HEAT RESISTANT SEALS COVER SIX YEARS PRODUCTION IN KEY THERMO FORMING PROCESS

Phil Black - PII Editor 10/03/2012

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Dupont™ Kalrez® Spectrum™ 6375 O-ring seals, which were fitted into thermo forming moulds producing components utilised in industrial process automation, have operated for six years at production steam temperatures up to 165°C without failure. This period of uninterrupted production has been calculated to represent a cost saving of nearly 140K Euro over the manufacturing period 2005-2010.

These cost savings result from reductions in down-time, with increased production reliability of the 14 large thermo forming moulds which represent the manufacturers’ key compression moulding process.

Other contributory factors in the cost savings include the elimination of O-ring replacement costs or the two days of downtime associated with the previous sealing product replacements. Very high maintenance costs were also incurred during the necessary cooling down and reheating periods required for seal replacements, together with additional stress loadings on production and maintenance personnel in the event of unexpected leaks.

Prior to the fitment of the Dupont™ Kalrez® Spectrum™ 6375 seals, the moulding manufacturer needed to replace the original FKM O-rings roughly every six months. The effect of hot steam on these products generated embrittlement, causing surface cracking, and a reduction in tensile strength leading to significant loss of sealing force and eventual leakages. Since replacement, the Mean Time Between Repair (MTBR) period has been increased by a factor of five, leading to increased yields, time saving and reduced maintenance. Even after five years operation, the Dupont™ seals remained leak-free and in good condition, and were only replaced during routine inspection as a precautionary measure.

The official Dupont™ licensee company Dichtomatik Ltd, can supply the range of high performance Kalrez® Spectrum™ products as well as full technical advice and support for customers. Kalrez® Spectrum™ 6375 perfluoroelastomer sealing products are designed to provide outstanding performance for operation over the widest range of chemicals and temperatures. This includes acids, bases, amines, steam, ethylene oxide and many other aggressive chemicals, as well as mixed streams. A continuous upper service temperature of 275°C (525°F) can be accommodated, which is approximately 100° higher than other sealing products claiming such broad chemical resistance. The high temperature stability translates to increased chemical resistance over all temperature ranges, especially where high temperature process excursions occur. High resistance to volume swell and compression set are also major benefits of the Kalrez® 6375 product range.

For further information contact Dichtomatik Ltd, Telephone: 01332 524401 Fax: 01332 524425 E-mail: kalrez@dichtomatik.co.uk Web: www.dichtomatik-kalrez.co.uk