Parker Prädifa XXL-size seals and moulded parts

26 October, 2017

In a wide range of industries, in addition to average-size and miniaturised equipment, large-scale systems are used that require components and sealing systems matching the size of the equipment. While average sealing systems rarely have diameters larger than 100 mm, diameters of several metres are not uncommon in some sectors. Examples include manufacturing plant and equipment, buildings and pipelines, tunnel construction and mining, energy, high-tech medicine, aerospace and many others.

The production of large seals for challenging applications is not simply a matter of scaling up know-how of traditional seal design and machining. The reason is that XXL sizes not only pose particular handling challenges in the manufacturing process, but do so even earlier, in the design and testing stages. Using special compounds, engineering design and process technology, Parker Prädifa is able to offer machined seals made of polymer materials such as PTFE or PEEK in diameters of up to 4.5 m, metallic C-rings in diameters of up to 7.6 meters and precision O-rings in practically any desired diameter.

As a specialist in engineered materials, engineering design and process technology Parker Prädifa offers an extensive portfolio of large-size seals and molded parts made of polymers such as NBR, EPDM, FKM, PTFE and PEEK, as well as metal.

Precision O-rings in (nearly) any desired diameter

Precision O-rings are manufactured by vulcanisation in a closed mould using compression or injection moulding. This makes it possible to produce O-rings with small manufacturing tolerances and with good surface quality according to ISO 3601-1 and ISO 3601-3. Due to defined vulcanisation parameters, precision O-rings exhibit consistently high mechanical properties across their entire circumference. This high quality level is an indispensable prerequisite for achieving consistently good sealing effects over a long period of time.

The innovative manufacturing technology of continuous vulcanisation used by Parker Prädifa, which does not involve failure-prone joints, enables the cost-efficient production of precision-quality O-rings with high mechanical load resistance in nearly any desired diameter, i.e. >200 mm for industrial applications and >380 mm for special applications. The technical properties of continuously vulcanised O-rings are comparable with those of O-rings produced by conventional compression moulding. As a result of being moulded, these XXL O-rings are quality products for challenging applications.

In addition to precision-quality XXL O-rings, Parker Prädifa offers the development and production of customer-specific geometries in large diameters. A wide range of materials is available according to the application requirements.