The Technical Hub
O-Ring Calculator
This interactive calculator assists engineers with selection of O-ring and hardware dimensions, and to form the basis of an O-ring installation.
Chemical Compatibility Checker
This interactive guide will help you choose a seal material based on existing compatibility test results of known chemicals and elastomers.
Interactive Engineering Calculators
Click here for volume, mass and compression set values for O-rings and rotary seal and hydraulic cylinder calculations.
Unit Converter
Our interactive conversion tools allow engineers to switch between units of measurement when preparing engineering calculations.
Engineering Tables
Our reference tables provide cross reference information for surface finish, metal hardness and polymer hardness measurement units.
Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in seal designFinite Element Analysis provides data to help predict how a product will function under those applied conditions and identifies areas where the design can be optimised and improved, without having to test multiple prototypes. Here we explain how our engineers use FEA to design the optimal sealing solution for our customer applications.
Surface finish requirements for static and dynamic sealingThe surface finish of hardware components in contact with the surface of a seal is critical to the seal performance. In addition to achieving a leak free interface, it can also impact the life of the sealing system.
Are all elastomers the same?Elastomer rubbers look very similar - but are they all the same? With many different base groups and recipe formulations, there's a huge range of elastomer materials suitable for applications with varying temperature ranges and chemical media compatibility. It's critical to the seal performance to make the right choice.
The importance of engineering tolerancesTolerances are present in every man-made item as it’s practically impossible to repeatedly manufacture something to an exact size or specification. When manufacturing seals, it's important to understand which tolerances impact performance (and by how much) to ensure that a system is optimized for overall performance, and whole-life product cost.
Elastomer manufacturing moulding processesHow is it manufactured? A question we get asked in the seal design process, but perhaps not considered often enough. How a rubber seal is produced can affect a number of things; the cost, the material choice...even how a part should be designed. All of these can have a significant impact on the performance of the seal in application. Let's take a look at the three main manufacturing methods for moulding elastomer seals.
Polyurethane as a seal materialThe 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 an option that is often overlooked.
Diaphragms for precise control in critical applicationsIn applications that require precise and rapid pressure responses, our diaphragms offer an engineered sealing solution for high performance valves and actuators.
Rotary seals for heavy duty transportationSupply Plus Ltd designs, manufactures, supplies and distributes safety and fuel delivery equipment, with brands including AS Fire & Safety, Bayley and Collins Youldon.
Special coated O-rings for renewable energy applicationOur customer manufactures wind sensors for a variety of applications in different environments. This seal application was within ultrasonic wind sensors designed for wind turbine control.
Moulded gaskets for an automotive applicationAn existing customer (an automotive manufacturer) approached our engineers with an application where they were experiencing failures of a seal designed and manufactured by another rubber seal provider.
Special O-rings for an automotive applicationOur customer manufactures high performance oil and vacuum pump solutions, and approached our engineers with a new O-ring application for review.
High speed Rotary seals for electric vehiclesThe electric vehicle industry is growing; global manufacturing and registrations of electric vehicles is increasing exponentially each year. Our engineers have extensive experience in designing seals for automotive applications, but we still find new challenges involved in sealing components within hybrid, hydrogen fuel and full battery powered electric vehicles.
Silicone O-rings for De Soutter EcoPulse™ lavage systemDe Soutter Medical Ltd specialises in the development, production and worldwide distribution of high performance orthopaedic tools for surgical procedures, offering their customers a comprehensive range of technically innovative and high quality products.
Gold plated metal seals for Oil & Gas couplingsOur customer designs and manufactures hydraulic distribution products and systems used to control subsea production systems for the offshore energy industry globally.
PTFE Rotary Seal for Oil & Gas drilling toolOur customer designs and manufactures a leading range of unique downhole technology and drilling solutions that contribute to a net zero energy industry.
Why the focus on PFAS?PFAS is a blanket term used to describe Poly- and Per- fluoroalkyl substances. There are currently around 10,000 substances in existence that fit this description, with potentially more variants still yet to be produced. Some are already known to be harmful to human and animal health and the environment (such as PFOA and PFOS), and these specific PFAS are already controlled under legal restrictions. But in February 2023, The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) published a regulatory proposal to further restrict the manufacture, placing on the market, and use of all PFAS within the EU.
