Simrit's Enhanced Hydraulic Seals Offer Superior Performance Against Extreme Temperatures and Hydrolysis

PLYMOUTH, Mich., March 15 -- Simrit -- the industrial products division of Plymouth, Mich.-based Freudenberg-NOK -- will be showcasing its newest hydraulic sealing applications designed to protect against cold temperatures and water degradation during the International Exposition for Power Transmission (IFPE) at the Las Vegas Convention Center (booth #13849).

Simrit recently introduced 92 AU 21100, a high-performance polyurethane material approved for use in high-frequency, cold temperature (down to -50 degrees Celsius) hydraulic applications. The reliable sealing function begins immediately when the application is turned on resulting in "no starting leakage," even under critical conditions. It offers exceptional temperature range, low friction, and extreme wear and extrusion resistance.

"Simrit is committed to providing the industry with sealing technologies that not only meet their needs, but exceed their expectations," said Joel T. Johnson, vice president of technology for Simrit. "92 AU 21100 is an excellent example of the type of innovation our world-class engineers strive for on a daily basis."

Johnson explained that during cold weather start-up, sealing lips have to remain in contact with the sliding surface. At cold temperatures, previous sealing materials had insufficient flexibility and the lips would lose contact and cause leakage.

"We realized a reaction like this is unacceptable for our customers, which is why we developed 92 AU 21100 -- the sealing lip always stays in contact with the sliding surface," said Johnson.

With 92 AU 21100 polyurethane there is significantly less material stiffening at lower temperatures compared to conventional polyurethane materials. In addition, there is less material softening at temperatures between 120 and 140 degrees Celsius, thus providing superior high-temperature capabilities as well.

Another Simrit material that offers outstanding temperature resistance is Disogrin(R) 7695. This proprietary material, used for fluid power seals, is resistant in hot water up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a possible alternative to chloroprene and ethylene propylene rubbers. It is also resistant to acidic and basic solutions (pH 2-13) up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit.

Disogrin 7695 was developed to address the issue of hydrolysis -- or water degradation -- which is a common occurrence in polyurethane seals causing a brown, flakey appearance. The advantage of Disogrin 7695 is that it's compatible with both water and vegetable-based hydraulic fluids and can fit a more diverse range of applications.

"An increasing trend in the fluid power market has been the use of environmentally friendly or biodegradable hydraulic fluids," said Johnson. "With Disogrin 7695, we were able to design a product that helps our customers address the increasing pressure from organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as create a world-class innovation that is superior to polyurethane seals of the past."

Vegetable-based biodegradable fluids are commonly used in environmentally sensitive applications -- such as forestry, landscaping, agriculture and marine -- and absorb more water than mineral-based fluids, resulting in seal failures. Disogrin 7695 eliminates this problem through its compatibility with these fluids.

A market leader in the aerospace, industrial and agriculture/construction market segments, Simrit draws from more than 150 years of experience and well- known brand names including Freudenberg(R), NOK(R), Disogrin(R), Merkel and International Seal(R).

The Simrit division is based at Freudenberg-NOK's headquarters in Plymouth, Mich. Freudenberg-NOK is part of the Freudenberg and NOK Group Companies, which have total annual sales of nearly $7 billion. The global Freudenberg and NOK Group offers an extensive portfolio of precision-molded products for the aerospace, agriculture/construction, appliance, automotive, diesel engine, marine, medical and recreational vehicle markets.

For more information, visit the Simrit website at http://www.simrit.com/ .