NEWS/IN BRIEF
F-LSRs provide
processing efficiency
for fuel-resistant
automotive parts
D ow Corning Corp, which special-
ises in silicone and silicon-based
technology, says that building on its
elastomer technology in fluoro liquid
silicone rubber (F-LSR) has enabled it
to introduce two new Silastic brand
products to expand design options and
provide processing efficiency for fuel-
resistant automotive components.
The latest products add 60 and 70 durometer
hardness options to a growing family of fully and
partially fluorinated liquid silicone rubbers.
Amongst the latest products to be
released recently by the company are Silastic
FL 60-9201 (60 Shore A durometer) and
Silastic FL 70-9201 F-LSR (70 Shore A durom-
eter). According to the firm, both exhibit excel-
lent resistance to non-polar hydrocarbon fuels,
oils and solvents and offer process cost-savings,
especially for moulding small parts in high
volumes.
Silastic FL 60-9201 F-LSR provides excel-
lent flexibility for dynamic seals such as
diaphragms and membranes, whilst Silastic
FL 70-9201 F-LSR provides high modulus,
with low compression set, for static seals such
as O-rings and gaskets.
‘These Silastic F-LSR products give designers
added flexibility for meeting critical performance
requirements on small, intricate high-precision
or over-moulded parts that must withstand harsh
service conditions,’ said Gabe Knee, Automotive
Market Leader, Dow Corning.
‘And, the Silastic F-LSR technology offers
fabricators substantial process gains for produc-
ing newer seals, gaskets, connectors, flexible
diaphragms, membranes and valves using
standard injection-moulding equipment.’
Contact:
Dow Corning Corp, PO Box 994, Midland,
MI 48686-0994, USA. Tel: +1 989 496 7881,
Fax: +1 989 496 6731, Web: www.dowcorning.com,
Web: www.xiameter.com
Clutch piston technology
aims to make vehicles
more fuel-efficient
U S-based Federal-Mogul
Powertrain, a division of Federal-
November 2014
Federal-Mogul’s bonded Unipistons during
final inspection.
Mogul Holdings Corp, has developed
clutch piston technology which, it
claims, will enable vehicles with auto-
matic or dual-clutch transmissions to
become more fuel-efficient.
The company says that its new high-modulus
Unipiston gives transmission designers more
flexibility, including increased clutch-apply
pressures, higher rotational clutch speeds and
larger diameter clutches. This flexibility enables
transmissions with additional clutches to be
packaged in a smaller space, whilst providing
improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and
enhanced vehicle performance.
To produce a high-modulus (stiffness) bond-
ed piston using environment-friendly materi-
als, the company says that it developed a new
elastomer material and introduced a number of
innovations to the moulding process.
‘Federal-Mogul Powertrain now has the
unique ability to manufacture bonded clutch
pistons using a high-modulus, environmen-
tally-safe material,’ explained Mike Gerulski,
Director, Advanced Technology, Federal-Mogul
Powertrain Sealing and Gaskets.
‘The breakthrough enables us to offer bond-
ed clutch pistons designed with an elastomeric
material possessing a modulus approximately
twice as high as production bonded pistons on
the market today – resulting in at least twice
the life in high-pressure cyclic bench-testing
than current production products.’
According to Federal-Mogul, conventional
bonded piston seal materials manufactured
using traditional injection-moulding techniques
are limited in their modulus to around 10 MPa,
since elastomer viscosity increases with modulus
– resulting in challenges when filling the mould
cavity. It says its combined development of the
new elastomer material and manufacturing pro-
cess results in a Unipiston with a modulus of
over 20 MPa, which cannot be attained using
traditional injection-moulding processes.
‘The introduction of the original bonded
clutch pistons by Federal-Mogul almost
30 years ago helped make clutch pistons
more compact and easier to assemble,’ said
Gian Maria Olivetti, CEO, Federal-Mogul
Powertrain.
IN BRIEF
Victaulic Vic-Press system receives
new type approvals
Manufacturer of mechanical pipe-joining sys-
tems Victaulic Co has received type approvals
from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS),
Bureau Veritas (BV), Det Norske Veritas
(DNV), Korean Register and Lloyd’s Register
for Vic-Press, a flame-free press system for
joining small-diameter stainless steel piping.
