Beyond Omniseal® Blog

High speeds, high pressures and high temperatures – these are three important requirements that seals in critical automotive applications frequently must be able to address. Rectangular seals, named after their rough rectangular shape, are a special type of face seal for rotating connections used in applications where pressurized oil or fluid need to be transmitted between a stationary and rotating part. They are used for the oil pressure supply in rotating actuators such as clutches and pistons in automotive transmissions as well as in engines and oil pumps. These seals are custom designed for use in internal applications to address high pressures above one bar and speeds at over five meters per second for high volume applications. 

Global manufacturing is moving at such an unprecedented speed that businesses need to take proactive steps to remain competitive; one way is through investment in R&D and emerging technologies that are reshaping how they work with their customers and end users.  As one of these global businesses, we have seen a tremendous growth in various regions such as Asia where our sealing and polymer solutions are critical in supporting many OEMs in the industrial, oil and gas and aerospace industries.  

Finding the right material solution for specialized applications is always challenging as they may be exposed to extreme environments or chemicals or may need to be nonconductive or lighter in weight. Often low temperature thermoplastics and metal parts may not be the best fit in these instances, which is where high-performance polymers provide a more precise fit and a better option as they are recognized for greater temperature and chemical stability, mechanical properties, strength, and rigidity.

Oil and gas production is on the rise. U.S. oil output is expected to reach an all-time high this year and Europe’s offshore drilling continues to grow, with strong contribution from UK and Norwegian Continental Shelf production. Simultaneously, Russia, Brazil and countries in the Middle East continue to produce.  Growing demand is pushing oil and gas companies to locate and produce new and more complex downhole reserves with conditions often requiring the ability to withstand high pressure, high temperature (HPHT), cryogenic temperature, sour gas, heavy oil, and other demands. Safety and environmental protection are major concerns. Proven designs and high-performance solutions are increasingly critical as new designs are developed to push the technology limits, one of which is polymer spring-energized sealing solutions. 

The process of selecting the best materials for critical parts in machines we use daily and devices we rely on in aerospace, space, life sciences and industrial manufacturing is multifaceted and requires quite a lot of thought, knowledge and understanding.  Because of this, many companies invest in their R&D departments to be their investigators, innovators, problem solvers, and developers and to guide them so they can grow via new product introduction and enabling new technologies and processes.  

Choosing the right seal is critical in medical devices, surgical, pharmaceutical, and laboratory diagnostics applications to ensure patient well-being and handle performance requirements and tight tolerance specifications.  Let’s continue on to see what goes into selecting a successful sealing solution in life science applications. 

Most seals and polymer components are not visible to the human eye; however, these critical parts hold a “hidden” value that go beyond in core systems, influencing all aspects of our daily lives. What places you ask? Our Omniseal^®, Rulon^® and Meldin^® products have been in some rather interesting and historical places that you may not have known about and our heritage does go way, way back—more than 350 years. 

With the weather warming up in many places across the globe, it’s time to sit back, reflect, and enjoy some rays with a few interesting summer reads. What might you find tucked in the travel bags of our engineers and plastics experts?  Read on to see various trends and insights in the polymer industry that we hope you enjoy. We love to learn so please share recommendations on other good articles in the comments field below. 

The U.S. manufacturing index rose to 56.6 in May from 56.5, according to IHS Markit, and earlier this year Bloomberg reported that factories in China, France, Canada, Germany and the UK were finding it difficult to keep up with demand.

Aside from proper steering, braking systems are perhaps the most important safety component of any vehicle.  To the driver, they are a no-fail system which is expected to work without a second thought.  Yet to OEMs, braking systems are an intricate design of precision components which work together to bring vehicles to a complete and safe stop.