Precision Sealing for Naval Radar Slip Ring The application Our customer is a globally recognised leader in the design and manufacture of advanced slip ring systems and contactless rotary joints. Their technology ensures the reliable transmission of power, data, and media across a wide range of rotating interfaces. Read more about how our engineers developed … Continued
Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in seal design Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is a computerised modelling method for predicting how an object reacts to forces, whether directly applied or generated by pressure, temperature effects or vibration. FEA provides data to help predict how a product will function under those applied conditions. Additionally, it identifies areas where … Continued
What is hardware surface finish? Any surface can look (and even feel) perfectly smooth. However, look closely enough with high magnification and all surfaces will have a degree of fluctuation. The topography will look similar to a mountain range or the surface of the moon! The roughness of a surface is often linked to the … Continued
Are all elastomers the same? Material hardness This is often the least considered property when selecting a material. In sealing applications, elastomer material hardness can impact assembly loads, seal friction and extrusion resistance. Softer rubber can better accommodate surface imperfections (especially when sealing low pressure gas). This means softer seal compounds can be used effectively … Continued
The importance of engineering tolerances What tolerances are we concerned with? We can start with the seal itself, and specifically the seal material, as almost all polymer seal materials contain multiple ingredients. For PTFE and polyurethanes this is typically 2 or 3 different elements. However, for an elastomer material as many as 30 different ingredients … Continued
Elastomer manufacturing moulding processes Compression moulding This is the simplest method of converting a piece of rubber into a finished seal product. The rubber compound is first mixed and prepared, and depending on the recipe can require up to 30 different individual ingredients. At this stage the curing (or vulcanization) of the rubber hasn’t yet taken … Continued
Polyurethane as a seal material The foam in your armchair. The strap on your wristwatch. The wheels on a supermarket shopping trolley and beyond; Polyurethane certainly has a diverse range of uses since its invention almost 85 years ago. Aside from day-to-day products; it is also a highly capable and versatile sealing material – and … Continued
Diaphragms for precise control in critical applications In applications that require precise and rapid pressure responses, our diaphragms offer an engineered sealing solution for high performance valves and actuators. Why use diaphragms? Diaphragms provide excellent sealing results in multiple applications. These include valves, actuators, pumps, pressure & flow control, pressure switches/sensors, dispensing, metering, ventilation, and … Continued
Supply Plus Ltd designs, manufactures, supplies and distributes safety and fuel delivery equipment, with brands including AS Fire & Safety, Bayley and Collins Youldon. They approached us to design a rotary seal to replace their existing solution which was causing leakage during downtime. The application Supply Plus initially approached us with a requirement for their … Continued
Special coated O-rings for renewable energy application Our renewable energy customer manufactures wind sensors for a variety of applications in different environments. This seal application, within ultrasonic wind sensors, is designed for wind turbine control. We explore here why special coated o-rings are needed for this application, regularly exposed to harsh conditions. The application For … Continued
Our renewable energy customer manufactures wind sensors for a variety of applications in different environments. This seal application, within ultrasonic wind sensors, is designed for wind turbine control. We explore here why special coated o-rings are needed for this application, regularly exposed to harsh conditions.
For optimal performance, wind turbines need critical, consistent and reliable data on wind speed and wind direction measurements. Therefore, we recommended special coated o-rings for this renewable energy application.
The sensors that provide this must be able to operate continuously for many years, sometimes in the harshest of weather.
Operating conditions are extremely challenging because fluctuating, extreme environmental changes constantly batter the wind turbine sensors (and accompanying electronics).
Depending on the location of the turbines, temperatures can range from -40°C to +90° C. Additionally, humidity changes from 0-100%, and turbines are subject to rain, hail, snow, ice, lightning, vibration, sand, corrosion and altitude.
For this application, the required life cycle of the sensors is10+ years. To achieve this, the electronics and sensors need a robust protective housing. This design requires a series of reliable, consistent, high-quality seals to house the electronics and sensors. These will perform without compromise in challenging conditions. Our engineers subjected the sensors to rigorous testing to confirm life cycle performance, ultimately awarding them an IPX6K rating.
Each sensor size uses a set of environmental seals in the separated top and bottom sections. Together with our customer’s intensive testing program, we specified EPDM o-rings (which offer exceptional ozone resistance) with a special coating.
The coatings are colour coded for identification purposes according to the size of sensor. Therefore, this creates a fool-proof assembly process with no risk of error by operators.
Successfully built into nearly half of wind turbines globally, our range of seals have been cycle tested and approved by our customer.
For more about our full range of o-rings, see our product page HERE