Beyond Omniseal® Blog

You may have heard that a hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one. In the world of sealing technology, solutions are often hidden within complex systems. Part of the most important components of any system, machine or device, seals are key in securing the function of many applications and to prevent leaks. Can you imagine what applications contain seals? Almost everything you use, interact with or see in your daily life needs seals to work: a dishwasher, a dryer, a car, an airplane, portable healthcare devices, and satellites. Without proper seals, systems could become completely useless or even have a critical failure.

There are different types of seals and different types of sealing environments. Omniseal Solutions designs and manufacturers polymer spring-energized and rotary lip seals that handle high pressure sealing and challenging conditions. In 2019, the business acquired American Seal & Engineering, which added high-performance metal sealing solutions to their global portfolio. With the recent acquisition of HTMS (High Tech Metal Seals) this year, Omniseal Solutions reinforces their metal sealing presence in the space and nuclear industries and added several decades of experience, essentially expanding their world of sealing technologies. Founded in 1999 by a group of sealing specialists and based in Mechelen, Belgium, HTMS’ resilient metal seals are most valuable where standard seals cannot handle extreme temperatures, pressures or media.

For most of the world, an automobile is a common item that is used every day and part of our daily lives. That is why automotive manufacturers take the care to make sure everything is in working order whether it be the engine, tires or brakes. One of the most important parts of a car is the transmission, which provides power and handles control. With people being in the driver seat at least one hour per day, the powertrain system does play a very important role. Within this critical powertrain system are seals that work to improve the quality of shifting gears, acceleration and maneuverability so the driver has a smooth and comfortable ride. Therefore, selecting the right seal does make a significant difference for both automotive manufacturers and the consumers they serve.

Technological advances made in surgical handheld devices in the form of design and fluidics have provided better control and safety for surgeons, ultimately establishing confidence between doctor and patient in critical surgeries. Among this segment of medical devices, ultrasound eye surgery remains one procedure that has benefited from these advancements, namely phacoemulsification cataract eye surgery or phaco for short.

Were you aware that phaco is about 50 years old? Over these five decades, the safety of phaco devices has significantly improved due to hundreds of incremental upgrades. As highly advanced pieces of medical equipment, the devices now offer advanced fluidics, IOP control, and anterior chamber stability. Within the handpiece itself are critical parts that make it even more stable such as Omniseal Solutions’ Omniseal® fluoroelastomer seals, which protect the handpiece electronics and withstand autoclave / sterilization cycles up to 1,000 cycles.

The Coronavirus pandemic has put an unexpected pause to what could have been a great start for 2020 in many industries and areas throughout the world, impacting human lives, business, and ways in which we interact. The potential health effects of COVID-19 and ramifications continue to reverberate. Even under these trying circumstances, some defining sources of light have emerged that are moving us forward - some in major advances and some bringing us together in unexpected ways - all taking us to positive places.

Do you remember on May 30 when millions worldwide celebrated the pioneering spirit of mankind and continuous innovation? We collectively watched NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley and private space company, SpaceX, venture on the first American manned launch since 2011 with Launch America. There are other numerous innovations in technology, telemedicine, logistics and government and private sectors that show us working together and helping each other.

Close to 9,000 satellites have been launched from over 40 countries since the Soviet Union launched the first satellite, Sputnik, on October 4, 1957. Once used in reconnaissance missions, satellites are now commonplace and vital to how we see everyday life. How do you think we enjoy live broadcasts of our favorite sporting events, get ready for rain or shine with weather forecasts or even dig into the past to see hidden ancient towns that have been buried thousands of years?  

The number of satellites are increasing; an average of 990 satellites are expected to be launched every year from 2018-2028. That is a total of 9,900 by 2028, up from 2,300 satellites launched during the last decade, a four times increase, says Euroconsult in its 2019 edition of “Satellites to be Built & Launched.” 

