Custom O-Rings

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： Featuring a simple donut-shaped design with rounded edges, standard O-rings offer reliable leak protection in a range of basic sealing applications.

 Metric O-rings： Metric O-rings are custom-molded to fit specific hardware profiles, allowing them to fill gaps that may be left by standard O-rings. They are often used in specialized high-pressure and hydraulic applications to seal pumps, valves, engine parts, flanges, and pipe joints.

 Quad rings： Quad rings feature a unique four-lobed design that enables a more secure and longer-lasting seal than standard O-rings can provide. These innovative sealing solutions also offer enhanced stability in dynamic applications and improved resistance to rolling or spiral twisting. Although quad ring designs are suitable for a wide range of static and dynamic applications, they are commonly utilized in low-temperature and low-pressure environments as they can still achieve a high sealing efficiency.

 Square-cut O-rings： Square-cut O-rings feature a characteristic square cross-section that enhances their working pressure and allows them to provide a secure fit under a range of operating environments. Compared with standard O-rings, their design offers superior sealing performance with better dimensional stability in high-pressure sealing applications.

Custom O-Ring Applications

O-rings can be customized to suit many sealing applications, including:

• Oil and 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 and 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.

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 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 indispensable 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.

Experts in Rubber O-Rings

LINDE supplied custom o rings to many industries especially automotive, medical devices, and industrial uses industry.

For example, an automotive valve manufacturer needed a seal that would reduce the break-out (limiting) friction in their valve so it would operate correctly. We suggested a seal with a custom thickness that was not available off-the-shelf and manufactured it with a rubber compound specially formulated with low friction properties. This allowed the valve to function within the specifications it was originally designed to operate.

We've assisted in designing custom O-rings for our customer's parts that were produced out of specification. Instead of having to scrap or rework high-cost parts, we provided custom o rings that were significantly cheaper than scrapping or reworking the more expensive parts.

When you need a custom O-ring our engineers can help you design it. Our extensive knowledge of seals and elastomer compounds combined with our global sourcing expertise guarantees you the highest quality at a competitive price.