Elastomerics Blog

A new case study illustrates how Stockwell Elastomerics partners with OEM engineers to resolve challenging design problems with a focus on manfacturability. Highlighted is a project where a leading LED lighting manufacturer was having trouble passing an IP67 submersion test with their standard gasket.

Download this LED lighting case study now.

Understanding the Problem:
Evaluating the customer’s enclosure design and materials, Stockwell Elastomerics’ engineers were able to quickly identify the root cause of the water ingress.

Material Selection:
To avoid a costly redesign of their lighting enclosure and lens, the gasket geometry was modified and a high performance silicone was specified. The soft gasket material allowed for low closure force, excellent sealing, long life and UV resistance.

Prototyping through Initial Production:
With four in-house waterjets, CNC die cutting and comprehensive inventory, Stockwell Elastomerics was able to quickly waterjet cut prototype gaskets from the same material that production parts would be made from. Once validated, initial production runs were die cut for cost savings.

Manufacturing and Sustaining:
As the LED lighting product grew in sales, Stockwell Elastomerics worked with the OEM to modify the gasket design so it could be silicone injection molded. Taking advantage of Stockwell Elastomerics’ molding processes, a sealing bead feature was added to enhance the gasket, allowing for more variability in the enclosure.  Moving production to molding did not interrupt the supply chain and offered additional cost savings for the mature product.

For more information on how Stockwell Elastomerics can help with gasket design and custom gasket manufacturing, please call 215-335-3005 or complete a contact form for assistance.