Customised Gaskets: What Are The Most Common Requirements?

29 July 2016

Regular geometrical shapes dictate conventional gasket design. We see them fabricated as circular and ovoid seals, the strong rubberized inserts that complete the meeting of two regular surfaces. Of course, there are situations where such sealing strategies fall short. These specialised applications call for made-to-measure solutions, which is where customised gaskets enter the project as tailor-made seals.

Unique Designs for Customised Gaskets

Imbued with custom-fit features, one-off gaskets are hand cut and laser cut, die stamped and water-jet shaped, all so that a customer can receive a seal that precisely integrates within the geometrical outlines of an irregularly configured joint surface.

Material Selection as a Science

Versatile engineering departments are well-versed in the craft of selecting the right synthetic seal for a specific application. What’s required is knowledge of the transported fluid and all environmental conditions within and around the joint. Heat and pressure are two common issues here, but a custom solution reinforces the stressed component. Specifically manufactured seals add tailored material attributes to uncommonly overextended settings.

Common Dimensional Attributes Begin Here

Customers can relay shape requirements when they vary beyond normal constraints. After all, a circular form is easy to customise because a cutting tool can be quickly programmed to account for diameter changes, but this approach won’t work with complex geometrical outlines. One solution is to make a scaled drawing of the uncommon shape when submitting the project. CAD drawing software also works, as bolt holes and arcing shapes can easily be added into an irregularly described gasket when computer software is employed.

Evaluating Uncommon Requirements

If the shape of a gasket is as fluid as the medium being transported through a specific joint, then there may be other unique requirements. Rubberized seals are the standard material, one that varies finitely to accommodate environmental conditions, but there are also metal variants, plus a whole catalogue of flange face sealing aids. Perhaps the seal needs to deliver non-magnetic characteristics, or there’s a need for a compressible material, then that same soft seal may need to be reinforced with a special non-magnetic mesh, all the better to equip the gasket with composite toughness.

When talking about customised gaskets, the shape of the seal and the joint surface is the first variable we entertain. It’s a consideration that effects workshop tooling, obviously, but fabrication methods must also be assessed. We accommodate these design goals by partnering shape with material properties, thus creating a design strategy that offers full-package customization.

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