August 2012 - Gasket Fabricators Association

Volume 31 Number 2 August 2012
The Gasketing/Converting Expo Strikes Again!
The Gasketing/Converting Expo ‘12, presented
by the Gasket Fabricators Association (GFA)
and held at the Hilton Orlando, was a triumph,
drawing well over 500 attendees and over
100 exhibitors to a trade show devoted
exclusively to the gasketing and converting
In This Issue
Gasketing/Converting Expo
Page 1
President’s Message
Pages 1 & 2
industries. The event was co-sponsored by the
International Association of Diecutting and
Diemaking (IADD), the International Sealing Distribution Association (ISD), and the Fluid Sealing
Association (FSA).
The program featured a full-day Expo with a cost-effective table top display format which
Future Meeting Schedule
Page 2
allowed a broad range of exhibitors to have unprecedented exposure to gasket fabricators and
New Association Members
Page 2
extremely positive from both attendees and exhibitors alike. Several attendees commented
Company Profiles
Pages 3, 5 & 6
for the spring of 2014. If you have not yet attended a Gasketing/Converting Expo, or if you are
Press Releases
Page 7
receive information on the Gasketing/Converting Expo ‘14.
converters without having to arrange for elaborate displays and logistics. The feedback has been
that it was “the best Expo yet.” The next Gasketing/Converting Expo is already being planned
not currently a GFA Member, please e-mail your contact information to expo@gasketfab.com to
President’s Message
Meet the New GFA Officers
and Directors
Page 9
Terry Galanis, Jr.
Our 4th Expo was better than ever!!!
Expo Photos
Pages 10 & 11
The 2012 Expo was a huge success, with 111 booths and well over
What’s Going On In The GFA?
Pages 12, 13 & 14
500 participants. It was great to partner with the IADD, ISD, and the
FSA. One thing that everyone commented on was how busy the
Photographic Images of
Gasket Failures and Problems
Pages 15, 16 & 18
show was all day. At previous shows, the afternoon activity waned
pretty quickly after lunch. At this Expo, the exhibit hall was full until
closing. The atmosphere was terrific. Just wait till you see the Expo
Membership Anniversaries
Page 19
Benchmarking Report
Page 19
video that captured some of the highlights; it is amazing!!!
It seems like only yesterday when Jack Pierson, of Preco Industries, had an idea in a Long Range
Planning Committee meeting about some sort of trade show for GFA members. Believe it or not,
that was in 2004. I remember because I was sitting next to Jack when we were brainstorming
about how to bring more value to every member of the GFA. Jack appointed himself chairman of
that first Expo and worked very hard to make sure it was a success. Like most everything Jack has
done in his life, success was the only option. Successful it was, with over 400 attendees and just
under 100 booths.
Continued on page 2
Page 2
August 2012
President’s Message
GFA Future Meeting Schedule
(Continued from Page 1)
Fall 2012 Semi-Annual Meeting
Many people do not realize what a game changer the Expo has been
October 2-4, 2012
for the GFA. In the early days, supplier members did not have much
The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa
say in the GFA. In fact, in the decades of the 80s and 90s, suppliers were
Denver, CO
not able to bring their literature to pass out at the meetings. Suppliers
had to make the best of networking at the cocktail party and then try
Spring 2013 Semi-Annual Meeting
March 19-21, 2013
to get a customer or two to dinner one night. Then there was golf,
which was a good time to get a sleeve of logo balls and, if a supplier
Harrah’s Hotel
was lucky, he could try to get the Golf Chairman to arrange a foursome
New Orleans, LA
with his best customers. You can bet it was hard to justify to your boss
New Association Members
Fabricators
Action Fabricators Inc.
www.actionfab.com
Automated Gasket Corporation
www.automatedgasketcorp.com
Diversified Foam Products
www.diversifiedindustries.com
Kent Manufacturing Company
www.kent-mfg.com
MCL Industries Inc.
www.mcldiecutting.com
Scott Foam Technologies, LLC
www.scott-mfg.com
Soundown Corporation
www.soundown.com
Suppliers
Der-Tex Corporation
www.dertexcorp.com
V. Himark USA Inc.
www.vhimarkusa.com
that you needed to go to a GFA meeting twice a year where your best
opportunity to sell your product was on the golf course.
Finally, a younger and more entrepreneurial group of leaders really
started to understand what a valuable tool the GFA could be for their
businesses. We understood how important the supplier relationship
was to the converter members. We wanted to see the latest products
and hear about the latest methods of converting. The GFA was the
perfect platform to promote those items. Suppliers were no longer
treated as “second class citizens” of the GFA, but as equal partners and
very important to the overall value for all GFA members. Today, supplier
members have good representation on the GFA Board of Directors, have
a supplier council and, more importantly, hold the coveted position of
“Golf Chairman”.
In the years ahead, our organization will continue to evolve, being more
innovative and providing more opportunity for our members. Our new
members are brighter and eager to do better. They want more out of the
GFA. Our leadership is well aware of this directive and will continue to be
very proactive in delivering a formula that will guarantee our members
will look forward to attending future meetings.
This October, we will be traveling to Denver for a little change in venue
from our usual resort type locations. The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa is
located in the heart of Denver. This city location provides unlimited
dining and sightseeing possibilities for those of you who want to
venture out and enjoy Denver while you are there. Denver also has some
great golf courses and we will be taking advantage of that when we hold
our golf tournament at the Fossil Trace Golf Club in nearby Golden. It will
be a great meeting. My wife, Nancy, and I will be there and we hope to
see you there, too.
Page 3
August 2012
Company Profiles
Automated Gasket is a full-service cutter, fabricator,
and material converter of non-metallic and soft metallic
materials. From one custom made order, to millions, we have
the people and equipment to deliver.
AG was established in St. Louis, MO and has been die
cutting gaskets for 45 years. Since its inception in 1967, the
company has always put the customers first.
Today, the company continues its history of success. AG
specializes in close tolerance, intricate parts fabricated from
sheet and rollstock materials for OEM, rebuild, and enduser customers. We service multiple industries including
medical, HVAC, automotive, small engine, appliance, marine,
chemical, agriculture, food processing, racing, lighting, and
equipment manufacturers.
We stock a large number of materials including rubber,
plastic, felt, cork, foam, and sponge. Being an authorized
fabricator for several different material producers makes
it much easier to solve your needs. We also offer custom
assembling, packaging, and kitting solutions.
At AG, quality is paramount. We employ a staff of
highly-trained operators and hand fabricators to ensure
that products are made to your specification. Before a
product ships from our docks, we have quality assurance
professionals and processes in place to ensure unsurpassed
quality to all customers - big and small.
For more information about AG, please visit our website at
www.automatedgasketcorp.com or contact us directly at
314-646-5353. Also, visit our sister company ALM at
www.alm-inc.com.
Headquartered in Oyonnax, France, GERGONNE has gained
wide experience manufacturing industrial Pressure Sensitive
Adhesive Tapes (PSAs) and fabricating (kiss cut/die cut)
components. As a recognized main player in our markets, we
develop technical solutions in accordance with the needs of
our customers.
Our commitments include offering competitive pricing,
quality products, on-time deliveries, and environmental
protection. With five fabrication plants located in France,
Slovakia, Spain, China, and Mexico, GERGONNE has been
serving the global market in a variety of industries since
1962. Our main customers are found in industries such as
automotive, electronics, construction, HVAC, climate control,
and furniture, among others.
Its Laboratory and R&D Department offers wide expertise
in the formulation of water and solvent-based acrylic,
rubber, phenolic, and silicone PSAs, along with a variety of
carriers and release liners designed for suitability to specific
applications. Other capacities include manufacturing and
converting of adhesives tapes, laminating - coating, and
converting (die/kiss cutting).
GERGONNE is committed to quality having obtained its
first certification in accordance with ISO 9002 in 1992.
All our components comply with a particular technical
specification. Continuous control is carried out at all
stages of the manufacturing process. Our plants work in
compliance with the following international standards:
• ISO 9001:2008 – France, Spain, Mexico, Slovakia
• ISO 14001:2004 – France, Mexico, Slovakia
• ISO TS 16940:2002 – France, Spain, Mexico, Slovakia
• OHSAS 18001 - Slovakia
Company Profiles continued on page 5
Page 4
August 2012
Economical, reliable, on time.
Custom-engineered PVC foam and foam tapes
Novagard Solutions ™
5109 Hamilton Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Phone:1-800-380-0138
www.foam-seal.com
CMYK
2392-36 AB-PubPSRjan10.ai
1.888.275.7075 | www.american-biltrite.com
Manufacturer of sustainable cork,
recycled rubber and cork/rubber
products for the following markets:
• Industrial
• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Sealing
• Gasket Cutting
• Packaging
• Friction Materials
• Anti-Vibration
740, rue Galt Ouest, bureau 302, sherbrooke (québec) canada j1h 1z3 T 819 562-2222 F 819 562-2336 www.ciblesolutions.com
www.ecoreindustrial.com
o: 2392-36
solutions d’affaires
Publication - Magazine: GFA
Nombre de couleurs - #colors: CMYK
Date de parution - Issue: January 2010
Linéature - Line screen: 150 lpi
Format - Size: 3,5” x 2”
Date de tombée - Deadline: 2010, Jan. 28
Page 5
August 2012
companies to launch a non-asbestos gasket material
sheet in 1982 and was also one of the first gasket material
manufacturers to go completely non-asbestos. Today,
Frenzelit manufactures some of the highest quality materials
Frenzelit Sealing Systems, Incorporated was formed in 2005
available to the global market. Due to an innovative
to facilitate Frenzelit's global expansion throughout North
engineering approach toward superior temperature,
America. Frenzelit Sealing Systems, offers non-asbestos
pressure, and media resistance, these materials became the
products, including graphite sheet, compressed sheet,
logical high quality solution to the needs of the asbestos
millboard, heat shield, and beater addition roll goods.
replacement market.
