Article re-posted with permission from Parker Hannifin Sealing & Shielding Team.
Original content can be found on Parker’s Blog.

Custom Environmental Seal Solutions: When Unique Requirements Throw a Curveball

When it comes to the topic of utilizing elastomeric seals, it’s stereotypical to consider environmental sealing as one of the simpler categories of applications. Near-ambient pressure and temperature conditions and a lack of exotic or aggressive chemistries are the kinds of details that typically come to mind. However, throw in a curveball or two and suddenly the challenges posed can make finding a solution seem reasonably more intricate.

Unique conditions call for custom design expertise

For instance, consider the potential challenges of sealing off a battery enclosure or other kind of electrical component. While this may seem like a simple issue of finding a material that seals against moisture or fluids found in open-air conditions, manufacturability also needs to be taken into consideration. Many electrical enclosures have particular spatial requirements, including those which involve seal housings that require low closure force or those with sharp corners that could damage more conventional seal designs like solid-profile O-rings. These kinds of conditions are becoming more and more frequent, especially considering the automotive market and its increasing share of electric vehicles, which involve a larger proportion of electrical components in a more compact arrangement for reduced weight. Add to this the fact that these batteries and other electrical components are becoming more elaborate and more expensive as a result, and the need for highly-effective protective sealing design becomes imperative. This is where Parker engineers can design products like picture frames gaskets and hollow profiles that are customized to unique requirements.

Article re-posted with permission from Parker Hannifin Sealing & Shielding Team.
Original content can be found on Parker’s Blog.

The O-Ring & Engineered Seals Division is now offering a rapid prototype program for solid and hollow spliced O-rings that will reduce lead times on small orders to improve sample and trial testing on enclosure projects. The program provides spliced rings available in a variety of cross sections and can be purchased in either solid or hollow profiles.

Spliced ring sizes

In the event that enclosure tolerances are large or the available compressive force is low, Parker engineers can design a custom hollow seal to help absorb large tolerances while providing very low compressive force compared to solid cord. Spliced rings with large inside diameters up to 95” are available in silicone and nitrile materials. Rings with inside diameters up to 57” are available in fluorocarbon. Cross sections of .070”, .103”, .139”, .210” .250” are regularly stocked and available to splice to the ring ID needed. The chart below outlines the current compounds, cross sections, and diameters available under the program.

O-Rings continue to be the most widely utilized sealing product.  While the ‘Donut’ shaped profile has by and large been kept intact since their inception, continued elastomeric development has pushed o-ring temperature and chemical compatibility to limits unimaginable several decades ago.

Typically, O-Rings fail due to adverse effects of a number of factors, from improper installation and lubrication to incorrect size and design.  The collection of videos below will help you minimize installation errors that may lead to failure (be sure to bookmark this page for future reference).

How To Install an O-Ring - Standard Male Gland

[embed]https://youtu.be/QcJBVQvTvhw[/embed]

Article re-posted with permission from Parker Hannifin Sealing & Shielding Team.  Original content can be found on Parker’s Blog.

This video provides instructions on how to properly install and uninstall a Parker TechSeal's hollow O-ring. Although appearing simple, the installation process of a hollow O-ring requires a proper method in order to prevent overstretching the seal.

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCMwwuyfrso[/embed]

The best way to install a hollow O-ring is to start at one point and work your way around the groove, pushing the seal into the groove. Once the seal is installed, lightly slide your finger around the seal to make sure that the seal is positioned and aligned correctly. Replacement is also fast and simple; gently pull the old seal out of the groove and install

Hollow O-rings have long been used in enclosure applications and many other static applications.

Parker TechSeal Hollow O-rings can extrude, splice, and vulcanize extremely large o-rings that would be too costly to mold.  Their dimensions can easily be customized with no tooling cost, truly making them the economical alternative to molded products.    

Watch the video above to learn more about how TechSeal hollow O-rings can be utilized in your assemblies or enclosures.