FlexiMold™ O-Ring seals centrifuge housing

A centrifuge manufacturer specializing in the pharmaceutical industry needed large size O-Rings for the housing of one of their products.

Sealing issue:

The seals are exposed to high centrifugal forces, which put extreme demand on the physical properties of the seals. Additionally the seals needed to fit in the seal groove without creating dead space, so the centrifuge could be cleaned easily.

Sealing requirements:

• Compatible with harsh cleaning medias such as a variety of solvents
• Compliant with FDA and USP Class VI standards

Solution:

Due to the low volume requirement, the cost for a tool was prohibitive. An O-Ring using the FlexiMold™ process was therefore selected. By this proprietary production method, an O-Ring can be fabricated that has the same characteristics, including integrity at the join, as a molded O-Ring without the need for a dedicated tool. To ensure compatibility with process media, Isolast® J9515 was specified.

Result:

The giant O-Rings were delivered in record time providing the same integrity as compression molded O-Rings without the tooling cost.