Posted by Chuck Keeley on | Comments Off on Which Gasket Materials Are OEMs Using in Your Industry?
Construction applications and marine applications are both regularly exposed to extreme environments — from dust and chemicals to humidity and fluctuating temperatures.
With conditions like this, specialty materials are required. CGR routinely works with OEMs whose products undergo these conditions, during which we’ll partner with industry-leading suppliers to make sure their materials and our manufacturing processes get the job done.
Two of our suppliers recently highlighted these OEM projects on their websites, published as success stories for gasket and seal components.
Armacell, a world leader in the manufacturing of flexible insulation foams, focused on our project for an OEM construction application that involved the fabrication of Ensolite foam. Rogers Corporation, a specialty materials manufacturer for cushioning, sealing, impact protection, or energy management applications, described CGR’s manufacturing processes of PORON® for a display mount cushion to be installed in a marine vessel.
Read more about each of these material properties and the challenges that CGR tackled during each project below:
[Armacell] Delivering 100 Unique Parts for a Heavy Equipment OEM
As a stand-alone material, Armacell’s Ensolite foam is known for its exceptional sealing capabilities and high-performance physical structure.
However, for this particular construction application, an OEM needed a wide range of seals in a variety of thicknesses to meet their product criteria — some even thicker than the raw material itself.
Problem: The company needed seals that offered quantifiable noise reduction, as well as compliance with several stringent global specifications. In some cases, the seals needed to be up to 90mm thick and able to withstand trials, testing, and fit requirements for over 100 unique applications.
Solution: First, the team assessed the material and determined that the appropriate thickness could be attained by laminating the foam material prior to custom cutting. After selecting and testing a suitable adhesive and developing an effective laminating process, the rolls of foam were further laminated with a PSA (Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive) for attachment to the OEM’s substrates.
Finally, with our custom waterjet and die cutting equipment, the components were cut to precise specifications and quantities. They are now custom packaged, coded, and shipped every week.
[Rogers Corporation] Manufacturing a Display Mount Cushion for a Marine Vessel
As a preferred converter at Rogers, CGR’s team was familiar with Rogers’ PORON Polyurethane Foams.
This marine industry OEM needed more than just water or fluid resistance though — their gasketing and cushioning system needed to withstand weather vibrations, physical shocks, dramatic temperature fluctuations, and more — all to protect an industrial-duty touch screen display.
Problem: Touch screens are not normally required to endure the harshness of the proposed industrial marine environment: humidity, wetness, shock, and extreme temperatures were just the beginning. The OEM placed a premium on the protection of this sensitive equipment.
Solution: In addition to selecting an exceptionally high durability material, the CGR team developed a unique system of parts with two levels of protection to support the screen. The completed assembly required four different gasket components, all designed from scratch and crafted with the use of our skiving, laminating, slitting, and die cutting equipment — and all developed and prototyped within three weeks. Annually, we now deliver thousands of these assemblies.
With over 100 pieces of professional equipment and a nearly unlimited range of Material Suppliers to choose from, CGR regularly produces gaskets and seals for construction equipment parts, marine applications, and so much more.
Visit our Case Studies page to learn more about the industries and materials we’ve worked with and to see specialty examples of CGR at work.
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 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 Not Your Average Tape
You may not even realize that you come across foam tape in your everyday life. It could have even been this morning when you opened your front door! Whenever there is a need to keep out water, dust, or to protect from UV exposure, foam tape can really come in handy. It’s so easy to apply that anyone can do it, which makes it even more likely that you’ve seen it today and may not have even known! CGR makes our product by laminating a tape to the foam with adhesive on one side. A customer can then peel the liner off and stick the foam tape where they want weather stripping. Super easy, super effective.
These insulating tapes are made with closed cell foamand can be found in a long list of applications ranging from acoustical insulation to medical devices to tractors to HVAC equipment. They can form a tighter seal to keep out wind, cold, dust, dirt, water, and UV rays from sensitive equipment and areas. We can make foam tapes as narrow as 1/8” wide and then create long, vulcanized rolls to accommodate virtually any length. CGR can also make tapes in a variety of thicknesses with clean, accurate, and consistent cuts to meet your specific needs. So the next time you open your screen door or roll down your car window remember to take a look at the insulating foam tape!