With these new approvals, more shipbuild-
ers will be able to take advantage of Vic-Press
as a quick, simple, safe and reliable means of
joining stainless steel pipes when construct-
ing new vessels, and during retrofit and repair
operations, says the company. The system is
approved for use in class III piping systems for
marine and offshore applications.
Quadrant EPP appoints global
business line manager
Manufacturer of high-performance thermo-
plastic materials Quadrant Engineering Plastic
Products (EPP) has announced that Terry Folk
has been promoted to Global Business Line
Manager – Cast & Custom Cast Products, and
will be based at the company’s US headquarters
in Reading, Pennsylvania. A 34-year veteran of
Quadrant EPP, Folk has maintained key roles
at the firm’s US headquarters – most recently
as the supply chain manager of the American
markets. In his new position he will remain
an executive member of the Americas regional
leadership team and share responsibility for
profit and loss with the regional presidents.
Dow achieves sustainability milestone
Betamate structural adhesives have been named
Dow Chemical Co’s third ‘Breakthrough to
World Challenges’ – meeting a milestone set by
the firm as part of its 2015 sustainability goals.
A recent recipient of a 2014 R & D 100 Award
and two 2014 PACE Awards, Betamate is used
to bond the body structure of cars during assem-
bly which, says Dow, enables improved vehicle
safety and durability whilst optimising weight
reduction and providing greater design flexibility.
Ashton Seals appoints two new directors
Ashton Seals Ltd, a UK-based supplier of
O-rings, bonded seals and associated seal-
ing products, has appointed two new direc-
tors. Matthew Wood, previously Technical
& Quality Manager, has been promoted to
Technical Director, whilst Marketing Manager
John Greathead becomes Marketing Director.
Tim Wills, Managing Director, Ashton Seals,
commented: ‘It gives me great delight to be
able to offer directorships to two people who
for years have exhibited the necessary qualities
to become a director of Ashtons. Matthew and
John greatly deserve their promotions and I
warmly congratulate them.’
5
Sealing Technology
 NEWS
‘High-modulus bonded pistons mark a
similar breakthrough and usher in a new era of
more efficient, more compact transmissions.’
High-modulus injection-moulded Unipistons
are now in series production.
Contact:
Federal-Mogul Corp, 26555 Northwestern Highway,
Southfield, MI 48034, USA. Tel: +1 248 354 7700,
Fax: +1 248 354 4530, Web: www.federal-mogul.com
Bal Seal opens sales
office to support
industry in the
UK and Ireland
B al Seal Engineering Inc has opened
its new sales office in Henley-in-
Arden, UK, with the purpose of provid-
ing local support to the region.
‘The region is a strong economic driver in
Europe and a very important market for Bal
Seal Engineering,’ commented Wayne Young,
the company’s sales director for Europe, adding
that medical, defence, and energy are among the
key market segments for Bal Seal in the UK and
Ireland.
‘Opening a Bal Seal office in this region is
part of our expansion strategy. It supports our
continued growth and confirms our commit-
ment to this market and these customers.’
Mark Billing, Bal Seal’s new territory sales
manager for the UK and Ireland, will be based
in the Henley-in-Arden office.
‘Billing brings a wealth of experience in
sales and marketing to the position as well as a
strong technical background in products aimed
at the power-generating, and oil and gas mar-
kets,’ continued Young.
‘His previous experience in applications for
machined components and assemblies required
understanding the language of engineering, which
is a perfect match with the Bal Seal sales model.’
Young notes that Bal Seal has already
achieved significant sales growth in Europe, and
that opening this office supports the company’s
growing customer-base. Earlier this year, it
opened a sales office in France, which followed
the opening of sales offices in Germany in 2013
and in the Czech Republic in 2012. Each of
these offices will work closely with Bal Seal’s
European headquarters, which is located in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Contacts:
Bal Seal Engineering Inc, 19650 Pauling, Foothill Ranch,
CA 92610-2610, USA. Tel: +1 949 460 2100, Fax: +1
949 460 2300, Web: www.balseal.com/largediameter
6
Sealing Technology
BalSeal Engineering Europe Bv – England, Forward
House, 17 High Street, Henley-in-Arden B95 5AA, UK.
