Product category:
Seals
News Release from: SKF UK | Subject: X-Ecopur
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 12 March 2003
Elastomer points to future of sealing
A special polyurethane elastomer sealing material newly developed by seal manufacturer Economos is set to take the science of sealing well into the 21st century.
A special polyurethane elastomer sealing material newly developed by seal manufacturer Economos is set to take the science of sealing well into the 21st century, says Dr Thomas Schwarz, Chief Technical Officer of the Austrian-based international company Economos The new material, designated with the brand names X-Ecopur, XH-Ecopur and XS-Ecopur are the most advanced variation yet of Economos' highly successful Ecopur sealing material
X-Ecopur has been developed as a high-performance composite sealing material, with superior operating characteristics to polytetrafluoroethylene, or PTFE seals, as regards ease of installation, friction, wear or leakage.
X-Ecopur is being promoted for use predominantly in injection moulding units, machine tools, mobile hydraulics, and in metering and mixing machinery.
The new material also has major advantages over PTFE seals in other applications, such as with high pressure or large gaps.
An additional advantage is that with X-Ecopur's thermoplastic structure, Economos can produce either a single seal to virtually any size, or in short JIT runs, or in very cost-effective large runs using injection moulding.
Economos originally developed Ecopur ten years ago as a more versatile and durable alternative to PTFE seals.
Since then, it has won a substantial share of the industrial seal market, in part achieved through the continuous introduction of new formulations aimed at specialised operating conditions and applications.
Variations, for example, have previously been evolved for applications in extreme temperatures, for use with new lubricants, or to withstand highly abrasive or corrosive materials.
To date, Economos has developed ten different formulations of Ecopur seals, all of which are extensively used around the world in the manufacturing, pharmaceutical, food processing, oil exploration, and construction industries.
Speaking from Economos' international headquarters and research centre in Austria, Dr Schwarz said that X-Ecopur had been developed very much in accord with the company's philosophy of putting substantial resources into researching new formulations of Ecopur aimed at producing better materials for seals used in particular applications.
Dr Schwarz said: "There have been three keys to the success of Ecopur.
Firstly, the material itself was a technological breakthrough in the science of sealing when first developed.
Secondly, our R and D in seal science is truly world class, and thirdly, we work very closely with our customers to come up with new products and solutions geared specifically to their changing operational needs.
As with earlier Ecopur formulations, X-Ecopur is again aimed directly at meeting a specified need and so will undoubtedly achieve the same strong success as previous products in the ECOPUR range.
For Economos, X-Ecopur points the way ahead in the science of sealing".
A research paper is available from Economos UK summarising the research, development, testing and operational characteristics of X-Ecopur, along with information about its technical performance criteria. Request a free brochure from SKF UK ...
• SKF UK: contact details and other news
• Email this article to a colleague
• Register for the free Engineeringtalk email newsletter
• Engineeringtalk Home Page
