Sealing technology R&D facility opens its doors to design engineers

Sealing technology specialist Garlock is offering the services of its advanced research facilities at Pierrelatte, France, to design engineers needing to apply solutions to todays ever increasing sealing problems.

Set-up originally, over thirty years ago, to address the demands imposed by the nuclear industry; the laboratorys scope has extended over the years to support the needs of aerospace, semiconductor and other high technology sectors.
Garlocks laboratory is jointly operated with CEA, the French Atomic Energy Commission, and is one of few worldwide facilities dedicated to the research and development of sealing technology.

Stuart Phythian, Sales and Marketing Manager, Garlock (Great Britain) Ltd, commented, Initially developments of high performance seals at Pierrelatte were for the CEAs own requirements, however developments quickly found applications in the evolving semiconductor and aerospace industries. We now see an increasing demand for high performance seals from a wider group of industries such as F1 and pharmaceutical equipment manufacturers. The drive to make processes and related equipment more cost effective often leads to greater demands on equipment such as reducing in size, increasing temperatures and ultra high vacuum.
Much of the development work has led to proprietary products being made available but also much of the know how is also available to apply to what may seem insurmountable problems.
Pierlattes unique sealing technology facility is well-equipped being able to create computer simulations extending from individual material performance to multiple material seal simulations. This allows development times to be radically shortened before testing samples with equipment capable of simulating ultra high vacuum and temperatures ranging from -270C to +800C.

The extended life simulation facilities are also becoming increasingly popular with the capability of testing the gasket thickness checked against temperature, pressure and ageing.