Beyond Omniseal® Blog

Today’s Tech Tip is on selecting high-temperature materials to meet the unique sealing needs of the aerospace industry.  This topic seems especially appropriate given the recent celebration of Earth Day; an event that is synonymous with environmental protection. Sealing is itself a way to protect the environment; especially when you are sealing chemicals or oils as in the case of a turbofan jet engine where the high temperature makes this task more challenging.  Turbofans are the most-common type of jet engine since they are used in commercial aircraft, transports and military aircraft; therefore, selecting the right high-temperature material is essentially an automatic concern for aerospace designers, along with reducing total weight for better fuel efficiency.

Happy National Robotics Week!  

Not familiar with this annual industry event?  RoboWeek is celebrated each April, and is intended to increase awareness of the importance and future impact of the robotics industry in the US.  As a proud designer and manufacturer of plastic seals to OEMs in this growing sector, we join our colleagues in saluting robotics and STEM education! 

Cryogenic temperatures require cryogenic materials. This is not only a simple fact of physics, it’s a key mandate.  When working in this challenging environment, design and selection of the cryogenic material such as seals become important factors in not only the performance and cost, but the success and safety of the project.  This is especially true when engineering polymer seals for cryogenic applications in the aerospace and oil & gas industries. Ever wonder what goes into making quality sealing materials for this type of specialized environment? Which characteristics should you look for when using polymer materials? From rocket propulsion systems to LNG tank applications, today we’re sharing some important features to consider when using sealing materials for extreme temperatures:

#The countdown is on! From March 27 to 29, we’ll be exhibiting for the very first time at CIPPE, the world’s largest Petroleum & Petrochemical Technology and Equipment Exhibition. The event kicks off in Beijing, China, and is expected to draw over 110,000 attendees. CIPPE is the premier gathering for leaders in exploration, production and transportation equipment for the oil and gas industry.  It’s also an ideal place to showcase our OmniSeal^® polymer spring-energized seals, which are at the forefront of advanced-sealing technology for reducing fugitive emissions in oil and gas equipment, along with our Rulon^® and Meldin^® material solutions.

What other innovations can be found at Saint-Gobain Seals’ Booth #665 in Hall W3? Why is being at this event so timely for us and the oil and gas customers in China?

Automation. Digitalization. Robotics. These are the trends of automotive manufacturing as factories embrace the latest innovations to improve production output and stay competitive.  While it’s critical for auto manufacturers to invest in the right technology, we believe that it’s equally important for them to invest in the right people to master that technology. Today we’re sharing some insights into automation trends for automotive manufacturing.

In the world of competitive auto racing, detail and precision are the hallmarks of a winning design. From the custom engine, to specialized tires and even down to the automotive transmission seals; no level of detail is overlooked. Most of us may not have the thrill of driving a race car as seen in those cool “Fast and Furious” movies, but we can still experience that same precision engineering in high-end sport cars.  Today on The Critical PARTner, we hit the road to share a success story of Meldin® transmission seals for high-end sport cars.

Quality, certification, and processing. These are just a few of the key points that are important to consider when choosing a seal manufacturer.  In critical applications such as aerospace, oil and gas, and automotive, there’s simply no room for error – these environments demand quality first. Today we focus on the top questions you should ask any seal manufacturer BEFORE you place an initial order. Let’s dive in:

As a market development manager, I have the great opportunity of communicating with many of our customers about the true differences between typical elastomer O-ring seals and our OmniSeal^® product. We discuss the pros and cons of each product, because very often, spring-energized seals and elastomer O-rings are both options for an application solution. Ultimately, we agree that the choice should be dictated by the application and operating environment.

With this in mind, the critical question then becomes, “How challenging is your application?” 

Let’s review: 

If the part fails, the system fails. It’s really that simple.  

You may have heard about the “gray market” of manufacturing components, where non-genuine parts can enter the industrial supply chain. The problem seems to be particularly acute with certain high-value items such as Rulon^® products. Non-genuine materials may be reengineered, refurbished, or otherwise altered, and can pose a serious threat from an application safety and performance perspective.  

But how can you differentiate genuine Rulon^® materials from counterfeit – especially when the two look alike? We’ve got some insights.  

How important is application testing in high-performance plastics? 

In our view, it’s very important. By conducting appropriate material characterization testing followed by simulation and application testing, you can save time (and thus cost) to the final customers by reducing their validation testing programs. Let’s explore: