PROCESSING AND ASSEMBLY GUIDE
A complete list of our processing and assembly services
ALL PROCESSING AND ASSEMBLY SERVICES UNDER ONE ROOF
We at V.A.V. Group supply silicone frames and attachments for doors and windows for construction and heavy industries, as well as some of the machinery used, for example, in the paper industry. About a fourth of our profiles need some form of further processing or assembling before they are shipped to our clients. These profiles are processed to best fit the purpose, withstand their intended use, and ensure their installation is quick and easy.
FURTHER PROCESSING
Our profiles undergo several treatments to ensure they are durable and ready to be installed. Because they are used in many different industries for many different purposes, they must be prepared to last as long as possible, even in harsh conditions. The profiles used for paper industry machines must endure strong air compression and high temperatures. Some profiles come into contact with different dissolvents or oils, so they need to be durable enough not to get damaged. The profiles must also have fire safety certificates for some use cases, like on fire doors, trains, and ships. Properties like these are added to the profile during our manufacturing process.
Adding Properties To Seals And Profiles
Our TPE, TPV, and silicone rubber profiles are highly customizable and remarkably versatile. They can replace materials like PVC and EPDM, adapting to the unique demands of different industries. Most of the profiles we produce undergo multiple treatments to ensure their suitability, making them fit for their job and ready for installation.
Custom tools and profiles are our staple. From downstream operations, the finished profiles head straight to the client and are ready for installation.
For easy and sturdy installation, the downstream process can be customized even more to include the attachment of a non-stretch cord or installation tape, depending on where and how the profile will be installed. To help you track your stock’s origin, date, and material better, all profile types can be laser-marked with whatever serial marking or other identification you deem necessary. Informative markings are beneficial in unpredictable cases where the product is faulty or has sat in storage for too long.
Applications for different processing methods | |
Fire safety | In the paper industry, pulp washers must have high-end seals that can withstand mechanical wear and tear while keeping harsh chemicals from leaking outside the washer. |
Chemical resistance | Some profiles come into contact with different dissolvents or oils that they must be resistant to. |
Tear resistance | In the shipbuilding and railway industry, the seals and profiles used in doors, windows, and hatches must be fireproof, so the joint must also be perfect to prevent heat, flames, and toxic fumes from entering the compartment. |
ASSEMBLY
The assembly and valve connections must be highly reliable in demanding circumstances, such as waterproof compartments or heavy industry. Pressurized seals are designed to work like a car or bicycle tyre – a certain amount of air is pumped into the hollow seal through a special valve. There are many applications where this type of seal is the optimal choice, but a great example can be found in the paper industry, where the pulp washers must have high-end seals that can withstand mechanical wear and tear, all while keeping the chemicals from leaking outside the washer.
How Different Profile Parts Are Joined Together
When the two ends of a profile are joined, the joint must be 100% secure.The most common practice is vulcanizing, in which the same material used for the profile is heated so that the softened silicone acts as a glue. For silicone profiles, the most suitable adhesive is 2-part silicone, which is also heated to form a more durable bond.
It is not uncommon to use good old superglue, either!
Since the criteria for pressurized seals are very precise, the end product must also be accurate. Most of our pressurized profiles are made with extreme precision to fit the hatch, door, or other opening perfectly. First, the custom profile is manufactured to meet the client’s needs. Then, the profile is cut to length, the valve is mounted on the profile, and the ends are joined using the best-suited method for each material.
Safety requirements are a whole different aspect when it comes to custom profiles. In the shipbuilding and railway industries, the seals and profiles used in doors, windows and hatches must be fireproof, so the joint must also be perfect to prevent heat, flames and toxic fumes from entering the compartment.
The result is an enclosed profile of a circular, oval, rectangular, or technically any shape requested by the client. The profiles are then delivered to the client, who can easily install them. After the installation, the profile can be pressurized using the fitted valve or permanently connected to the pressure system. Regardless of the material, every joint is made with utmost care to ensure there are no weak links anywhere in the profile.
NON-STRETCH SILICONE
Non-stretch seals are no new products, but they are still considered so useful that they can be found almost everywhere. The seals we make are usually used in doors and windows, which we originally produced them for. They are also used in the train and ship industries, construction, and even log house construction.
