Manufacture of vulcanized O-rings in all common materials

In our ongoing commitment to innovation and excellence, Epidor Seals and Rubber Technology is pleased to announce that, through the incorporation of advanced technologies, we are able to manufacture vulcanized O-rings in a variety of materials, including FKM (Viton) and FDA translucent silicone.

A new dimension in the manufacture of vulcanized seals

Some time ago we announced our press dedicated exclusively to the local vulcanization of O-rings, a revolutionary machine that allows us to join O-rings to manufacture large or non-standard gaskets without mold cost and in record time. This advance has meant a significant improvement in the flexibility of our manufacturing process; it is also the ideal solution when we are looking to make any large diameter gasket urgently and at an affordable price. 3 - 3.53 - 4 - 5 - 5.33 - 6 - 6.99 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 12 mm section gaskets, with a minimum internal diameter of 200 mm, and no limit on the maximum. Materials: NBR and EPDM, and soon FKM! After some time of work and research, we are now able to offer vulcanized O-rings in two new materials: FKM (Viton) and FDA translucent silicone. These materials, initially excluded due to certain technical difficulties in the vulcanizing process, are now part of our offer thanks to significant improvements in production and test results that guarantee the same quality as our traditional materials. In terms of sizes, for the time being, we continue to focus on manufacturing different sizes of section seals. Our vulcanized gaskets are: 3 mm, 3.53 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm, 5.33 mm, 6 mm, 6.99 mm, 7 mm, 8 mm, 9 mm, 10 mm and 12 mm, with a minimum internal diameter of 200 mm and no limit on the maximum.

The manufacturing process of vulcanized O-rings in various materials

The raw material for manufacturing vulcanized O-rings consists of 2 elements: on the one hand, the O-ring thread cut to size according to the desired final inner diameter, and on the other hand, a sheet of fresh uncured material. Thus, and thanks to this semi-automatic process, it is possible to present and press the ends to the sheet, and to vulcanize this material at high temperatures, creating a strong bond between the ends of the cord. The finishing is done by belt polishing, in the area of the joint, and the quality obtained with this process is within the parameters set out in our catalog of O-rings. Tensile tests carried out in an official ASTM laboratory confirm the high quality of our vulcanized O-rings and give positive and consistent results.

Can all materials be vulcanized?

In response to this frequently asked question, we confirm that Epidor Seals and Rubber Technology can vulcanize the following materials:

• NBR
• EPDM
• FKM (Viton)
• FDA translucent silicone.

Although there are no technical difficulties in vulcanizing other materials, we currently focus on those that account for more than 90% of our manufacturing and marketing of standard size O-rings. However, if a customer needs to vulcanize other non-standard materials, we can manufacture them. All that is required is contact our team of consultants and engineers and together we will consider vulcanizing O-rings made of other materials.

Advantages of vulcanized O-rings

We are often asked about the advantages of vulcanized gaskets compared to gaskets glued with cyanoacrylate adhesive. Although cyanoacrylate adhesive bonded gaskets are a good answer to a problem that requires an immediate solution (in fact, we have very versatile on-site gasketing kits available in the form of a case), they cannot withstand aggressive temperatures and pressures, they break when in contact with certain chemicals, and cyanoacrylate adhesive bonded gaskets are not completely watertight. On the other hand, ‘‘vulcanized’’ gaskets use the same material as the bead for their bonding, without the addition of a chemical agent that could alter the characteristics of the gasket. In addition, they usually have a better surface finish and offer a more durable solution that is resistant to high temperatures and chemicals.   We hope you have solved all your doubts about the manufacture of vulcanized O-Rings in FKM (viton) and FDA translucent silicone materials. At Epidor Seals and Rubber Technology, we continue to move forward to provide quality solutions that exceed our customers' expectations. This expansion in our O-ring manufacturing capabilities is a further testament to our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction.