How Flexible Seal Tolerances Save Time and Costs

When advanced manufacturing demands the sealing of fluid ports, precision is critical but so is flexibility. So, many production environments now rely on expansion-style plugs to replace traditional sealing methods. To add value to many engine applications, the SFC KOENIG® line of expander seals boast liberal tolerances:

• Push-style plugs have tolerances of 0.1mm or 0.004 in.
• Pull-style plugs have tolerances of +0.12mm or 0.005 in.

These allowances have proven their value during part installation because they minimize the misalignment that is common for many seal types. An incorrectly calibrated cup seal or ball plug installation can require laborious and expensive fixes when removal and reinstallation of the plugs is necessary. The entire system may fail, increasing the potential for damage, safety risks, and warranty expenses. Errors also raise scrap rates, which further drives cost up.

KOENIG EXPANDER® seals offer many advantages:

• Allowances do not relate to the plug diameter. The entire expansion line can support a +0.1mm or +0.12mm tolerance even if the sealing component measures only 3mm. This flexibility becomes especially valuable when sealing small fluid ports.
• Typical seals, such as cup plugs, ball plugs, pin plugs, and other types of expansion-style plugs, demand extra machining, such as reaming, to prepare the hole. These additional processes can affect pressure limits for harder materials. KOENIG EXPANDER® seals require no such additions.
• Other plugs may increase their tolerances by using chemical sealants. But, such materials risk contamination and the eventual destruction of the seal barrier when affected by vibration and heat. By avoiding sealants and additives, KOENIG EXPANDER® seals create secure metal-to-metal seals that avoid those problems.
• Pin plugs require assembling two pieces during installation. KOENIG EXPANDER® seals consist of only one piece, which eliminates the errors of plug assembly, and improves manufacturing speed reliability.

The flexible tolerance allowances of KOENIG EXPANDER® seals have proven themselves in over five billion parts installed with a failure rate of less than one part per million. Such success helps to reduce costs, lowers risk, and increase reliability in today’s high-speed production environments.

For more information about SFC KOENIG® products, contact us today at ProvenProductivity@bossard.com.