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Materials/Processes


Seal manufacturers face challenges in high vacuum environments and those with explosive gases.


Dichtungs- und


Gerätehersteller sehen sich einzigartigen Herausforderungen in Hochvakuumumgebungen oder Umgebungen mit explosiven und toxischen Gasen gegenüber.


Les fabricants de joints et d’équipements sont confrontés à des défis uniques dans des environnements à vide élevé, ou dans ceux comportant des gaz explosifs et toxiques.


Research and development teams along with application engineers worked together globally to create a new surface finishing solution that outperformed existing methods.


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Finished for leak prevention


L


eak paths can be a challenge in any sealing environment, reducing performance and sometimes leading to


failure, replacement or redesign. But what about in applications where failure can have serious consequences? Many existing surface finishing


processes, though offering excellent leak- free operation in many applications, do not offer the levels of surface quality that vacuum and toxic gas operations require, and can often be unsuccessful on large diameter seals. The height of flash is absolutely


critical to tight sealing functionality and de-flashing procedures must not create scratches or holes on the seal surface. “We noticed that certain applications,


particularly those involving high vacuum processes and large diameter O-rings, were not performing up to our expectations,” says Simone


Frick, product manager O-rings and Surface Finishing at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. “The performance was usually acceptable, but we knew that a better solution could be found.” Traditionally, tumbling and grinding


methods are used to remove flash, frequently leaving minute scratches on the surfaces of the seals that can act as leak paths. “We began research to determine a


better way of providing a higher level of quality for large diameter seals, one that we hoped would be unmatched in the industry,” continues Frick. Trelleborg Sealing Solutions’


research and development teams along with application engineers worked together globally to create a new surface finishing solution that outperformed some existing methods. “The result was Flexfinish, a special de-flashing method that results in the lowest possible flash height and


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