with discovering a virtually indestructible, recyclable, Nitrogen-based polymer known as “polyhexahydrotriazine” (PHT); though behind its existence, lies an accident. As the by-product of ambitious experimentation, PHT made its appearance when a reagent was left out of a beaker that held the ingredients for observing a random polymeric reaction.
A show of its resilience and robustness was evident early on as the container had to be smashed to extricate the hardened lump. Even then, the researchers were unable to harm the solidified PHT specimen.
Once thoroughly investigated, this preliminary form of the thermoset polymer was taken to IBM where the power of its supercomputers was leveraged in conjunction with lab experiments to adopt a ‘back to the source’ approach. During these trials, several thousand polymeric combinations and reactions were simulated to replicate the thermoset materials and structures found in polyhexahydrotriazine.
An estimate of the scope of PHT use in industries has already been pegged at billions of dollars. Until now, scientists were unsure how to recycle polymers and other thermoset plastics.
What is a Thermoset Polymer?
Thermosetting polymers (or plastics) are prepolymer materials that cure irreversibly. Polyhexahydrotriazine differs from other members of its family due to the following capabilities:
Tolerating high stress– When mixed with carbon fillers it can resist repeated onslaughts of duress thus providing the transportation industry with a class of plastics worth investing in.
Forming spontaneous bonds between polymeric links– Combining PHT with Polyhemiaminal (PHA) creates an incredibly strong bond which can be used in various adhesive applications.
Reverting to viscous state when dipped in sulphuric acid– As a result, pliability is regained and damaged or discarded parts can be remolded into useful products.
PHT Uses
Polyhexahydrotriazine (PHT) offers an array of commercial and industrial uses due to its strength, weight, and ability to be recycled.
The automotive industry could see benefits from utilizing this lightweight and durable composite in manufacturing panels for cars and trucks. Lighter weight means higher performance, speed, and cost-efficiency,
Aerospace divisions are intrigued by the material and may soon develop wings and other body parts for aircraft use. Using PHT in combination with PHA could form high strength bonds for adhering parts that incur harsh environmental conditions.
Semiconductors comprised of PHT can take advantage of its recyclability. Defective or broken chips could be tweaked and reworked rather than trashed and wasted. This would also amount to cost and waste reduction.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on How the Harsh Winter Affected HVAC Techs
The winter’s frigidly cold temperatures have made the jobs of HVAC techs more difficult, as well as exceedingly important. For people whose heating units broke down in February in Cleveland, when record lows were recording, the heating, ventilation and air conditioner man or woman was a welcomed sight.
Heating repair technicians, however, had their share of obstacles in the harsh winter, during shifts of up to 14 hours. For example, they had to be extremely cautious as they set up their ladders as icy patches on the ground can cause ladders to skip out on them. Thus, many HVAC techs got creative by backing up their van to set the ladder against its tire at the location for a firmer hold.
This tip shared by technician Doug Braford on a recent NPR interview was one of many. Braford went on to say that he had to find balance between setting up the ladder quickly for a long day ahead and also wanting to be safe.
In addition, Braford explained that the uniform for a heating, ventilation and air conditioner technician was a tricky one in the severe winter conditions. Given the chilly temps outdoors, layers of warm clothing was a great choice, generally.
However, when he entered a warm building, he would begin to sweat under the layers, and then, once he went back outdoors it felt extra cold because clothing layers were now drenched in sweat. To help compensate, he brought along dry socks to put on when this happened.
Regarding his hands, Braford explained that as long as he kept moving it was a way to keep his hands from becoming so cold that they didn’t seem to work anymore. Other ways that HVAC technicians kept their fingers warm outdoors were to wear electric gloves and even motorcycle gear. Body suits with heat packs prove useful for these types of conditions too.
Doug Braford also joked in the NPR interview that facial hair, such as the beard of Mel Gibson, would be help protect facial skin against the harsh temperatures. Thank you to HVAC techs, including Doug Braford of Braford Heating and Cooling, for helping warm homes around the Cleveland area and beyond.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on Electric Buses
For many years, public transportation has been looked at as being a great way to cut down on emissions. Simply having folks ride together on a route has certainly diminished the amounts of pollutants being put out – one bus puts out much less than dozens of cars. As public transportation has moved along, governments have looked to reduce emissions even further.
Transit buses have been one of the leaders when it comes to alternative fuels and hybridization across the country. In fact, as of two years ago, alternative fuel buses and hybrid buses made up 35% of the entire U.S. public transportation bus fleet, a number that has only risen since then. This helps out not just in the area of emissions, but it also reduces the cost of fuel, allowing bus fares to be held down.
With so many buses using alternative or hybrid power, it might be surprising that for the longest time, an all-electric bus was not part of the public transportation fleet across the country. A number of cities have adopted electric buses in the last year or two, with San Antonio, Texas, and Tallahassee, Florida being two of the most high-profile cities. Now, Louisville, Kentucky is looking to join that crowd.
