When it comes to large seals, choosing the right manufacturing process is essential for ensuring durability, performance, and cost-efficiency. Whether you're sealing large industrial equipment, heavy-duty doors, or expansive tank openings, the way a seal is made can significantly impact its functionality. Let’s explore the most common manufacturing methods for large seals, including serpentine molding and extruded bonded seals, and how they can be tailored to your application.

Challenges of Manufacturing Large Seals

Large seals must be able to withstand significant stresses, maintain a reliable seal over large surface areas, and perform under extreme conditions. This makes their manufacturing more complex than that of smaller, standard seals. The two primary methods for creating large seals—serpentine molding and extruded bonding—offer unique benefits to meet these challenges.

Serpentine Molded Seals

Serpentine molding is a process where the seal is molded in a single continuous pattern, often in segments, to achieve the desired size and shape.
 

Benefits of Serpentine Molding

Seamless Design
Serpentine molding minimizes joints, creating a smooth and continuous seal for applications requiring a high degree of integrity.

Flexibility in Shapes
This method is ideal for producing seals with complex geometries or unique profiles.

Consistency
The process ensures uniform material properties throughout the seal.
 

Applications

Serpentine molded seals are commonly used in industries requiring high-performance sealing, such as:

• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Pharmaceutical and food processing equipment

Extruded and Bonded Seals

For even larger seals or those requiring specific lengths, the extruded and bonded method is a popular choice. In this process, the seal material is extruded into a specific profile, then cut and spliced (bonded) into the desired size and shape.
 

Benefits of Extruded Bonded Seals

Scalability
Extruded seals can be made to virtually any size by splicing and bonding, making them ideal for oversized applications.

Cost-Effectiveness
The process minimizes material waste and reduces tooling costs, especially for custom profiles.

Material Variety
Extruded seals can be made from a wide range of materials, including NBR, EPDM, FKM, and silicone, with options for varying durometers.

Customizable Features
These seals can include additional features such as pressure-sensitive adhesive (PSA) for easy assembly or reinforced layers for added strength.
 

Applications

Extruded bonded seals are commonly used in:

• Large industrial refrigerator doors
• Window seals for heavy-duty applications
• Static sealing for tanks and containers

Choosing the Right Method for Your Application

Selecting the best manufacturing process depends on the specific requirements of your application. Here are some factors to consider:

Seal Size and Shape

• Complex shapes: Serpentine molding
• Large sizes: Extruded bonding
   

Application Environment

• Dynamic or extreme conditions: Serpentine molding
• Static or oversized applications: Extruded bonding
   

Material Requirements
Both methods support a wide range of materials, allowing customization for chemical resistance, temperature stability, or flexibility.

Your Trusted Partner for Large Seals

We specialize in providing high-quality sealing solutions, including serpentine molded and extruded bonded seals. Whether you need a standard product or a custom-engineered solution, our team of experts is here to help you select the best manufacturing process for your application.