Seals for cryogenic applicationsCryogenic sealing means controlling or sealing a media at very low temperatures. This process can be complex and advanced, and spans a range of markets; from pharmaceutical, chemical and refrigeration, to automotive and electronics.
Why use 2-Shot moulded seals?2-Shot moulding is a manufacturing process that allows the co-polymerisation of hard (or soft) plastics and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE’s). We use the 2-Shot manufacturing approach to deliver engineered parts that perform a critical sealing function.
Why use PTFE seals?Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a thermoplastic polymer that can be used in a variety of sealing applications; it is particularly suitable where the application conditions exceed the parameters of elastomeric seal use, but are not as highly demanding as applications that require the use of metal seals.
Why use metal seals?The use of metal seals as an engineered sealing solution is appropriate where it is not possible to use elastomeric or polymer seals due to extremely demanding application requirements. For example, these could include applications with extremely high temperatures (300°C upwards) and pressures, intense radiation, cryogenic conditions or highly aggressive chemicals.
Why use Push-in-Place gaskets?Where a seal groove follows an irregular path or profile, a common sealing solution is to design a custom Push-In-Place (PIP) gasket that has the same profile as the centre line of the groove, simply drops into place and is retained by the features of its own design.
Perfluoroelastomers in valvesIs it time to re-visit using perfluoroelastomer seals in your valves? First developed by DuPont™ in the late 1960s, perfluoroelastomers (or FFKMs), are now widely known and understood in a variety of markets. But for those that may be less familiar with these high performance materials, here is a quick recap...
Seals for electric vehiclesPropelled by one or more electric motors and using energy stored in rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles are quieter, have zero exhaust emissions and lower emissions in general compared to internal combustion engines. The number of electric vehicles on the road grows exponentially every year globally, and our engineers support manufacturers with innovative sealing solutions in these specialist areas of application.
Seals for valve applicationsValves are imperative for isolation and control functions, and can be found in a broad range of industries such as Oil & Gas, Water & Wastewater, Food & Beverage and Hydraulics & Pneumatics. We supply seal products into valve applications in a variety of styles including ball, gate, flap, plug, butterfly, spool, check and solenoid valves.
Seals for Oil & Gas applicationsWith diverse applications in harsh environments, the Oil & Gas industry presents some of the most challenging demands on engineered sealing solutions. Our collaboration with Parker Seal Group allows us to integrate their materials and sealing expertise to meet our customer demands.
Seals for Life Sciences & Medical ApplicationsWhen designing and manufacturing sealing solutions for applications within critical devices and equipment, the strictest demands in product integrity and the highest specifications of hygiene and cleanliness must be met.
Seals for Renewable Energy ApplicationsRenewable energy is derived from our planet's natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, biomass and thermal energy stored in the earth’s crust. With increasing fossil fuel prices, and the very real threat of global warming and climate change to our planet; the development of renewable energy production sources is more important than ever.
Seals for Semiconductor ApplicationsSemiconductor and electronics manufacturers are facing greater demands for more complex and powerful devices to fulfil applications across all industry segments. High performance seals and ultra high purity elastomer materials are crucial for these critical applications.
3D printing for seals3D printing has developed significantly and now performs a crucial role in many applications. 3D printed products vary from fully functional to purely aesthetic applications; with the most common application being for manufacturing. Here we discuss how our engineers use 3D printing to demonstrate a seal concept.
O-rings with special coatingsAll seals require some form of installation into application hardware and often this may seem to be a simple push in place function. However, without consideration of certain conditions this can potentially create sealing problems further into the life cycle of the seal. Once installation is achieved a seal can often sit in the housing hardware for many months...which potentially allows it to stick to the housing material and cause further issues. This is where special coatings can make a difference.
Tools
O-Ring Calculator
This interactive calculator assists engineers with selection of O-ring and hardware dimensions, and to form the basis of an O-ring installation.