Frenzelit Sealing Systems is unique in the materials sector of
the gasket fabricators network.
Our Novatec product family of compressed graphite
Frenzelit Werke GmbH, headquartered in Bad Berneck,
reinforced with Kevlar® and blended with nitrile butadiene
Germany, has been producing gasket and sealing materials
rubber, has allowed us to gain significant market exposure.
for industrial applications since 1881. As a privately owned
In addition, Frenzelit also offers the traditional compressed
company, Frenzelit has earned its reputation in the world
non-asbestos sheet products, insulation and gasket
market as being an innovator in new technology, as well
materials, such as millboard, graphite, mica, and beater-
as a Tier 1 supplier of high quality products for the global
addition. Add to this mix various products representing
industrial and automotive markets. Due to its broad
the glass filled PTFE product sector and you will find an
production machinery base, Frenzelit has the ability to
innovative, creative supplier that can address the industrial
produce and supply a major portion of all of the products
needs for both today and tomorrow.
typical to the gasket fabricator.
Please visit our website at www.frenzelitsealing.com for
Frenzelit is a global leader in gasketing and insulation
more information, or email us at info@frenzelitsealing.com.
innovation and technology. Frenzelit was one of the first
Company Profiles continued on page 6
Page 6
August 2012
Company Profiles
(Continued from Page 5)
Converting Equipment
for Non-metallic
Materials
• Die-cutting Presses
• 60" Heat Laminators
• Horizontal Splitters
As a family owned and operated business, Scott Industries,
LLC began in 1946. Since then we have expanded to
Ttarp Mfg. Corp.
800-871-7596 • www.Ttarp.com
Scott Manufacturing and Scott Foam Technologies. Scott
Manufacturing began in 1960 and is a leading fabricator
of fiberglass insulation products in North America. Scott
Manufacturing owns and operates facilities in Sebree, KY,
Stuttgart, AR, Marshalltown, IA, and Oklahoma City, OK.
Scott Foam Technologies, located in Henderson, KY, began
operations in 1990 and supplies a variety of foam insulation
products worldwide.
Scott Foam Technologies, LLC is an ISO 9000:2008 company
founded on LEAN and Green principals of business. We
custom design and fabricate flexible foam product solutions
for Original Equipment Manufacturers. Our Product
Development and Research lab group works with customers
to establish effective solutions to their needs. Since our
customers have unique requirements, we build our own
tooling and custom machinery in house to ensure JIT flow of
products to satisfy their expectations.
We have always been committed to customer satisfaction
and utilize the most effective manufacturing techniques. For
more information regarding Scott Foam Technologies, LLC,
please visit us at www.scottfoam.com.
Foams as Pure
as Nature
PLASTAZOTE®
HIGH-PERFORMANCE
POLYOLEFIN FOAMS
Protecting People and
Products with Purity
55 Precision Drive • Walton, Kentucky • 41094 • 859 371 4046 • TOLL-FREE: (800) 362-8358
Page 7
August 2012
Press Releases
Scott Peters Joins Thermoseal Inc.
as President
J. Robert Leighty, CEO of Thermoseal Inc.,
announced that Scott Peters joined the
company as President, effective May 1,
impressed with the J&T responsiveness and their commitment to
service levels.
Polyonics Introduces Double Coated
Antistatic Tapes
Polyonics has introduced a family of double
2012. Mr. Leighty will continue as CEO
and senior advisor to the firm.
coated antistatic tapes. These tapes provide
Scott comes to Thermoseal with over
removed, making them ideal for bonding
very low tribocharging when applied and
static sensitive devices (SSD). They are offered
25 years of business and leadership
in a wide variety of materials, adhesives (PSA),
experience in both military and industry roles. Originally from
Ohio, he graduated from West Point and was commissioned a 2nd
Lieutenant in the US Army where he served as an aviation officer
flying helicopters and commanding an air traffic control unit.
Scott began his career as an engineer and technical sales
manager. Experience at Michelin Tire Company, Dayton
Walther, and MacLean Fogg Company led to increasingly
senior management roles including Vice President of Sales
and Engineering and later Vice President, General Manager of
MacLean’s Royal Oak (Michigan) division. Scott and his family
returned to Ohio when he became Vice President of Sales and
Marketing for Lauren Manufacturing. Most recently he served as
a Director at Performance Elastomers.
For more information about Thermoseal Inc., please visit our
website at www.thermosealinc.com or send us an email at
and liners to best suit each application. The
double coated tapes are well suited for applications involving
extreme high temperatures and harsh environments including
chemical resistance.
Polyonics double coated antistatic tapes use TriboGard
technology that helps prevent tribocharging. The tapes generate
less than 100 v/sq-in when their liners are removed and again
when the tapes are removed from substrates. This allows the
tapes to be applied and removed without adding any significant
electrostatic charges, thus preventing the potential of an
electrostatic discharge (ESD).
The ability of the Polyonics double coated tapes to be diecut and
auto-applied allows them to be converted into the exact shape
required for each bonding application. The precise thicknesses of
info@thermosealinc.com.
the tapes allow components to be accurately bonded while their
Walco Industrial Products Acquired by Jacobs
and Thompson
total component and product dimensions.
E.F. Walter Inc. is pleased to announce the sale of our Industrial
Products Division to Jacobs and Thompson Inc. (J&T) of Toronto,
Ontario, effective April 30, 2012. As part of this acquisition,
equipment and inventory will be transitioned to J&T. John Smith,
Tanya Sociedade, and Clive Moody will join the J&T team as your
main points of contact.
J&T has been converting flexible materials for over 60 years and
has stood out among all possible candidates. E.F. Walter has had
the opportunity to work with the J&T team and has been very
thin, conformal bond lines help reduce tolerance stack up and
Tape constructions are offered with 0.5mil (13µm), 1mil (25µm)
and 2mil (50µm) polyimide and 2mil polyester (PET) and
aluminum. Amber and black polyimide tapes are available as are
white and clear PET. A variety of acrylic and silicone PSAs and
liners are also available. Flame retardant, custom constructions
(including dissimilar PSAs), and low volume orders are readily
accepted.
For further information, contact Dave Genest at 603-352-6327 or
at tape.expert@polyonics.com
Page 8
August 2012
BRP Manufacturing Company
Industrial Rubber Sheeting, Extruded & Molded Products
800.858.0482
www.BRPmfg.com
1/64” to 3” Thick • Slit to Width • Buffed to Tight Tolerances
Adhesive Ready • Cloth Inserted or Unsupported • Mil-C-882
Phone:
Fax:
(262) 786-5300
(262) 786-5503
www.frenzelitsealing.com
info@frenzelitsealing.com
16550 West Ryerson Road
New Berlin, WI 53151
Bringing German Engineered Materials to the North American Market
Compressed Non-Asbestos • Beater Addition • Modified and Expanded PTFE
Mica • Expanded Graphites • Metal Reinforced Materials • Mill-Board
Automotive:
A
utomotive: HVAC
V
PERFORM
PERFORMANCE
FOAMS
To see the Gaska Tape
difference for yourself,
visit www.gaska.com
or call 800-423-1571
HVAC/R
H
VAC
C/R Equipment
Commercial/Industrial
C
omm
mercial/Industrial
Chillers
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hille
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www.kfl
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Page 9
August 2012
Meet the New GFA Officers and Directors
Terry Galanis, Jr.
Ken Stober
Terry S. Galanis, Jr. is the
Ken Stober is President
President and CEO of
and CEO of Mueller Die
Sealing Devices, Inc. Terry
Cut Solutions. Mueller,
joined Sealing Devices
with manufacturing
in 1972 and became
locations in Charlotte, NC
President in 1984. Sealing
and Suzhou, China, has
Devices, Inc., a family
been a member of the
company founded by
GFA since its founding.
Terry S. Galanis, Sr. in
Don Stober, Ken’s father,
President
Vice President
1963, has three branches – Rochester and Syracuse, New
was a past President of the GFA. Ken has served as the
York, and Erie, Pennsylvania. He is a Past President of the
Committee Chair of the Programs and Locations Committee,
Parker Seal Distributor Advisory Council and the World
and is presently the Chair of the Membership Committee.
Presidents Organization (WPO). Terry lives with his wife,
Nancy in Marilla, New York, and has three daughters and six
grandchildren.
Chuck Keeley
Board Member
Chuck Keeley is the
Ken Eaton
President of CGR
Secretary/Treasurer
Products. The company
Ken Eaton spent his first
was established in 1963
10 years in business as
in downtown Greensboro,
Laboratory and Technical
NC. Operations moved
Director for an adhesive
to its current location
and sealant manufacturer,
in Greensboro in 1971.
and the next 30 years
Valley Products was
as President of various
acquired in 1991 and operates as a part of CGR Products in
chemically related
Decatur, AL. The Greensboro, NC facility burned down in
retail and industrial
2001 and was rebuilt in the same location. We have been a
manufacturing companies. Over 1/3 of his total career
member of the GFA since 1992. Our purpose is to give every
has been spent as a turnaround artist for companies
constituent of our company the opportunity to experience
in serious overall trouble. Aside from North American
an extraordinary sense of accomplishment.
experience, he has set up a polymer plant in Mexico and
supervised marketing and new product development in
Israel, Venezuela, India, Australia, New Zealand, and other
countries. For over 15 years, Mr. Eaton has been President of
the Jacobs & Thompson group of companies and, as of May
13, 2011, he along with Chris Brand became sole owners of
the group.
