Services – Compressing the design of gaskets

In June 2021, I wrote about the hydraulic press we have invested in. As expected, things have progressed a lot since then, because we are used to continuous developing. Currently I’m mentoring a Master’s thesis regarding the testing and analysis of gasket materials with the hydraulic press.

Modeling gaskets is not trivial

What makes the thesis meaningful is the fact that gaskets and gasket materials are not widely available in simulation software. Their non-linear behavior under compression and temperature makes them difficult to model digitally. This often puzzles designers, and they are forced to either cut corners or to humbly ask for our help.

Taking shortcuts leads to trouble

Cutting corners in the design phase is of course a tempting option as deadlines are pressing on and projects need to progress. This usually backfires at some point, at the latest in the testing phase or even worse, during production. Gaskets per se are often negligible components pricewise but a leaking connection is multiple times more costly than any gasket.

Humbly asking for our help after a sloppy design phase is a good alternative, but the best option is to let us help right from the start. When elements are still on the computer screen, it is possible to make changes and test what works in simulations. Our Design Board has decades of experience in different sealing challenges and they usually come up with a solution that suits your needs best.

Gasket library under construction

We are currently developing our testing process to make it is as efficient as possible by gathering and analyzing data. We are collecting a baseline library of different materials and gasket types to provide off-the-shelf answers for common cases. This library has loading-unloading curves for materials in standard sizes needed for example in FEM analysis.

For customer specific cases we’ll use the same process with tailored procedures if needed. We can suggest different solutions for your case and make prototypes of them. We can also provide more complex testing setups and design required tooling for it. With our skill set, equipment and material selection, no connection is left to leak. And remember, digitalizing gaskets is just one of our steps towards Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow.