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Course dates - click register to select dates
- 13 Jan - 10 Feb 25
- 07 Apr - 05 May 25
- 23 Jun - 21 Jul 25
- 01 Sep - 29 Sep 25
- We also offer this course as an in-person event
Course details and format
- Approx 4 hours of recorded modules available
- 28 days to access course materials
- Optional live Q&A after course completion
- Electronic course notes
Overview
Ensuring that rubber seals perform as intended throughout their service life is always of critical importance.
This expert-led course explains the material property and performance background and specific requirements necessary to achieve effective seals. You will start with a grounding in seal materials and learn about materials selection based on service requirements. You’ll get to grips with seal design and how to develop a specification. You will also gain a critical understanding of long term performance issues and how to avoid failure.
Elastomeric seals can often be low cost components of the systems into which they are incorporated and therefore their importance can be overlooked. However, rubber seals are always key components in terms of ensuring the correct function of those systems throughout their service lifetime. The consequences of failure of any seal reach far beyond the cost of the seal itself, which is often insignificant by comparison.
When a seal fails there can be a number of possible explanations - but the event itself can lead to substantial consequential damage claims and often loss of reputation for those supplying it.
Learning outcomes
- Basic understanding of rubber materials and their key properties
- Grounding in the principles of selection of rubber materials based on service requirements
- Introduction to effective seal design
- Insight into how to design an appropriate specification for a rubber material intended for use as a seal
- Understanding of the long term performance of seals
- Understanding of how to avoid seal failure
Gain CPD credits
Smithers is an IOM3 Quality Assured training provider and our courses are approved towards professional development.
Course content
Introduction to Elastomer Materials
- Basic introduction to what elastomers are, their fundamental properties and how this affects their performance.
- Why they need to be formulated and vulcanised to achieve durable performance.
Elastomer Types and Their Selection
- Different elastomer types, their structure and properties and how these can impact on their selection as a sealing material.
- Process and criteria for selection of an elastomer for a given working environment.
Seal Formulation Design
- Compounding considerations required to achieve a durable seal formulation.
- Examples of seal formulations and how the key ingredients can influence the properties which are important to ensure good sealing performance.
Introduction to Seal Design Concepts
- Fundamental concepts of sealing with elastomers.
- How the properties of the seal material can affect sealing.
- Examples of good and bad seal design options to help avoid the design pitfalls.
- How techniques such as FEA can assist in the design process.
Assessment of Long Term Sealing Properties
- What specific elastomer properties can influence long term sealing performance.
- Appropriate testing techniques and methodology to assess and predict long term sealing potential in order to arrive at a durable seal material.
Seal Material Specification
- Having an appropriate material specification can make a major difference to seal material selection and seal performance.
- How to create a robust material specification
- What tests should be included
- How an existing specification can be optimised.
Avoidance of Seal Failures
- Overview of the different forms of seal failure, how to identify them and understand their root cause.
- Steps to take to avoid failure occurring and achieve long term performance within a given environment
Who will benefit?
- Anyone involved with designing and manufacturing products that incorporate rubber seals
- Those with an interest in improving seal design
- The course is particularly applicable to those working with elastomer seals, but who have limited technical knowledge of the rubber materials themselves
Presenter information
- John Manley, Principal Rubber Consultant - Smithers
- Gary Crutchley, Lead Rubber Consultant - Smithers
- Dr Andrew Hulme, Principal Consultant, Smithers