For many years as a locally competitive tennis player, David Glass carried an adjustable wrench in his tennis bag, to bring the net cord tension into a more playable range without knowing exactly how tight the net should be. After attending a college tournament, and noticing the variability of the net tensions, Glass approached the…
Epoxies: The “Go To” Materials for Oil and Gas Instrumentation
By Robert Michaels, Vice President Technical Sales, Master Bond Oil and gas are a primary source of energy. In the exploration and extraction of oil and gas, epoxies can be found in most of the equipment used to search, assess, and extract these sources of energy. In the last 200 years or so, oil and…
FEA finds best design for bearing seal on turbines
By Paul Heney, Editorial Director An engineering firm that designs seals for wind turbine bearings used finite-element analysis software to simulate the performance of a seal or gasket and then an optimizing package to runs through hundreds of design and material possibilities to find a best fit for a wind turbine’s wide operating range. “Reliable…
Tough seals for rugged environments
A new generation of polyurethane is expected to set new standards for the sealing industry. The polyurethane was developed for an array of uses and is more resistant to water and withstands major temperature fluctuations better than existing polyurethanes. “Today construction equipment is developed for global use. Seals must function in the Arctic as well…
How to Secure Fasteners and Strengthen Interference Fits
By Doug Lescarbeau, Anaerobic Technology Manager, and Tina Adams, OEM Market Manager, Henkel Corporation Retaining compounds offer a number of benefits in fastening applications, including reducing weight, lowering cost and assembly time, and even reducing some dimensional precision requirements. Here’s a closer look at when and how you can use retaining compounds. Ancillary benefits of…
Strategic Planning Can Drive Sustainability
By Paul J. Heney, Editorial Director How does a company sustain itself in a green fashion through decades of changing business demands? According to Dr. Ted Duclos, VP and general manager of the Global Fluid Power Div. of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, this complex question has what amounts to a clear answer. Duclos, who spoke recently…
Nine Simple Steps to Control Blooming of Adhesives
by Josh Sherwood, OEM Market Manager, Henkel Corp. Cyanoacrylates (CAs) are one-part instant adhesives that fix rapidly and cure at room temperature. They bond to a range of components, including metals, plastics, elastomers, and porous substrates. When exposed to a weak base such as water, CAs polymerize. The water neutralizes acidic stabilizers in the adhesive,…
Modern Mechanical Carbon Materials for Aircraft Seal Applications
Oil-free, self-lubricating mechanical carbon materials possess a combination of characteristics that make them suitable for use in both commercial and military aircraft seal applications. The materials are self-lubricating, self-polishing, and dimensionally stable, which insures a good sealing mate. They are heat resistant and have a high thermal conductivity, which helps conduct frictional heat away from…
Apple Rubber Offers Electrical Enclosure UL 50 Seals
Apple Rubber Products now offers two new silicone compounds with UL 50 and UL 50E certifications for use with and without environmental considerations. UL 50 and UL 50E are the safety standards for seal use with enclosures for electrical equipment, and Apple Rubber has selected two silicone compounds, 14SL7ML and 35SL5ML, to provide to customers…
Two-part Production Simplifies Medical Designs
by Mary C. Gannon, Senior Editor Two years ago, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions purchased a liquid silicone company headquartered in Switzerland, which provided silicone extrusion and silicone molding, all in a clean room facility. The facility in Stein am Rhein, Switzerland and another in Northborough, Mass., allows the company to manufacture and design two-part Liquid Silicone…