Louisville isn’t taking half-measures – at a recent event, the debuted the first of the ZeroBus fleet, a fleet that is intended to replace the fossil fuel-powered system currently in use. These new buses, built by Proterra, will help to reduce the daily emissions of pollutants. This is particularly important in Louisville, which has been rated as having some of the worst air quality in the United States.
It’s not just local transportation that is making use of electric power either. BYD Motors is bringing two models of fully-electric coach buses to the market, the C9 and C10. Both of these buses have a range of 190 miles, with a top speed of 62.5 miles per hour. This provides great potential for tour bus operators who work in a small range. BYD says it can be fully recharged in 2 hours, so if the necessary charging systems are available, these buses could run long distance tours with stopovers. This would greatly reduce emissions and the amount of fuel used, and possibly could drastically reduce the fuel cost of operating the fleet.
While electric is only one of the alternative fuels out there, it seems to have the greatest promise for bus fleet for the near future. At CGR, we produce parts for a great number of applications including automotive and electronics, and we are excited to see these two applications cross over, to the benefit of our environment. We can only imagine the further developments that will come from these applications, and we look forward to playing a part in it.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on CGR is UL Listed
UL is the acronym for Underwriters Laboratory, a non-profit company that tests safety standards and issues certificates of compliance. Consumers are often familiar with tags on appliances that have the UL listing on electrical cords denoting the safety of the unit. When a company meets all of the standards as set forth by UL, they can then have safety certification programs put in place. Although UL started out in electrical safety, they have since expanded to include a wide range of products, including things like fire safety, water quality, and products manufactured by CGR.
Benefits of Being UL Listed
Being UL listed takes time and commitment from any company wanting this distinction. To start, the company must prove they are maintaining the highest levels of safety in the building and with proper training of employees. Prior to being listed, UL will send safety inspectors to the manufacturing facility to ensure compliance with all safety rules and regulations. After that point, an inspector will return every six months to make sure the company is still in compliance in order to maintain their UL listing. Inspectors check and review: operations, power sources, safety training procedures, performance, and more.
Listed Products Manufactured by CGR
Currently, CGR has three products which are UL Recognized Components that meet the UL 50E standards. They include sponge rubber and pressure sensitive adhesive. These components are used for sealing gaskets found in electrical enclosures, appliances, control panels, and other applications. UL has stated the designation of the individual components (PSA and sponge) is voided when a chemical bond is created between the two, creating a new product which must then meet the same rigorous UL standards.
To address this issue, CGR created and certified three different solutions which can meet a wide range of applications. These include: CGR 8002 (EPDM sponge) with Avery’s high performance 702 acrylic adhesive, CGR 5031 (Neoprene/SBR/EPDM) sponge with 3M 9824 acrylic adhesive, and CGR DK1111LD (Neoprene/EPDM) sponge with 3M 9816 rubber adhesive.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on U.S. Manufacturing Companies like CGR Expand at a Sustainable Rate
As demand from overseas markets has cooled while domestic markets have remained steady, U.S. factories have begun to expand at a sustainable rate. Although there has been slowed order growth due to falling energy prices, many production facilities are likely to produce at the same or higher levels. This is due in part to increased consumer spending resulting from falling oil prices and higher employment rates.
U.S. economist Michael Montgomery from IHS Global Insight believes manufacturing will keep expanding even with the lower rate of exports because demand is gaining stateside. The Markit Economics gauge saw a decrease in manufacturing in the U.S. with an 11 month low marked last December. The index dropped from 54.8 to 53.9.
U.S. on Top as a Global Producer
Globally, many countries are seeing decreases in their manufacturing output. Those based in Europe saw a 17 month low by last November while China had come to an 18 month low, according to factory purchasing managers.
However, in the U.S., numbers from last year show stocks maintaining while erasing previous losses. Gains in both the energy and utility sectors offset declines in small caps while the S&P 500 Index dropped less than 0.1%. Out of 18 industries surveyed by purchasing managers’ group, 11 posted growth, including those in the metal, printers, and furniture sectors.
Due to lower crude oil prices, input costs were down and were the lowest since the summer of 2012. Chemicals, plastics, and the primary metals industries all paid lower prices during December. In total, 13 manufacturing industries reported they paid lower prices. Since the economy in the U.S. is expanding and consumer spending is up by 3.2%, the orders will likely keep factories busy in the future. Consumers account for just shy of 70% of the U.S. economy.
With employment up and gas prices down, Americans are helping to keep the economy afloat, and one of the largest manufacturers to benefit is carmakers. Auto sales are rising and from October to November of last year, they increased to 17.1 million from 16.4 million. However, some U.S. manufacturers will be hurt by overseas markets due to recessions in other parts of the world like Russia, who is facing economic decline from decreasing oil prices.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on If it’s Soft and Pliable, CGR has Got it Covered
Getting the proper lamination for your products can mean the difference between a good, sturdy product that is protected or one that doesn’t measure up. When you need the right lamination for your item, CGR offers the right products to fit your needs. With lamination available for products that range in size from 0.062” to 3” thick and at widths up to 84” wide, there’s something for every application. At CGR we offer a variety of lamination techniques using different methods to ensure you get the proper lamination for your project each time.