Visit us online at:
www.gasketfab.com
Page 10
August 2012
Gasketing/Converting Expo ‘12 Photos
Hilton Orlando
Terry Galanis, Jr. (right) presenting Steve Hanson with a plaque
for his contributions as President from 2010 - 2011
John Spence with John Spence LLC
GFA Members lead
presenting during the General Session
Cutting Methods Technical Session
GFA New Members and
GFA New Members and
First Time Attendees
First Time Attendees
Page 11
August 2012
Page 12
August 2012
What’s Going On In The GFA?
Communications
Committee
David Soliday, Chairman
The key performance indicator survey has been revamped
and will be sent out soon. With your input, the content has
been modified to solicit and report results on only the critical
elements of business. The survey should not take more than
The primary function of the
15 to 20 minutes to complete. With the new look, we expect
Communications Committee is to
a greater response from members which means more data
coordinate and monitor activities
to benchmark against. Also, considering the sensitivity of
related to the newsletter, surveys,
content, please make sure the GFA is aware who the survey
alerts, website, social media sites,
should be sent to at your business. Contact the GFA office at
and public relations. With a very full agenda when meeting, we
info@gasketfab.com if your current contact information needs
have been able to put together an aggressive campaign that
maintenance.
will keep our members informed on key topics while we market
ourselves for continual new membership growth.
The Quick Surveys are not real quick at the moment, but we
should be ready to roll again. We have a number of questions
Our newsletter, published three times a year, continues to be a
that were submitted and with a little massaging on wording, we
great media piece for sharing organization information. Please
will be ready to restart the process. Thank you for your patience
circulate an issue with your colleagues, and a few copies in your
as we learn how to effectively manage the content and intent of
office reception area to generate more interest in the GFA.
the questions.
Website visits are up this year with the Expo marketing activities
Thanks again for your assistance and participation with not only
contributing to the increase in hits. Lauron Sonnier is assisting
the Communications Committee, but any other GFA committees
us with suggestions for content improvement and design
on which you serve. The GFA’s strength and future is directly tied
enhancements to the site. The Communications Committee
to your support and contributions. If you have any questions,
has also introduced a Marketing Subcommittee to explore
please email me at davidsoliday@chicagowilcox.com. We look
methods for the GFA to leverage social media. Shirley Monte with
forward to seeing you at the Fall Meeting in Denver.
Flexcon and Christine Brouder with Sekisui Voltek co-chair the
Subcommittee. Preliminary discussions drive attention towards
several attributes, that when finalized, will be implemented with
the initiatives of Lauron’s marketing plan for the GFA. Some of
those topics include: developing a policy statement for social
media content and how it will be flowed through selected
outlets; determining what media tools such as LinkedIn and/
or Twitter may be used for communications; determining how
the GFA website will benefit with the media piece in place;
exploring what assistance can be provided to members through
Membership Committee
Ken Stober, Chairman
Wow! Even though our company
has been a member of the GFA for a
long time, I am still amazed at how
successful the Expo was in March. I
truly believe that it was our best Expo
to date. We just keep getting better and better.
webinars and training that provides an understanding of where
At this year’s Expo, we were able to squeeze in a well-attended
social media is tracking and its usefulness when selected and
Membership Committee meeting. I am pleased to report that in
appropriate conversation pieces are in place. As we continue to
the months prior to the Expo, the GFA added 17 new members.
define the parameters and guidelines for the GFA website, our
Also at the Expo, there were over 60 non-GFA members (or
finished product will ensure accurate, professional content in a
qualified prospects as we like to call them) who attended.
consistent format.
The Committee’s main mission is to contact each one of these
Continued on page 13
Page 13
August 2012
What’s Going On?