Chemical Compatibility Checker
This interactive guide will help you choose a seal material based on existing compatibility test results of known chemicals and elastomers.
Interactive Engineering Calculators
Click here for volume, mass and compression set values for O-rings and rotary seal and hydraulic cylinder calculations.
Unit Converter
Our interactive conversion tools allow engineers to switch between units of measurement when preparing engineering calculations.
Engineering Tables
Our reference tables provide cross reference information for surface finish, metal hardness and polymer hardness measurement units.
Articles
Using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) in seal designFinite Element Analysis provides data to help predict how a product will function under those applied conditions and identifies areas where the design can be optimised and improved, without having to test multiple prototypes. Here we explain how our engineers use FEA to design the optimal sealing solution for our customer applications.
Surface finish requirements for static and dynamic sealingThe surface finish of hardware components in contact with the surface of a seal is critical to the seal performance. In addition to achieving a leak free interface, it can also impact the life of the sealing system.
Are all elastomers the same?Elastomer rubbers look very similar - but are they all the same? With many different base groups and recipe formulations, there's a huge range of elastomer materials suitable for applications with varying temperature ranges and chemical media compatibility. It's critical to the seal performance to make the right choice.
The importance of engineering tolerancesTolerances are present in every man-made item as it’s practically impossible to repeatedly manufacture something to an exact size or specification. When manufacturing seals, it's important to understand which tolerances impact performance (and by how much) to ensure that a system is optimized for overall performance, and whole-life product cost.
Elastomer manufacturing moulding processesHow is it manufactured? A question we get asked in the seal design process, but perhaps not considered often enough. How a rubber seal is produced can affect a number of things; the cost, the material choice...even how a part should be designed. All of these can have a significant impact on the performance of the seal in application. Let's take a look at the three main manufacturing methods for moulding elastomer seals.
Polyurethane as a seal materialThe 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 an option that is often overlooked.
Diaphragms for precise control in critical applicationsIn applications that require precise and rapid pressure responses, our diaphragms offer an engineered sealing solution for high performance valves and actuators.
Rotary seals for heavy duty transportationSupply Plus Ltd designs, manufactures, supplies and distributes safety and fuel delivery equipment, with brands including AS Fire & Safety, Bayley and Collins Youldon.
Special coated O-rings for renewable energy applicationOur customer manufactures wind sensors for a variety of applications in different environments. This seal application was within ultrasonic wind sensors designed for wind turbine control.
Moulded gaskets for an automotive applicationAn existing customer (an automotive manufacturer) approached our engineers with an application where they were experiencing failures of a seal designed and manufactured by another rubber seal provider.
Special O-rings for an automotive applicationOur customer manufactures high performance oil and vacuum pump solutions, and approached our engineers with a new O-ring application for review.
High speed Rotary seals for electric vehiclesThe electric vehicle industry is growing; global manufacturing and registrations of electric vehicles is increasing exponentially each year. Our engineers have extensive experience in designing seals for automotive applications, but we still find new challenges involved in sealing components within hybrid, hydrogen fuel and full battery powered electric vehicles.
Silicone O-rings for De Soutter EcoPulse™ lavage systemDe Soutter Medical Ltd specialises in the development, production and worldwide distribution of high performance orthopaedic tools for surgical procedures, offering their customers a comprehensive range of technically innovative and high quality products.
Gold plated metal seals for Oil & Gas couplingsOur customer designs and manufactures hydraulic distribution products and systems used to control subsea production systems for the offshore energy industry globally.
PTFE Rotary Seal for Oil & Gas drilling toolOur customer designs and manufactures a leading range of unique downhole technology and drilling solutions that contribute to a net zero energy industry.
Why the focus on PFAS?PFAS is a blanket term used to describe Poly- and Per- fluoroalkyl substances. There are currently around 10,000 substances in existence that fit this description, with potentially more variants still yet to be produced. Some are already known to be harmful to human and animal health and the environment (such as PFOA and PFOS), and these specific PFAS are already controlled under legal restrictions. But in February 2023, The European Chemical Agency (ECHA) published a regulatory proposal to further restrict the manufacture, placing on the market, and use of all PFAS within the EU.