Emerging companies like SpaceX, OneWeb, Telesat, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper say they expect to launch close to 46,000 satellites in the next few years. As they, and traditional manufacturers, continue to innovate, the satellite industry and their designs have been changing as well. As a trusted supplier of sealing and polymer solutions in the space industry, Omniseal Solutions™ has also adapted their material solutions to be just as innovative in order to meet these evolving needs.

Have you heard the expression, “We travel not to escape life but for life not to escape us”?

Imagine life without mobility and the ability to expand our possibilities, connect, dream, communicate, gain knowledge and advance.

At Omniseal Solutions™, we have been powering mobility in many ways through our polymer seals, metal seals, and specialized material solutions such as carbon fiber composites, PTFE and polyimides.

Aluminum extrusion—or the process of manufacturing aluminum alloy parts with definitive cross-sectional profiles—is on the rise. The global aluminum extrusion market size, valued at about $80 billion in 2018, is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 5% from 2019 to 2025. The U.S., China, and India combined are expected to comprise close to 60% of the global construction industry growth overall by 2030, with extrusion increasing in these countries.

With extrusion producing aluminum alloys that have the potential to be strong yet lightweight (and also be potentially less expensive than steel and be recyclable), this heavy industrial machinery is quite critical to key industries such as automotive that seek to produce lighter weight cars, trucks, and public transportation vehicles to address consumer and government demand for greater fuel-efficiency. Ford has its F-150, with aluminum frames, and luxury car makers like Audi, Mercedes Benz, and Land Rover are also looking to the process and these lightweight materials. Not only are these heavy machinery systems important but also the critical parts that keep these systems running, which is where advanced composites can really count!

It’s an exciting time in the aerospace industry, with a record four billion passenger journeys taken in 2018 and 8,000 to 20,000 planes in flight at any given moment transporting people, supplies, and freight. Air transport supports tourism and trade, brings aid to people in need, enhances our mobility, and helps to brings us all together regardless of geographic divide. At Saint-Gobain Seals, we are inspired by the industry and excited to be a part of it through our seals and polymer solutions.

In fact, our high-performance solutions are in many critical core systems of commercial and general airplanes as well as helicopters.  Where are our critical parts?  Our Omniseal® spring-energized seals are used in Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) that power electricity before engines ignite; in gas turbine engines, the turbine shaft, air inlet vane, internal, and accessory gearbox and accessory drive shaft and units, and much more. High-temperature, lightweight Meldin® polyimide parts are often used in APUs and electric harnesses to ensure tolerance control and reduce weight. And  metal C-Seals, E-Seals, and custom seals are frequently in the combustion chamber and engine in commercial, business, and general aviation engines and airframes.

Enormous changes to the world’s energy systems are being implemented today due to climate concerns. As such, there has been a concentrated push to use “clean energy” in more homes and businesses for their environmentally-friendly impact and cost-effective nature.  Other alternative sources of energy such as natural gas resources have also proven to be a major asset as gas-fired power plants are a natural complement for renewable energy, able to provide electricity when outputs from wind and solar are low. As the power generation industry looks to further increase efficiency and reduce emissions, seals play an integral part – particularly metal seals such as those designed and manufactured by Omniseal Solutions™ as the seals need to handle higher temperatures and pressures to optimize performance and ensure reliability.

Another year is almost at a close, and upon reviewing 2019, there were several world events that were cause to celebrate and inspire us as we move into 2020. Female empowerment was on display with a record number of women elected to the 116^th Congress (part of the most diverse class of lawmakers in history) while NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Christina Koch conducted the first all-female spacewalk outside the International Space Station.  Environmental friendly goals were on the rise with innovators like Tesla founder Elon Musk unveiling the Cybertruck, a bulletproof electric vehicle that uses similar steel material to make SpaceX's Starship space craft. Communications were also a hot topic with companies trying to connect communities with intelligent 5G communication and micro satellite systems.

At Omniseal Solutions™, we also experienced our share of exciting moments such as adding more experts to our engineering and manufacturing teams with the acquisition of Hycomp, LLC and American Seal & Engineering (ASE), leading to a stronger portfolio of sealing and polymer solutions.