(Continued from Page 12)
prospects and get their feedback on what they thought about
the Expo and specifically what they thought about the GFA. The
way we look at it is that there is not a better time to see if these
prospects are interested in joining the GFA. Our Committee
is calling each one of these companies and asking if they are
interested in becoming members. Hopefully we will get a great
The Fall 2012 meeting will be held at The Brown Palace Hotel in
Denver, a 116 year-old hotel which is within walking distance of
all that downtown Denver has to offer. Downtown Denver offers
many interesting attractions, including the State Capitol, the
Lower Downtown (LODO) District, the Denver Mint, and great
shops and restaurants. In addition to great attractions and some
cooler weather, attendees will be treated to a presentation from
Jeff Dietrich of the Institute for Trend Research. Jeff has more
response from these efforts.
than 30 years of experience as a keynote speaker on economic
Another important part of the Committee’s responsibilities is to
relevant economic outlook. In addition, we will continue with our
make sure that our newest members are getting the value that
roundtable discussions, including the popular CEO luncheon on
they expected from the GFA. Therefore we are calling each of the
the first day of the meeting.
trends and always has provided our group with a unique and
17 new members and we are asking them if the GFA and the Expo
delivered what they were expecting. We use this information to
The Spring 2013 meeting will be in New Orleans, LA and
make sure that we are still on the right track and if we are not,
the Committee is looking at final locations for the Fall 2013
we want to make sure we make the appropriate adjustments.
meeting, which will most likely be held near Albuquerque, NM.
New membership is the lifeblood of any organization and we
We are always looking for content, so if you have any ideas or
can use all the help we can get. If you are interested in joining
suggestions, please feel free to contact the Committee Vice
the Membership Committee, please let me or the GFA office
Chairman, Bill Hibner, or myself at shelby@concote.com. We look
know. Also, remember you do not have to be on the Membership
forward to seeing you in Colorado!
Committee to recruit great new members to the GFA. If you have
Technical Committee
any questions, please email me at kstober@muellerdcs.com. We
Jim Ward, Chairman
will see you in Denver.
Programs and Locations
Committee
The principal function of the Technical
Shelby Ricketts, Chairman
The Technical Committee of the
Committee is to inform and educate.
GFA directs the programming of
With the Gasketing/Converting
technical information available to the
Expo ‘12 in the books, it is time to
membership during the semi-annual meetings, through the GFA
turn our attention to the upcoming
newsletter, and through the GFA website. The Committee also
Fall meeting in Denver, CO. Before
organizes the placement of member information available on the
looking ahead, it is important to take the opportunity to reflect
website.
on the success of the Expo. Thanks to the planning efforts of
Terry Galanis, Steve Pendergast, and the Programs and Locations
The search for the Vice Chairman of the Technical Committee
Committee members, we were once again able to host a one-of-
has been completed. Mr. Matt Weiss of JBC Technologies in
a-kind event in our industry. The meeting was very well attended
North Ridgeville, OH has graciously offered and accepted the
and I received extremely positive feedback from long-term GFA
appointment as Vice Chair of the Committee. Matt is a Fabricator
members and new attendees alike. The slightly altered format
member of the GFA and will offer the much needed perspective
of the Expo meeting allowed us to appeal to a wider array of
of the Fabricators to the operation of the Technical Committee.
attendees that come to the Expo, and I think that everyone took
Please take the time to introduce yourself to Matt, offer him
something of value away from the meeting.
Continued on page 14
Page 14
August 2012
What’s Going On?
(Continued from Page 13)
your congratulations (or maybe condolences), and bring any
suggestions you might have for future technical programming to
his attention.
The Technical Committee had completed the latest webinar on
materials used in fabrication prior to the Gasketing/Converting
Expo. The information from this webinar is readily available
through the GFA website. It was very well attended and
Joining a committee is one
of the best ways to take
advantage of your GFA
membership. Contact the GFA
office at 610-971-4850 or
info@gasketfab.com if
you would like to join a
committee.
provided useful information to those who had the opportunity
to participate. The next webinar series will commence in late
summer. Current topics under discussion for the webinar include
adhesives and their applications, and cutting options and
methodology. If you have any suggestions for this webinar or
future webinars, please do not hesitate to share your thoughts
and ideas at the Technical Committee meeting.
As a volunteer service of the GFA, the Technical Committee
welcomes all members to participate and join in the process of
informing and educating the future leadership of our industry.
Please invest an hour during the next GFA meeting to see what
the Technical Committee is all about or contact me at
jimw@brpmfg.com.
The GFA, in collaboration with the International Association of
Diecutting and Diemaking (IADD), is offering a special service
to its members. TechTeam™ is a dedicated and experienced
team of industry professionals who stand ready to assist you.
Their mission is to quickly research and answer GFA Members’
technical diecutting and diemaking questions in an unbiased,
confidential, current, and direct manner.
GFA Members can access the service by clicking on Members
Newsletter
The Gasket Fabricator is published by the GFA and is
distributed to all members and prospective members.
President ......................................................................Terry S. Galanis, Jr.
