1: In plate heat exchangers, although rubber gaskets are small, they are crucial as they act as "sealing guards" to prevent fluid leakage. Its manufacturing process integrates materials science and precision machining technology. Below, we will take you to understand this magical production process.
2: The selection of raw materials is the foundation. Rubber raw materials should be selected according to the usage environment: nitrile rubber for oil resistance, EPDM rubber for high temperature resistance, and fluororubber for strong corrosion resistance. These raw materials need to be combined with vulcanizing agents, fillers and other additives to lay the foundation for subsequent performance.
3: The mixing process revitalizes the materials. By using an internal mixer or an open mixer, rubber and additives are thoroughly mixed at high temperatures, and the components are evenly distributed like kneading dough, forming a plastic rubber material. This step determines the basic performance of the gasket.
4: The molding process gives the gasket a shape. Commonly used in compression molding, the rubber material is placed into a mold engraved with the shape of a heat exchanger plate sealing groove. Under high temperature and high pressure, the rubber material flows and fills the mold, and the vulcanizing agent promotes the cross-linking of rubber molecules, transforming the rubber material from a soft collapsed state into an elastic gasket prototype.
5: Precision machining ensures precise dimensions. The formed gasket has burrs, which need to be trimmed with specialized equipment to ensure that the dimensions of the sealing lip, mounting holes, and other parts are accurate to 0.1 millimeters, ensuring that they can be tightly embedded into the groove of the heat exchanger plate.
6: Strict testing to safeguard quality. It is necessary to undergo hardness testing, temperature and medium aging resistance testing, compression rebound testing, etc. For example, after soaking in hot oil at 150 ℃ for 72 hours, check whether the gasket has hardened and cracked. Only when all meet the standards can it be considered qualified.
From raw materials to finished products, every step embodies the pursuit of sealing reliability. These small rubber gaskets use precision technology to ensure the efficient operation of industrial equipment.
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