Beyond Omniseal® Blog

Reducing emissions, improving fuel economy and drawing greater performance out of engines: requirements that are driving automotive manufacturers to seek out technology that will help them achieve these goals. One such technology on the rise is the variable valve timing (VVT) system, which influences the flow of gasses in and out of the combustion chamber through the opening and closing of the VVT valves to improve engine efficiency and fuel consumption.  Many earlier systems worked only on valves and had no lift variation. Today, most modern systems can control timing and lift, and many automobiles rely on this core system, giving drivers a smoother, more even performance at higher RPM. 

How does Saint-Gobain Seals power the world’s mobility? We do it mostly from behind the scenes! Our critical sealing and polymer solutions are “mighty” but almost always “invisible” in core systems for automotive, aerospace, space, life sciences and other industries that are “moving” and “protecting” us every day. Take a close look around you … you may be surprised where our seals and polymer materials are. In this blog, we are revealing 10 amazing facts about our OmniSeal®, Rulon® and Meldin® products and how they are making THE difference in our daily lives.

Sealing against dynamic surfaces is a challenge that has been around for decades, if not centuries. It’s a challenge that has only grown in complexity with the early introduction and advancement, of automobiles, airplanes, and complex machinery. It’s one that thermoplastics like polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) rotary lip seals (also known as rotary shaft seals) are increasingly relied upon to address today.

As the summer starts to heat up, people across the world take this opportunity to travel – many going on memorable road and airplane trips – like our teams who are “moving” to several key spots to showcase how innovative and critical seals and polymer solutions are when being used in core systems for automotive, aerospace and space industries that keep us all mobile. We have a prime seat reserved just for you so buckle up and join us on this exciting journey!  See if you can “spy” some of the ways our critical parts are making THE difference in cars, helicopters, airplanes and rockets.

Saint-Gobain has been a leader in innovation for over 350 years: 396 patents were filed in 2017, one in four of its products sold today did not exist five years ago and it has been awarded Top 100 Global Innovators seven years in a row. Along with its parent company, Omniseal Solutions™ is also committed to advancement, focusing on products, processes and services to serve its global customers. 

With the growth in older populations and chronic disorders, the need for surgical procedures is rising, among them microsurgeries—an evolving discipline of surgery that typically deals with very small structures such as blood vessels and nerves or sensitive areas such as tissue and cartilage and performed with the assistance of microscopic and special miniaturized instruments. Since precision and reliability are critical in this type of surgery, technological innovation has led to compact tools, which are enabling smaller incisions to be made, lowering risk of infection and potentially shortening recovery as well as reducing costs over traditional surgeries. 

In our last oil and gas blog post, we discussed four key factors to consider when selecting sealing solutions: application, working conditions, compliance and fugitive emissions and proven design.  Behind these four factors are other design engineering elements that go into developing the seal to precisely fit and perform optimally in a certain environment.  Similar to the industry’s deeper investigation into complex downhole reserves and urgency to solve high pressure, high temperature (HPHT), cryogenic temperatures, heavy oil and other challenges, we are also delving deeper into an engineering element that may be overlooked or underestimated, which is how the right surface finish can make or break a seal’s ability to function properly. 

The aerospace industry is one of the world’s largest manufacturing industries not only meeting the physical need of billions in transportation and communications but also inspiring generations to imagine, innovate and push research and development and technology. Global aerospace manufacturers such as Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier (designers, manufacturers and builders of aircraft) and Rolls-Royce and Pratt & Whitney (designers, manufacturers and builders of engines) rely on a network of smaller companies to support them, among them being parts and materials manufacturers such as Saint-Gobain HyComp, LLC.  From the customer standpoint, reliability and safety are critical. How can this be achieved?  Aside from selecting the right materials, partnering with the right company who has the expertise to understand the materials and its manufacturing process in order to design and make precise fit parts for core applications is the key to success. 

Earth Day, annually celebrated on April 22, was originally founded in 1970 by United States Senator Gaylord Nelson to celebrate ecology and life on earth and is traditionally observed when the sun is directly above the equator. We are honoring this day and every day by connecting with team members like Ryan Spies from Saint-Gobain North America and partners like Gabe Schwartz from Stem Inc., and finding the “great good” we do when we work together. 

Four years ago, oil and gas exploration and production companies were at their lowest point as the industry collapsed with the steady lowering of oil prices. Digging deeper into their toolbox of resources, several in the upstream, midstream and downstream survived by figuring creative ways to cope as well as adopting new technologies. Their resilience paid off. In 2018, global oil demand reached its highest ever levels at 100 million barrels a day. Through innovative technologies that reduce costs and boost productivity, the U.S. is poised to surpass Saudi Arabia and Russia as the world's leading oil producer, hitting oil production highs of over 12 million barrels a day in February of this year. World Oil predicts 7.7% and 8.3% increases in drilling and footage in the Gulf of Mexico, respectively. Similarly, analyst firm Westwood says that after four years of decline, exploration in the Gulf is expected to go up by 30% in 2019. Key projects from oil and gas majors support this growth; Shell has announced its Appomattox from a Jurassic reservoir, BP says it will focus on the area with its Atlantis phase 3, and Chevron has committed to its ultra-high pressure Anchor project.