At CGR we have a wide range of lamination procedures including pressure sensitive adhesive products, chemical fastening systems, and even thermal, film barrier and polyethylene glue web lamination. Depending on what needs to be laminated we also offer foam tapes, PSA, sticky back adhesives, tape laminate, peel and stick and more.
The variety of adhesive options offered range from economical to high performance when permanent bonding applications are required. If you have flexible materials that are dissimilar, we can bond them together with specialty composite laminations. CGR has serviced a wide range of industries including: automotive, heavy equipment, mining, appliances, marine, medical equipment, military, and more.
CGR has lab facilities for engineering and quality reports, to ensure all of our lamination services are consistently meeting standards. With two warehouses full of stock, we are able to offer short lead times for repeat items and new services. If you have something that is soft and pliable, CGR can help you with your laminating needs.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on Top Questions You always Wanted To Ask About Cellular Rubber (And Probably Should Have!)
If rubber could talk, it would label us humans “ingrates”! We all realize the importance of steel and iron in our daily lives and indeed these metals are highly valued. But what about rubber?
Without the elasticity and the tensile strength of this material, our modern world would be strangely dystopian. Everything from blankets to telephone housings to driving gear depends upon the unique properties of rubber to accomplish the tasks they are meant for.
The topic of this succinct post however is not solid rubber. It is the better, improved, more resilient cellular rubber. The following top FAQs tell you everything you always wanted to know about Cellular rubber (and probably should have asked your supplier):
Q1. Why should you prefer cellular rubber to solid rubber?
A: Solid rubber is created in the conventional way through the process of vulcanization. However cellular rubber is different because it has a defined cellular structure. It is created using gas developing agents which introduce air, thus making the material less hard and dense but more heat resistant and absorbent. Cellular rubber, in comparison to solid rubber has lesser density and thus less cost implications as material (mass) per unit volume reduces. (Mass = Density * Volume)
Q2. What is the difference between open cell and closed cell rubber?
Open cell or sponge rubber in which the distinctive cells are open and interconnected to the neighboring cells. This pattern allows air and moisture to seep in easily, giving this rubber its absorbent quality and the ability to regain its physical form after compression (compression set)
Closed cell or expanded rubber which doesn’t allow the seepage of fluids. This rubber is cheaper and has the ability to stay afloat in water which can’t violate its structure.
Q3. So what is foam rubber and how is it different?
A: The most popular foam rubber example is PVC. Foam rubber is created using a set of processes that are slightly different from the production of sponge or open cell rubber. In case of foams the air (or gas) bubbles are actually trapped in the substrate of pliant rubber, instead of merely creating pockets within the structure because of the disturbance their passage makes. Foam can be predominantly open cell or closed cell. Though in most cases it is a combination of both!
Q4. What are compression set and compression deflection?
A: Compression set is defined as the property of rubber by virtue of which it can regain its original physical form after being exposed to compressive forces. Thanks to the pockets or cells in sponge rubber, it has excellent compression set.
Compression deflection on the other hand is the force required to compress a unit volume of rubber. Expanded rubber has no pockets whatsoever and a high value of compression deflection.
Q5. What are tensile strength and elongation?
A: Tensile strength is expressed in terms of force per unit cross sectional area of the rubber required to rupture it.
Elongation is an associated term that measures the increase in the length of the specimen with respect to its original dimensions, upon application of the tensile or breaking stress. Right when elongation stops, rupture or breakdown of the cellular structure begins.
Cellular rubber is a modern miracle and can be defined in terms of other specifications like ability to absorb shock, floatation capacity and fluid immersion. But these basic concepts should be enough to help you choose the kind of rubber you need for your manufacturing ventures.
Posted by CGR Products on | Comments Off on How CGR Value-Added Services Help Your Business
At CGR Products, we offer value-added services to enhance your company and its products. Our aim is to use our top-quality services to meet your organizational needs and go beyond what you expect of us.
Our CGR team offers an array of value-added services for the design, packaging, assembly, repair and distribution of your goods. Let us take weight off of your shoulders and also help you craft the product you envision for your customers. Our developers, for example, offer design assistance, whether for parts or engineering. We also provide quality assembly kits and products, part stocking programs, and material or product certifications.
Our value-added services cover a wide range of packaging solutions. Popular services that we provide include marking individual parts for identification purposes and printing logos onto products. Perhaps our inventory management services are what you require instead to streamline your business operations.
Additional services for you are bar code labeling, vulcanizing, slitting and stripping. When you want repair kits, we have many types to offer you, including custom tube cutting per customer specifications and special quantity bagging. For customized distribution of finished goods, we can handle that activity for you too, regardless of your business size.
We customize our services to your business, recognizing each industry that we service has unique processes, designs and regulations. Our customers span several industries, from automotive, lighting, and generators to RV, appliances, HVAC, power tools and so many more. We follow industry standards and our team has in-depth technical knowledge and expertise. From the development to packaging and distribution phases, CGR is here to help you.
Ensuring that gaskets form a proper seal means that your product will perform properly in your customer’s application and not cost their business money through downtime and malfunctions.
