has developed a new friction optimized seal that fits in existing standard sealing grooves. Designed to provide more consistent performance, the combined elastomer / polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) system offers low break away force, improved durability and temperature resistance for dry running piston type systems such as air brakes or pneumatics.

According to Freudenberg-NOK, an elastomeric seal needs a continuous oil film to operate at the same friction levels as a PTFE seal and the commonly used elastomeric energized PTFE seal is difficult to install. In dry running conditions, the coefficient of friction for rubber is normally around 1.5 to 2, but can be optimized to a minimum of approximately 0.4 to 0.5 with special designs and materials, whereas for PTFE it is primarily around 0.1 to 0.2 in its natural state. Samples of Freudenberg-NOK’s dual material seal were tested side-by-side versus the traditional elastomeric D-ring type seal at various pressures for dynamic and break away force. The results showed a reduction of overall friction by two times at zero pressure and three times at 10 bar.

“Our customers look to us to create application-specific improvements that they can easily implement into current design specifications without a major change to the production process,” said Joel Johnson, global vice president of technology, Freudenberg-NOK Simrit. “Our new dual-material seal provides the needed performance enhancements to the fluid power and heavy duty truck markets without the cost of redesign.”

The dual-material seal provides very low initial breakaway torque and friction, as well as high-temperature consistency and a comparable installation to that of an o-ring, including direction independence, “twist-safe” performance and gap extrusion resistance. The new design also offers increased design freedom, as a variance of geometries and diameters are available to minimize friction differences even when utilizing all production tolerances. The PTFE layer is bonded to an elastomer, which then can be bonded to a solid carrier if required.  Freudenberg-NOK found that such a concept could be used to improve the overall comfort at gear changing in automatic transmission. Additionally, the seal eliminates stick-slip, the effects of rubber aging, the influence of temperature and the effect of hysteresis.

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Since 2011, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ sealing activities in Europe and America have been united under one roof. Now, the company is turning its name into a global brand: since the start of the year, the umbrella brands Freudenberg Sealing Technologies in Europe and Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies in America have stood for all the sealing specialist’s activities in all branches and countries. To this end, the sales brands Automotive, Merkel, Process Seals, and Simrit will be linked to the umbrella brand Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies in the Americas. In other words, all four sales organizations will be integrated into the Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies umbrella brand by the end of April. The four brand names will be used as a suffix for a while (e.g. Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies Simrit). This clear focus on Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies will help position the brand better in strategically important markets.

“The new strategy allows us to forge a leading global brand out of individual leading brands. With this new global brand, we will set ourselves apart from the competition as the leading specialist for sealing solutions in all sectors. This will allow us to make even more effective use of the dynamic opportunities for growth on the global market,” explains Claus Möhlenkamp, spokesman for the management at Freudenberg Sealing Technologies.

As a global technological and innovative leader, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies enjoys an outstanding reputation and the trust of its customers worldwide. The individual sales organizations are recognized as leading specialists in their markets/sectors. In the past, however, the link between these brands and Freudenberg Sealing Technologies was not instantly evident. The new umbrella brand will create a clear, consistent brand identity. In order to continue growing at international level and to meet customers’ global expectations, a credible, clearly distinguishable profile is vital.

Synergy through a consistent brand strategy

The aim is to serve markets in a more uniform way and to make more effective use of synergy. The existing clout of the individual sales brands will be combined in the umbrella brand to create a functioning global unit where each brand benefits from a mutual image transfer. “Combining and channeling our strengths at international level is of decisive importance for us. Wherever our brand appears, it must be memorable and recognizable; otherwise we are wasting valuable opportunities to ensure long-term, profitable growth,” says Möhlenkamp.

After all, a brand can only create significant corporate value if its image is uniform and if it adopts a clear and reliable position. All of this can be achieved with a high and clear profile, positive feeling towards the brand, and trust. Brands have personalities and are perceived, evaluated, and selected as such by customers.

PLYMOUTH, Mich., March 18, 2013

“Simrit is proud and honored to be listed on the QPL, as it highlights our exceptional material development expertise,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president global sales aerospace, Simrit. “Inclusion on the QPL allows us to provide aerospace customers with cost effective, qualified materials they can trust in this safety conscious industry.”

The QPL is a listing of manufacturers who have received a PRI product qualification approval letter to a precise standard for specific product designations and plant locations. According to PRI, users benefit from the QPL as it reduces unnecessary testing and qualification processes, while maximizing resources and competitiveness.  Also, in many cases, tier suppliers to the aerospace industry will not seek bids or proposals unless the material and manufacturing firm are on the QPL. To apply for the approval, the inquiring facility must be AS9100 and Nadcap-approved, have an approved test and validation plan, as well as internal and possibly third party verification results.

“Our QPL-approved F273 material is ideal for fuel control and jet engine companies due to its excellent performance in extreme heat environments,” said Dr. Robert W. Keller, materials development manager, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies. “With its QPL inclusion, our F273 material will be made available to a wider audience, furthering the potential for new aerospace innovations.”

The F273 material is manufactured at the company’s Santa Ana, Calif. facility for use in high-performance, high-pressure jet fuel systems and is resistant to jet fuels and synthetic turbine lubricants with a typical application temperature range from -70C to +200C. Ideal for use in O-rings, molded shapes and plate seals in fuel controls, as well as valves and pumps on commercial aircraft engine applications, the F273 material’s technical advantages are backed by simulated component O-ring testing in high temperature, high pressure fuel systems.

For more information about Simrit’s F273 material, please click here. For more information about the aerospace QPL, please click here.

Simrit is part of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and offers an extensive portfolio of precision-manufactured products for the aerospace, agriculture, appliance, construction, energy, fluid power, mechanical power generation, mechanical power transmission and recreation markets. For more information, visit the Simrit website at www.simrit.com.

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During the three-day conference, attendees discussed the benefits and strategic opportunities provided by this exclusive distribution program. Of the 62 appointed distributors, 22 distributors were appointed Preferred Distributors to serve as the foundation of Simrit’s activities in the North American market.

“We realize that our distributors are facing industry-specific demands from multiple market segments, so we developed this program to provide insight and expertise to help them better succeed,” said Thomas Schäfer, vice president, sales distribution and new regions, Simrit. “Our goal is to continue identifying these evolving market-specific needs and provide our distributors with high-quality products and solutions to meet these demands.”

Simrit’s 2013 North American Preferred Distributors include:

• All Seals & Hose, Inc. of Milwaukee;       
• Carolina Seal, Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.;
• FCI Automation of Grand Rapids, Mich.;
• Fluidseal, Inc. of Richmond, B.C., Canada;
• Fluidseal AB, Inc. of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada;             
• Gallagher Fluid Seals, Inc. of King of Prussia, Penn.;
• Hercules Sealing Products, Inc. of Clearwater, Fla.;
• High Performance Seals of Auburn, Wash.;
• Industrial Seal, Inc. of Dallas;
• Interstate Seal Co. of Fresno, Calif.;
• Kepco Sealing Supplies of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada;
• McMasters Koss Co. of Royal Oak, Mich.;
• O-Ring Sales & Service of Lenexa, Kan.;
• RB Packings and Seals Inc. of Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada;
• RT / Dygert Int’l. of Burnsville, Minn.;
• Seal Source Inc of Portland, Ore.;
• Sealtech Supply Inc. of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada;
• Sealing Devices, Inc. of Lancaster, N.Y.;
• Tech-Syn Corp. of Bloomingdale, Ill.;
• Wyatt Seal, Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.; and
• Zatkoff Seals and Packings of Farmington Hills, Mich.

“We’re excited to launch our proven Distribution Program and have a powerful network in the North American market, as it further solidifies our strategic supplier relationships and promotes long-term collaboration and development,” said Schäfer. “The inaugural group of Preferred Distributors highlights some of Simrit’s first-rate distribution customers and we look forward to furthering their success through targeted support and resources.”

Simrit’s technically advanced product portfolio offers high-quality sealing solutions that can be adapted to meet specific customer requirements. The extensive offering requires the company’s distributors to have the working knowledge of the products to most accurately recommend customer solutions. To foster this knowledge, the North American program was created to provide Preferred Distributors a variety of educational resources, global support and services.