Vice President .......................................................................Ken Stober
Secretary/Treasurer................................................................Ken Eaton
Executive Director..................................................................Peter Lance
Management Advisor....................................................Robert H. Ecker
Administrative Director/Newsletter Editor..................Brian Schaaf
Communications Committee Chair.............................David Soliday
Long Range Planning Committee Chair......................Steve Hanson
Membership Committee Chair....................................Ken Stober
Progam & Locations Committee Chair......................Shelby Ricketts
Technical Committee Chair......................................................Jim Ward
Members are encouraged to contribute articles and items of
interest to the Gasket Fabricator
Fabricator.. All contributions should be
addressed to: Executive Director, GFA, 994 Old Eagle School
Road, Suite 1019, Wayne, PA 19087-1866, (610) 971-4850, Fax
(610) 971-4859, E-mail: info@gasketfab.com.
Articles appearing in this publication may not be
reproduced without written consent from the Association.
Articles appearing in the Gasket Fabricator are the
views of the authors and not necessarily those of the
Association.
Only on www.gasketfab.com, the GFA’s homepage. Members
who have forgotten their name and password should contact
the GFA office at 610-971-4850 or info@gasketfab.com.
© Copyright 2012 Gasket Fabricators Association
Page 15
August 2012
Photographic Images of Gasket Failures and Problems
By: Larry Pyle
For the past 8+ years I have written articles about various
X-rays show the internal relationships of the various components
aspects of gasket critical issues, testing and important features
of the gasket - in this case the core, the diameter of the opens, and
which affect gasket performance. My background is in the
the armor. The greater the stackup of metals, the lighter the image.
development, testing and analysis of primarily automotive and
In this case, even the perforations are visible as well as the extent
diesel engine gaskets with particular emphasis on cylinder head
of the heel and the overlap of the armor or metallic nose which
gasketing. These are more complex gaskets than most of you
wraps the gasket body around the combustion opening. X-rays see
deal with because of the multiple sealing requirements:
many flaws which cannot be detected by the naked eye:
• High temperatures
• The void between the nose of the armor and the opening in
• Multiple fluids being sealed (combustion gases, lubricating
oils, coolants)
the gasket body is excessive in Fig. I because rule dies are not
capable for cutting precision holes. Even if made “on the money”,
• Reciprocating elevated combustion pressures
the rule bends and dulls with use and the opening diameter
• Dynamic temperature fluctuations
would change.
• As rule gets dull, it tends to tear rather than shear the metal.
What I am attempting to do in this article is to put some images
before you that illustrate some the important issues that I have
written about in previous issues.
X-rays; It Takes Load to Seal
This can be seen in Fig. I.
• Fig. II illustrates the gasket when the combustion openings
are cut using hard, fixed tooling. The relationships between the
various diameters can be easily maintained and the void
between the nose of the armor and the gasket body opening is
minimized.
I would venture to say that if the total areas of the bright
(dense) areas of the x-rays are directly comparable to load on
the combustion seal (a reasonable assumption), the rule cut
gasket load to seal would be ½ or less than that cut with hard
tooling. That gasket would exhibit a performance level which is
considerably better. Excessive nose voids can also lead to collapse
of the nose leading to armor cracking and premature combustion
Fig. I: (Cyl. Hd. Gasket with rule cut openings)
seal failure.
Surface Finish / Roughness
Fig. II: (with hard tooling)
Fig. III: Carbon tracking
Continued on page 16
Page 16
August 2012
Photographic Images
(Continued from Page 15)
Some gasket failures are not due to the gasket design. In the
case of the example illustrated in Fig. V, this compressed cylinder
head gasket for a GM small block Chevrolet engine shows the
encroachment of the coolant opening in the cylinder head into
the area of the combustion seal armor. This could be caused by
the shift of the casting core as the cylinder head was originally
manufactured but, most likely, it was the result of over machining
of the cylinder head during repeated remanufacturing of the part.
The walls on the inside of the casting are tapered so that when the
cylinder head is refinished during the remanufacturing process,
the hole gets larger. This remanufacturer obviously went a step
too far. The effective load on the combustion seal in this location
Fig. IV: Resultant burnout, gasket failure
Fig. III and Fig. IV illustrate the importance of maintaining
acceptable surface roughness of the mating flanges being
sealed. In this case, the surface was too rough for the metal
would be substantially decreased, leading to probable combustion
seal leakage directly into the cooling system with disastrous
results.
A Little is Good - More is Better?
armor material to conform to the surface of the mating flange.
This resulted in low surface pressure in between the ridges
left by the machining process of the mating flanges. Fig. III
already shows carbon tracking left by combustion gas leakage
across the gasket armor. Fig. IV shows the ultimate failure of the
combustion seal by leaking combustion gases into an adjacent
coolant opening. This would cause coolant loss in the engine and
overheating with rapid degradation of the gasket. A good, thick,
heat-resistant coating would have improved the performance, but
the true culprit was the lack of control on the surface roughness
in the flange machining process.
