Material switch tackles premature seal failure
12 May 2013
Kalrez Spectrum perfluoroelastomer O-rings from the DuPont Performance Elastomers range have been successfully used to minimise the risk of premature seals failure, as well as increasing MTBF and significantly reducing the incidence of downtime for hydraulic clamping systems.
The clamping products are manufactured by a leading European supplier of heavy-duty systems for applications in the metals, plastics and rubber processing industries, and are designed to withstand pressures of up to 400bar at extreme temperatures.
They utilise highly aggressive Oemeta HF/DU hydraulic fluids, working at around 250°C, and are used to position and retain large hot dies on forging machines, as well as securing hot moulds in injection moulding equipment, developing clamping forces of up to 1,250kN.
Hydraulic fluid leakages from this equipment are deemed totally unacceptable, so when previous sealing products were regularly failing after just a few months of operation, an alternative was urgently sought. A switch to the Kalrez Spectrum 7075 seal meant the manufacturer could offer not only long-term resistance to aggressive fluids for its hydraulic pumps, but also problem-free operation at the working temperature of 250°C.
Indeed, since refitting the seals, the clamping systems have operated problem-free for over 18 months. Service intervals have been considerably extended, as a result, providing cost savings and increasing the overall reliability of the clamping system. The improved reliability has also allowed the company to extend the application of its products for existing and new users.
Kalrez Spectrum 7075 is a carbon black filled compound designed for use as O-rings or custom-designed sealing components. It offers enhanced physical performance properties, including very low compression set and a maximum service temperature of up to 327°C, making it an ideal choice for use in mechanical seals, valves, flanges and other demanding chemical and hydrocarbon processing equipment.
Sealing products from the DuPont Performance Elastomers range are available in the UK from authorised distributor, Dichtomatik.
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