The demands placed on technical components are constantly increasing. Especially for the automotive industry and its suppliers, LABS-compliant sealing systems are an important quality feature to avoid visible defects in the final product. Chesterton International GmbH supplies LABS-compliant polymer and elastomer seals; individually manufactured according to customised and application-specific requirements.
LABS is an acronym for paint wetting disruptors. If these substances – which can be greases, oils, PTFE or silicones – are present on the components used, they prevent uniform wetting of the surface to be painted. The result is funnel-shaped defects and craters in the paint layer.
Of course, we immediately think of paint spray systems where LABS compliant seals are used. However, LABS compliance of all components is also required for production facilities and tools in other areas, such as the medical industry or dosing technology. Until now, manual wet cleaning of sealing systems was carried out at Chesterton. For reasons of occupational safety and environmental protection and, of course, to increase productivity and product quality, an advanced plasma cleaning system has now been installed at the Ismaning production site.
Deeply cleaned seals for process safety in pumps and machines
The cleaning system treats the seals with a deep cleaning in a low pressure plasma process using oxygen oxidation. The result is an extremely clean product.
Advantages of plasma treated sealing systems:
- LABS compliance
- Reduced stick-slip effect
- Reduced friction
- Easier installation
It goes without saying that Chesterton International GmbH applies this new cleaning technology to all manufactured polymer and elastomer seals – regardless of the field of application.