The Challenge: Failing O-Rings Causing Chemical Hazards
A large aerospace company approached the Marco Rubber & Plastics engineering team with a failing silicone o-ring. The o-ring was being used to seal the top of a resin pump compression chamber. Occasionally, the o-ring fit would fail during use — allowing the resin to flow freely from the top of the machine, causing a chemical hazard and slowing production.
The Solution: Correcting O-Ring Fit for a More Reliable Seal
Our engineering team visited the aerospace company and examined the application. We found that the o-rings being used were a larger size than necessary for the seal. This put the o-ring fit at risk, allowing them to sit loosely in the groove and bunch up when being assembled.
Occasionally, the bunched material would be cut or crushed during installation, causing the o-ring fit and seal to fail entirely. To fix this issue, our engineering team recommended a smaller, custom o-ring to properly hug the groove while still holding a seal at high pressure.
The Result: Customization Leads to Better Quality
After manufacturing and testing the proposed solution to evaluate the o-ring fit, the new seal was found to function perfectly within assembly and testing conditions. The company was satisfied with the performance of the new o-ring and now orders this reliable seal in high quantities.
If your organization is experiencing a challenge with an existing seal product, the Marco Rubber & Plastics engineering team is here to help. For more than 40 years, we’ve been helping industries around the world seal the success of their applications — and we’re ready to do the same for you. Rather than provide you with commodity sealing solutions that might not provide the best o-ring fit, we’ll evaluate your application to provide the best possible product to achieve your performance requirements.
Connect with us today to speak with an application engineer.