The Leading Manufacturer of Custom Rubber O-Rings
We are a leading manufacturer of custom-made rubber O-Rings. Our goods are built utilizing the newest technology to guarantee that they suit all your demands and expectations.
What Are O-Rings?
An O-ring is a donut-shaped elastomeric component that creates a seal at the interface of two or more joined parts in a system. Their simple yet effective design makes them an integral sealing solution in various applications, from sophisticated medical and electronic devices to safety-critical automotive and aerospace systems. To maximize their sealing capabilities, O-ring designs are often customized to meet the exact specifications of the application in which they are used.
O-rings are the optimal device for fluid-sealing applications due to their suppleness and ability to establish an airtight, leakproof seal. They fit firmly into specifically machined grooves of two matching surfaces when pressed together; this revolutionary feature makes O-rings a handy tool in nearly every fluid handling system that necessitates tightly sealed connections between components.
Types of O-Rings
It is important to choose an O-ring design that will accommodate your application’s specific operating environment and sealing performance requirements. The most common O-ring styles include:
Standard O-rings. With a simple donut-shaped form with rounded edges, conventional O-rings offer effective leak prevention in a range of basic sealing applications.
Metric O-rings. Metric O-rings are custom-molded to meet specific hardware profiles, allowing them to cover gaps that may be left by ordinary O-rings. They are commonly used in specialized high-pressure and hydraulic applications to seal pumps, valves, engine components, flanges, and pipe joints.
Quad rings. Quad rings offer a unique four-lobed shape that permits a more secure and longer-lasting seal than regular O-rings can deliver. These unique sealing solutions also offer better stability in dynamic applications and improved resistance to rolling or spiral twisting. While quad ring designs are suited for a wide variety of static and dynamic applications, they are typically employed in low-temperature and low-pressure conditions since they can still achieve a high sealing efficiency.
Square-cut O-rings. Square-cut O-rings offer a unique square cross-section that boosts their working pressure and helps them to provide a secure fit under a range of operating situations. Compared with traditional O-rings, its design delivers improved sealing performance with higher dimensional stability in high-pressure sealing applications.
Custom O-Ring Materials
Many varieties of elastomers are available for O-ring production, and each one has various features that make it suitable with certain operational situations. Typical material possibilities include:
- Neoprene/chloroprene. Neoprene/chloroprene is a synthetic rubber with excellent weather, heat, and abrasion resistance. This material is often used in refrigeration and automobile applications due to its ability to tolerate fluids such as ammonia, freon, and oil.
- Silicone. Silicone is a non-reactive, stable material that can tolerate a wide range of temperatures as well as UV and ozone exposure. Common applications of silicone O-rings include medical equipment, automotive systems, and electronic devices.
- Buna-N (nitrile). Resistant to petroleum-based fluids, alcohols, and water, Buna-N materials are a great option for automotive, aerospace, and fuel tank applications.
- Fluorosilicone. Fluorosilicone is a saturated rubber material with excellent resistance to fuels, oils, solvents, and other harsh fluids, making it well-suited for static sealing and aerospace applications.
- Fluorocarbon/Viton. Tolerant of high temperatures and harsh chemicals, Viton O-rings are a great sealing solution for aircraft engines, chemical processing systems, and automotive applications.
- Ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM). EPDM O-rings are resistant to weather, water, steam, and ozone, making them a suitable option for everything from automotive systems to medical devices.
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Known for their excellent resistance to harsh chemicals and high temperatures, PTFE O-rings are often used in chemical processing applications in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.
- Aflas. The chemical, temperature, and steam resistance of Aflas O-rings make them well-suited for automotive engines, fuel-handling systems, and oil exploration & drilling applications.
Benefits of Custom O-Rings
Custom O-rings provide many benefits to fluid handling systems, including:
- Achieving a tight seal in confined spaces. As O-rings are made of an elastic material, they can be compressed much more than traditional seals and gaskets to achieve a tighter fit. This is especially useful for difficult-to-reach systems where there is limited space for the seal.
- Ensuring compatibility with many materials. O-rings are compatible with a wide range of materials, including metals, plastics, and rubber. This ensures that they can be used in any type of system without fear of degradation or other issues caused by incompatibility.
- Enhanced durability and longevity. The elastic nature of O-rings makes them highly durable and able to withstand high pressures, temperatures, and vibrations. As a result, they are less likely to need frequent replacements due to wear or damage.
