Inflatable seals in rubber and silicone

Inflatable seals are highly specialised technical components. They are used in many industrial applications as they offer significant advantages over conventional seals.

The food, pharmaceutical, aerospace, maritime, and industrial automation industries are among the biggest users of inflatable seals, where dynamic sealing conditions, adaptability to uneven surfaces, and critical applications are required.
The history and evolution of inflatable seals began around the 1940s-50s, in parallel with the development of certain industrial and aerospace sectors, where it was necessary to find dynamic solutions to guarantee airtightness. The subsequent boom in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries in the 1970s then adopted these products for applications in cleanrooms and sterilisation systems, then, as the quality of the materials increased, also for use in aggressive, high-temperature environments. Industrial automation and robotics further amplified the popularity of inflatable seals in subsequent years.

Today, thanks to excellent production technologies used for precision injection moulding and special compounds, these seals are produced at NEWRUBBER with excellent results in many sizes and shapes for most industries and are considered particularly innovative and versatile

Our capabilities

NewRubber is equipped with machinery, instrumentation and testing systems that allow the production of inflatable seals of all sizes and designs. We work in compliance with high quality standards and can guarantee reliable and safe products thanks to specific experience developed for this type of products over the last decade.

Main characteristics of inflatable seals

Materials used

We can make inflatable seals with elastomers such as:

• Silicone (temperature range -60 °C to +200 °C)
• EPDM (temperature range -40 °C to +120 °C)
• NBR (temperature range -30 °C to +100 °C)
• VITON (temperature range -20 °C to +250 °C)

Seals incorporate a chamber that extends when inflated with air or fluid. The pressure exerted on the inside allows the seal to adapt perfectly to surfaces. Unlike static seals, they do not require high clamping forces. The inflation itself ensures the seal.

The operating pressure is variable, depending on the model and material used, typically from 0.5 to 6 bar.

Moulding techniques

Production can involve:

• compression moulding, ideal for large sizes and complex shapes.
• injection moulding, for large production batches and high precision.
• transfer moulding, a combination of compression and injection, ideal for particularly detailed geometries.

Air supply fittings are generally made of metal and integrated into the seal body.In post-production, moulding burrs are removed and finished with cleaning.

Control and quality testing

The production process for our inflatable seals involves a series of final tests:

• Pressure tests; the seal is inflated to the maximum operating pressure off site, and held in this condition for a set period of time to check for leaks.
• Fatigue tests; inflation and deflation cycles are simulated to assess durability
• Dimensional tests; checking tolerances and profiles using precision gauges, profile projectors, etc.
• Environmental tests, on specific request; tests for resistance to ozone, UV, other chemicals.

NewRubber manufactures with a Quality System based on compliance with UNI EN ISO 9001:2015. We have also implemented finished product approval processes using the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP). For products intended for contact with food, New Rubber srl has since 2015 integrated an additional management system in compliance with EC Regulation 2023:2006 (GMP, Good Manufacturing Practice), which is reassessed at regular intervals by the certification body DNV, the protocol required for guaranteeing complete conformity of products to EC Regulation 1935:2004 (FCMA)

Advantages of inflatable seals

• Dynamic adaptability: they expand to adapt to uneven surfaces or to compensate for movement or dimensional changes
• Hermetically sealed: ideal for high-pressure environments or where impermeability to water, air and chemical fluids is required, where frequent opening and closing is necessary, such as in watertight doors, vacuum chambers, etc.
• Durability: the materials used in construction are particularly resistant to wear, chemicals and numerous expansion/compression cycles
• Cushioning: they protect the equipment on which they are installed with their natural cushioning action
• Simplified maintenance: easy assembly and disassembly. No complex replacement or inspection required.

Main applications for inflatable seals

Inflatable seals are used in many industries today. The main ones are:

• Medical: used in sterilisation chambers and autoclaves
• Food and pharmaceutical: fitted in locking systems for aseptic chamber doors and in washing or sanitising areas
• Aerospace: used for insulation systems under extreme pressure and temperature conditions
• Manufacturing: used in production lines requiring sealing or clamping systems for automatic handling
• Shipbuilding: watertight doors for water pressure.

Want to find out more about inflatable seals?

Write to info@newrubber.it (reference Inflatable seals)

Call: +39 051 782219