Tel: +44 1564 330 662, Email: sales@balseal.com
Trelleborg divests
facility that makes
rubber boots
for light vehicles
S weden’s Trelleborg Ab has signed
an agreement to divest a facility
that manufactures rubber boots for
light vehicles. The business, based in
Spain, is part of Trelleborg Industrial
Solutions. The buyer is the French
group Delmon Industrie Sa.
Trelleborg is active in the production of poly-
mer boots for drive shaft (constant velocity joints,
or CV joints) and steering systems (rack and pin-
ion) for light vehicles. Generally, two materials are
used for boots in these applications – either rub-
ber or thermoplastic elastomer (TPE). Trelleborg
supplies boots in both materials.
The market demand for TPE boots for CV
joints and rack and pinion is steadily increas-
ing, whilst demand for rubber boots is shrink-
ing, says the firm. Therefore, it is divesting its
Spanish business operation that solely manu-
factures rubber boots for CV joints. The divest-
ment does not affect its TPE boots operations.
‘The rationale behind this deal is straightfor-
ward. There is an ongoing technology shift and
TPE boots are rapidly gaining market share at
the expense of rubber ones. We will now put
more emphasis on the faster-growing part of the
light-vehicle boot segment. Moreover, the TPE
boot-segment is a niche where we have a strong
global position, and we will continue to capi-
talise on our technology and global capabilities
in this market,’ explained Mikael Fryklund,
President, Trelleborg Industrial Solutions.
‘We believe a new owner of the operation is
better placed to develop it and able to supplement
shrinking production of rubber boots with new
products, to maintain the operation in Spain.’
Contact:
Trelleborg Ab, Group Head Office, PO Box 153,
SE-231 22 Trelleborg, Sweden. Tel: +46 410 670 00,
Fax: +46 410 427 63, Web: www.trelleborg.com
Royal acquires
Chemque
R oyal Adhesives & Sealants Llc,
a portfolio company of Arsenal
Capital Partners, has announced that its
subsidiary Royal Adhesives & Sealants
Canada Ltd is to acquire substantially all
of the assets of Chemque Inc.
Chemque, based in Toronto, Canada, supplies
polyurethane foams and adhesives to the telecoms
and construction markets. According to Royal,
this acquisition builds on its strong position as a
producer of proprietary, high-performance adhe-
sives, sealants, coatings and polymers.
‘We continue to identify leading niche com-
panies that will enhance our product offerings
to the markets in which we have chosen to
compete. The addition of Chemque will broad-
en our technical capability for polyurethane
adhesives, potting compounds and foams,’
commented Ted Clark, CEO, Royal.
‘Chemque’s polyurethane adhesives and foams
will add to our growing portfolio of leading
adhesives and sealants technologies and we look
forward to working with the Chemque team to
successfully integrate the business into Royal.’
Contacts:
Royal Adhesives & Sealants Llc, 2001 West Washington
Street, South Bend, IN 46628, USA. Tel: +1 574 246
500, Web: www.royaladhesives.com
Chemque Inc, 266 Humberline Drive, Rexdale, Ontario,
Canada M9W 5X1. Tel: +1 416 679 5676,
Web: www.chemque.com
SKF establishes
centre in the USA
to strengthen its
global network
S KF says that it is continuing its com-
mitment to research and development,
and to North America, by investing in a
new global technical centre in the USA.
The 12 100-m2 (130 000-ft2) Global
Technical Center Americas (GTCA) will be
built in the greater Chicago area. According
to the company, the facility reinforces its strat-
egy to have these centres near its important
customers to focus on market-specific product
innovations, covering all of its five platforms
– bearings, seals, mechatronics, lubrication sys-
tems and services. It will join two centres that
have been opened recently in China and India,
whilst the two new European centres are under
construction – in Holland and Sweden.
‘One of SKF’s driving forces is to continue to
deliver world leading research and innovation,
and to develop products which deliver signifi-
cant energy savings for our customers,’ said
Tom Johnstone, President and CEO, SKF.
November 2014