Core Shift / Over Machining
Fig. VI: Too much help
Fig. VI is a photo of an intake manifold gasket for a Ford V8 engine.
This engine is designed with coolant ports and intake ports in the
manifold casting. Because of the complexity of the fit between the
manifold, block, and cylinder head, a soft, thick, perforated core
gasket was necessary at that time with formed embossments to
increase the compressibility of the overall gasket. This combination
did not give the best sealing performance and often the coolant
Fig. V: Core shift in a cylinder head
would seep into the adjacent intake opening. Since this could
not be tolerated, a fix was made to allow any seepage to escape
Continued on page 18
Page 17
August 2012
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Page 18
August 2012
Photographic Images
(Continued from Page 16)
via a groove embossed in the gasket as shown in the photo. In
this particular application, the mechanic was supposed to only
apply a tiny bit of RTV at the connection joint with the molded
rubber or cork end seal (between the manifold and the block). By
applying an excessive amount, the purpose of the escape groove
was negated. More is not always better.
Molded Rubber with Plastic Carrier
Fig. VII below illustrates an intake manifold gasket consisting of
Fig. VIII
a molded plastic carrier with a molded-in silicone rubber sealing
element. As seen in the photo, the two grooves on either side of
the sealing bead are essential elements to the design of the seal.
Remember that molded rubber does not change volume when
compressed; it can only change shape. Without the grooves, the
rubber has nowhere to expand and will exert very high pressure
on the sides of the groove in the plastic carrier. These grooves
must be sufficiently large to accommodate the displaced rubber
and to accommodate any volume increase due to swell in both
coolant and fuel. In this picture, you may also see two metal
discs in the carrier. Because this is an end of the gasket where the
bolt load is not shared by an adjacent seal, these discs prevent
Fig. IX
deforming the plastic at the ends. Typically the plastic which
has been used for these carriers is Nylon 66, which can flow at
Fig. VIII and Fig. IX illustrate what can happen when the grooves
operating temperatures and high compressive loads.
are filled (in this case by hand applied RTV). The purpose of the
carrier is to locate the seal into the proper location and to hold
the compression of the rubber to acceptable levels in order to
prevent rupturing the rubber. These carriers have a rectangular
groove molded into each side with a thin web of plastic holding
the carrier together. At the bottom of each groove, there are
numerous “through holes” which allow rubber to flow through
them and the two sides of rubber to bold together. Without these
holes, the rubber does not adhere well to plastic. This rubber-torubber bold holds the rubber/plastic together. This web is the
weak link in the carrier. By filling the grooves in the rubber, on
compression, the rubber has nowhere to go without creating
pressure on the sidewalls of the plastic carrier. This pressure can be
sufficient enough, as in this case, to fracture the web causing what
Fig. VII: Typical plastic and rubber intake manifold gasket
you see in this example.
Page 19
August 2012
If you have questions
you would like to see
answered in future
issues, please send
them by email to
lfptech@gmail.com
Benchmarking Report
Below are the results from the Benchmarking Survey, which
was undertaken to give GFA members a thumbnail sketch of
how other members are fairing at this time.
We had 42 out of 77 Fabricator responses.
1. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared to Previous Quarter
UP
DOWN
SAME
32 (76%)
3 (7%)
7 (17%)
2. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared to Same Quarter
Last Year
DOWN
UP
SAME
34 (81%)
4 (9.5%)
4 (9.5%)
Membership Anniversaries
In 2012, the following companies are celebrating
anniversaries. We would like to thank them
for their ongoing support.
25 Years
Frank Lowe Rubber & Gasket Co. Inc.
20 Years
Rubberlite Inc.
3. Current Quarter Sales Projection Compared to Last Quarter
UP
DOWN
SAME
6 (14%)
12 (29%)
24 (57%)
4. Current Quarter Sales Projection Compared to Same
Quarter Last Year
UP
DOWN
SAME
31 (74%)
5 (12%)
6 (14%)
We had 45 out of 69 Supplier responses.
1. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared to Previous Quarter
DOWN
SAME
UP
30 (66%)
7 (16%)
8 (18%)
10 Years
Novagard Solutions
5 Years
Fouty & Co., Inc.
Frenzelit Sealing Systems
Glassfiber del Norte SA de CV
Prescotech Industries, Inc.
Rogers Foam Corporation
Syntac Coated Products LLC
2. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared to Same Quarter
Last Year
UP
DOWN
SAME
36 (80%)
5 (11%)
4 (9%)
3. Current Quarter Sales Projection Compared to Last Quarter
UP
SAME
DOWN
24 (53%)
9 (20%)
12 (27%)
4. Current Quarter Sales Projection Compared to Same
Quarter Last Year
SAME
UP
DOWN
32 (71%)
7 (16%)
6 (13%)
Page 20
August 2012
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