- Improving system performance. By providing a leakproof seal between two surfaces, custom O-rings help improve the overall performance of a system. This can result in cost savings, time savings and improved reliability.
- Easy installation and removal. O-rings are easy to install and remove, making them ideal for quick repairs or upgrades to existing systems. Additionally, their small size means they do not take up much space when installed.
Overall, custom O-rings are an excellent tool for any fluid handling system that needs a reliable, airtight connection between two surfaces. Their versatility, durability, and easy installation make them a valuable addition to any application. With the right O-ring manufacturer at your side, you can be sure of finding the perfect solution for your project.
Custom O-Ring Applications
O-rings can be customized to suit many sealing applications, including:
- Oil & gas. The oil & gas industry relies on high-performance O-rings that are designed to tolerate the extreme temperatures, harsh chemicals, and high pressures encountered in oil exploration, extraction, and processing applications.
- Medical. Medical devices and equipment such as syringes, pumps, and filtration systems require medical-grade O-rings that meet the industry’s strict quality standards.
- Transportation. In the transportation industry, custom O-rings form reliable seals that can withstand chemicals, vibration, heat, and pressure extremes encountered in automotive and aerospace systems.
- Food & beverage. The food & beverage industry uses FDA-approved O-rings in food processing, beverage dispensing, and water filtration applications.
- Refrigeration and air conditioning. O-rings made from low-temperature-tolerant materials are used to seal ammonia and other refrigerants in air conditioners and refrigeration units.
Other common O-ring applications include:
- Firearms
- Hydraulics
- Pneumatic tools
- Military
- Compressor
- Municipal
- Electrical
- Printing
How to Choose Custom O-Rings
Key considerations to keep in mind during the O-ring customization or selection process include:
- Material selection. To provide an effective and long-lasting seal, the O-ring’s material must be capable of withstanding the application’s specific operating environment.
- Temperature. Since the elastomers used in O-rings all have their own optimal temperature ranges, it is important to select one that is compatible with the temperature requirements of your application.
- Operating pressure. The amount of pressure an O-ring can tolerate will generally depend on the type of application (static or dynamic), the O-ring’s durometer, and the clearance gap. Standard O-rings are engineered to tolerate operating pressures of approximately 1500 psi. For higher-pressure operations, it is important to choose a higher-strength elastomer that can resist extrusion into the clearance gap.
- Surface finish. An O-ring’s surface finish requirements will depend on the type of fluid being sealed and the dynamics of the application.
- Stretch. To fit securely within a groove, custom O-rings should be engineered to provide an optimal amount of stretch. Excessive stretch can accelerate wear and decrease sealing performance over time.
FAQs of Custom O-Rings
While both can resist a broad variety of temperatures, gaskets are ideal for severe temperature circumstances. Yet, O-rings function better than gaskets in applications with severe pressure.
O-Rings are created utilizing a number of production processes include extrusion, compression molding, injection molding, transfer molding or machining. Depending on the use, they may be constructed from a variety of materials: nitrile rubber, silicone, polyurethane, neoprene, fluorocarbon as well as other elastomers.
In conclusion, silicone ‘O’ rings can be applied to high-temperature applications or where damage from the elements may otherwise be a worry. Nevertheless, due to silicone’s low rip and abrasion resistance, it should only be be considered for static rather than dynamic applications.
Silicone rubber is a popular substance used in the manufacture of O-rings. Silicone rubber O-rings are resistant to both cold and high temperatures, and they also have a longer lifespan than O-rings manufactured of other materials.
Unlimited | FKM, FFKM, Silicone, Fluorosilicone, EPDM, Butyl, FEPM |
15 Years | NBR Buna-N, HNBR, Chloroprene, Hypalon, ACM Polyacrylate |
5 or 10 Years | Polyurethane depending on type |
3 Years | SBR |
For example, extended exposure to heat destroys o-ring materials physically and chemically. High heat is also known to cause o-ring materials to expand and become rigid. Conversely, freezing temperatures may promote o-ring contraction that leads in leaks.
Why Choose LGDSilicone Rubber
For optimal sealing performance, the O-ring’s size, geometry, composition, and fluid compatibility must be carefully matched to its application and the types of conditions it will encounter during use.
As a custom rubber and plastic products provider, LGDSilicone has the expertise and resources to deliver high-performance, long-lasting O-rings for a number of critical sealing applications. Our extensive knowledge of elastomer materials and their unique properties allows us to identify or design sealing solutions that can ensure success in virtually any operating environment.