Seals for cryogenic applicationsCryogenic sealing means controlling or sealing a media at very low temperatures. This process can be complex and advanced, and spans a range of markets; from pharmaceutical, chemical and refrigeration, to automotive and electronics.
Why use 2-Shot moulded seals?2-Shot moulding is a manufacturing process that allows the co-polymerisation of hard (or soft) plastics and thermoplastic elastomers (TPE’s). We use the 2-Shot manufacturing approach to deliver engineered parts that perform a critical sealing function.
Why use PTFE seals?Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a thermoplastic polymer that can be used in a variety of sealing applications; it is particularly suitable where the application conditions exceed the parameters of elastomeric seal use, but are not as highly demanding as applications that require the use of metal seals.
Why use metal seals?The use of metal seals as an engineered sealing solution is appropriate where it is not possible to use elastomeric or polymer seals due to extremely demanding application requirements. For example, these could include applications with extremely high temperatures (300°C upwards) and pressures, intense radiation, cryogenic conditions or highly aggressive chemicals.
Why use Push-in-Place gaskets?Where a seal groove follows an irregular path or profile, a common sealing solution is to design a custom Push-In-Place (PIP) gasket that has the same profile as the centre line of the groove, simply drops into place and is retained by the features of its own design.
Perfluoroelastomers in valvesIs it time to re-visit using perfluoroelastomer seals in your valves? First developed by DuPont™ in the late 1960s, perfluoroelastomers (or FFKMs), are now widely known and understood in a variety of markets. But for those that may be less familiar with these high performance materials, here is a quick recap...
Seals for electric vehiclesPropelled by one or more electric motors and using energy stored in rechargeable batteries, electric vehicles are quieter, have zero exhaust emissions and lower emissions in general compared to internal combustion engines. The number of electric vehicles on the road grows exponentially every year globally, and our engineers support manufacturers with innovative sealing solutions in these specialist areas of application.
Seals for valve applicationsValves are imperative for isolation and control functions, and can be found in a broad range of industries such as Oil & Gas, Water & Wastewater, Food & Beverage and Hydraulics & Pneumatics. We supply seal products into valve applications in a variety of styles including ball, gate, flap, plug, butterfly, spool, check and solenoid valves.
Seals for Oil & Gas applicationsWith diverse applications in harsh environments, the Oil & Gas industry presents some of the most challenging demands on engineered sealing solutions. Our collaboration with Parker Seal Group allows us to integrate their materials and sealing expertise to meet our customer demands.
Seals for Life Sciences & Medical ApplicationsWhen designing and manufacturing sealing solutions for applications within critical devices and equipment, the strictest demands in product integrity and the highest specifications of hygiene and cleanliness must be met.
Seals for Renewable Energy ApplicationsRenewable energy is derived from our planet's natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves, biomass and thermal energy stored in the earth’s crust. With increasing fossil fuel prices, and the very real threat of global warming and climate change to our planet; the development of renewable energy production sources is more important than ever.
Seals for Semiconductor ApplicationsSemiconductor and electronics manufacturers are facing greater demands for more complex and powerful devices to fulfil applications across all industry segments. High performance seals and ultra high purity elastomer materials are crucial for these critical applications.
3D printing for seals3D printing has developed significantly and now performs a crucial role in many applications. 3D printed products vary from fully functional to purely aesthetic applications; with the most common application being for manufacturing. Here we discuss how our engineers use 3D printing to demonstrate a seal concept.
O-rings with special coatingsAll seals require some form of installation into application hardware and often this may seem to be a simple push in place function. However, without consideration of certain conditions this can potentially create sealing problems further into the life cycle of the seal. Once installation is achieved a seal can often sit in the housing hardware for many months...which potentially allows it to stick to the housing material and cause further issues. This is where special coatings can make a difference.
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Product Range
Our seal products range from simple static O-rings to complex and bespoke seal designs in specialist materials. Whatever your application, we have the seal product for you.
