What is a Gask-O-Seal?
Fewer Components, Less Complexity, More Design Possibilities
Sometimes referred to as a "void/volume" seal or plate seal, the Gask-O-Seal® is comprised of a metal, plastic or composite retainer with a machined groove into which a custom engineered rubber element is bonded and vulcanized.
Each customized solution is engineered with a precise void-to-volume ratio which produces the necessary squeeze on the elastomer to establish the optimal amount of intimate contact between the seal and the mating surface.
What problem do you need to solve?
Parker's bonded Gask-O-Seal® design technologies not only help design engineers overcome challenges commonly encountered with complex processes associated with singular elastomer seals, they provide cost savings and operational efficiencies that
- Simplify installation and maintenance
- Reduce assembly errors by providing visual confirmation of sealing component
- Eliminate need for re-torquing, unlike other flat gaskets which lose resilience and must be retorqued to maintain sealing
- Stabilize small and delicate parts which reduces likelihood of mishandling
- Enable tighter tolerances due to fewer number of parts
- Eliminate cost and necessity for groove machining in mating flanges
- Simplify inventory maintenance by lessening single piece parts
Elastomer and Substrate Materials
Material selection of both the retainer and sealing element is based on considerations that include:
- Media, or fluid which will come in contact with the seal
- Temperature, including operational and peak temperature values
- Pressure, taking into consideration minimum, maximum, proof, burst, cycle, pulsation
- Vibrational movement
- Thermal expansion
What's your application?
Common Gask-O-Seal® Configurations
Whether mating surfaces are flat, curved, or have an irregular shape, composite bonded solutions can be designed to fit nearly any configuration.
Single port or multi-port sealing
There is virtually no limit to the number of ports, compartments or chambers that can be sealed with a single plate-like package to facilitate simple and foolproof installation. This greatly reduces assembly time and missing seals. Prerequisites include sufficient flange hardware, strength and adequate bolting pattern and force to assure plate seal and joint integrity during pressurization.
Tandem or Redundancy Seal
For “zero leakage” applications, a secondary companion groove and seal element parallel to the primary seal can be added. Note the leak-rate monitoring groove that can be provided between the two seals. The land width must be widened to accommodate dual seals.
Contoured or Non-Planar Surface Seal
The Gask-O-Seal can be molded into contoured, curved, non planar surfaces, even sharply bent corners, in some cases. This makes them ideal for sealing such applications as aircraft and missile nose cones, aerospace access doors and nacelles, industrial tanks, and similar curved structures. Curved Gask-O-Seals can be molded directly into structural components.
Branched Seal
Allows many barriers in one unit, saves space and weight, and accomplishes a variety of sealing missions with a manifold plate where it can handle differential pressures and different fluids for isolated ports and communication holes in either direction. This seal also greatly reduces assembly time.
Segmented Seals
Used for applications requiring very large Gask-O-Seals (>60 inches in major dimension). This configuration helps reduce manufacturing and assembly costs. It has been used in critical aerospace applications where the sizes of seals can become extreme. It simplifies handling, packaging, and shipping. Segmented seals can also be designed with a redundant seal for more security.
Multiple Materials
Some applications require multiple materials for proper sealing. This may be due to chemical compatibility, permeation, or multiple ports with different fluids. Being able to incorporate different seal materials into the same retainer reduces potential for leakage which can result from connected seal geometries. It also allows for optimization of design and material selection vs. compromising with a single material selection. This feature should be discussed in detail with Composite Sealing Systems Division’s engineering department.