Additionally, 40 companies were named 2013 Approved Distributors gaining access to Simrit’s products and services designed to promote their growth and development into Preferred Distributors within the global distribution strategy. As the next step in Simrit’s commitment to creating a more efficient global distribution organization, the company has plans to adopt the program for the South American market. For additional information about the program, please click here or visit Simrit’s distributor webpage http://simritna.com/distributors/.

Simrit is part of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and offers an extensive portfolio of precision-manufactured products for the aerospace, agriculture, appliance, construction, energy, fluid power, mechanical power generation, mechanical power transmission and recreation markets. For more information, visit the Simrit website at www.simrit.com.

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SANTA ANA, Calif., Jan. 28, 2013

“When you work in industries where quality performance is critically important, it becomes a cornerstone of your everyday operation,” said Carsten Mueller, Santa Ana lead center manager, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies. “This award recognizes the unwavering commitment of our Santa Ana employees to achieve and continuously maintain an exceptional level of quality, delivery performance and lean manufacturing principles.”

The Supplier Gold award was established to facilitate and accelerate superior supplier practices and recognizes suppliers for exceptional performance. The five criteria that are used to evaluate suppliers for this award are: excellent customer service; on-time product delivery; best-in-class quality; cost; and use of lean practices throughout operations.  

“As an aerospace-focused facility, quality is paramount,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president of global sales, aerospace, Simrit. “I thank UTC for recognizing and honoring our Santa Ana facility for its dedication to the strictest quality standards. It is a testimonial to our continuous improvement efforts and will further expand business opportunities within UTC.”

The Santa Ana plant has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing aerospace O-rings, plate seals and molded shapes. The facility is AS-9100 and Nadcap-approved for critical aerospace applications and is the first O-ring plant in the world to receive this prestigious certification. Additionally, it houses an American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) certified laboratory and produces nitrile, ethylene propylene diene monomer, silicone, fluorosilicone, fluorocarbon and Simriz® perfluorinated elastomeric components.

Simrit is part of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and offers an extensive portfolio of precision-manufactured products for the aerospace, agriculture, appliance, construction, energy, fluid power, mechanical power generation, mechanical power transmission and recreation markets. Simrit’s global sales exceed $1.3 billion. For more information, visit the Simrit website at www.simrit.com.

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To help meet these goals, components such as a damper seal solution that reduces component count and machining complexity, while decreasing noise emissions and increasing performance; and a revolutionary-shaped pneumatic piston seal with extreme low friction that is installed with a floating fit have been introduced to the market.

Keep reading to find out how these solutions extend lifetime, eliminate stick-slip, and provide a starting friction 40 percent lower and translatoric speed 20 percent higher than conventional solutions, which equates to 12 percent faster cycle times.

Please enjoy our e-cards and have a wonderful rest of 2012.

The Superior Performance Award recognizes 3M suppliers who go above and beyond traditional performance and quality standards. For more than five years, Simrit’s scores have exceeded 95 percent and, since 2010, have surpassed 98 percent.

 “It’s a great honor to be recognized for our commitment to quality and service excellence, as these are key elements in Simrit’s culture of customer service and partnership,” said David R. Monaco, president, Simrit Americas, and senior vice president, Simrit Global. “This recognition is a great testament to our Tillsonburg employees and their commitment to meeting our customers’ evolving needs through continuous process and quality improvements.”

The ISO9001-approved Tillsonburg plant designs and manufactures low pressure seals for many markets, including aerospace, appliance, energy and electrical, with a special focus on applications in extreme temperature, electrical and environmental situations. The facility was recently awarded United Technologies Corp.’s Supplier Gold status for its outstanding performance in delivery, quality, lean practices and customer support for the third consecutive year. The plant is also certified to the AS9100 Revision C quality management system including design for the aerospace industry and is Nadcap approved.

Simrit is part of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies and offers an extensive portfolio of precision-manufactured products for the aerospace, agriculture, appliance, construction, energy, fluid power, mechanical power generation, mechanical power transmission and recreation markets. Simrit’s global sales exceed $1.3 billion. For more information, visit the Simrit website at www.simrit.com.

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