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.

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.

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.

Progress, innovation, growth, industrialization—just a few of the benefits that have kept companies focused on the race to space. The global market for space exploration was $383.5 billion U.S. worldwide in 2017 according to The Space Foundation, with a 100 percent increase in the total number of spacecraft deployed.  By 2040, it is expected to grow to $1.1 trillion U.S. says Morgan Stanley, with many looking towards moon exploration because of its strategic location, critical minerals and water supply.  Space has become one of the most lucrative industries globally per Research and Markets “Global Space Industry Market and Technology Forecast to 2026." 

As we head into the end of 2018, we can’t help but recognize the many accomplishments revolving around space exploration that have kept us fascinated and pondering the question of “what next?”  From NASA celebrating a legacy that spans 60 years in which they have kept true to their mission “to reach for new heights and reveal the unknown so that what we do and learn will benefit all humankind” to SpaceX’s combination of “cool Tesla car and cool Falcon Heavy rocket" that was sent into orbit to the Curiosity rover discovering organic molecules on Mars' surface, this year has indeed been one of distinction, discovery and breakthrough.  There are many dedicated people who have believed in pushing our limits and going beyond the stars to learn more about distant planets and deep space.  As astrophysist Neil deGrasse Tyson aptly said, “Ever since there have been people, there have been explorers, looking in places where others hadn't been before. Not everyone does it, but we are part of a species where some members of the species do—to the benefit of us all.” 

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.