One of the reasons that make our non-stretch seals so easy to apply in many industries is the stretch-preventing cord added to the seal. During installation, the cord stops the seal from stretching and helps it withstand pressure up to 100 Newtons, making it easy to install manually and automatically.
Seals that stretch have to be measured with thermal expansion in mind, and they need time to settle before they can be trimmed; for example, if they are installed in the winter and not measured right, there’s a risk that the summer heat might loosen the seal and leave gaps. Another problem with other seals is that they must be kept away from paints and other chemicals so their grip won’t fail. V.A.V. Group’s non-stretch seals are manufactured and treated to have the chemical durability required to withstand various conditions.
The stretch prevention cord can be added to all of our seal types, like TPE, Bio-TPE, and Fire X.
The cord in non-stretch profiles prevents them from loosening due to heat or cold, and makes installation of the profile easier
INSTALLATION AND PROFILE TAPES
Potential Problems With Seal Tapes
The shape of the seal can affect how easily you can attach the tape to it. If necessary, the gasket will be designed so that taping is still possible. We have only encountered a few cases where the tape designed by the customer did not fit the profile. In such cases, the profile is either redesigned or we will find a different solution. The majority of tapings function according to the customer’s plans.
There are two primary uses for tapes in seals and gaskets. The first is as a groove sealant, where the tape ensures that the seal remains in place during installation. The second use is for permanent taping or so-called tape seals.
The choice of tape is determined by the material of the surface to be taped. The most common tapes are suitable for almost any material, such as aluminium, wood, or steel. Taping requires a flat surface to hold the seal in place during installation.
Specialty tapes are used, for example, on powder-coated surfaces or in areas where water or various chemicals can impair the durability of normal tapes. V.A.V. Group has been producing a variety of tapes throughout its history, and we have included 3M tapes in our selection. We can suggest suitable solutions if the customer does not know the right tape for the job.
The tapes are mainly attached to silicone and TPE materials. For silicone, a silicone adhesive is added between the tape and the sealant as a binding agent. For TPE, no separate adhesive is needed.
V.A.V. Group’s production is optimized so that taping can be added to the seal manufacturing process whenever the need for it arises. If the customer wishes, we can provide the complete package ready to go without any change in schedules. We can also add tape to seals purchased elsewhere, but to ensure quality, we recommend that you consider a complete package from V.A.V. Group to avoid problems and save time.
PRESSURE PROFILES
V.A.V. Group is a manufacturer of silicone and TPE/TPV profiles, as well as various assembly products, such as pressure profiles.
The silicone used for pressure profiles goes through further processing to ensure that it can withstand the pulp washers’ harsh mechanical and chemical wear and tear. The profiles and valves must endure various conditions, from the fast spinning motion to different acids and alkalines used in the bleaching and washing phases. Pressure profiles are made according to the drum’s measurements, and finished profiles are connected to metallic valves, which direct air to tightly seal the profiles.
What Are Pressure Profiles?
Pressure profiles and the attached metal valves are used, for example, for washers in the pulp and paper industry all over the world. Other usage scenarios include, for example, waterproofing the compartments of some special vehicles.
LASER MARKINGS
You can get text, numbers, or your company’s logo engraved on your seals. We can add a personalized laser engraving of your choice to seals and other products, with a font as small as just a few millimeters in size.
A serial number is insurance for your product, and any informative markings are extremely useful in unpredictable cases where the product is faulty or has sat in storage for too long. Engravings are extremely useful for traceability, and they help keep track of the origin, date, and materials used in your product.
A serial number is insurance for your product.
V.A.V. Group offers laser marking for many materials, including silicone, TPE and TPV, metal, wood, and even glass. Outside of seals and profiles, it has so far been used to mark names and dates on metal assembly pieces and label plates. Our laser marking machine is the Finnish-made Cajo Stella.
FRAMES, RINGS AND OTHER ATTACHMENTS
We have several ways to make silicone and TPE profiles into frames, rings, hoops, and other similar products. The production method is chosen according to the customer’s needs and the material of the profile. The dimensions of the ring or frame to be manufactured are obtained from the customer, and the elasticity of the material, for example, is taken into account before the product is manufactured.
The vulcanization process results in a very durable and high-quality joint. The method of joining, therefore, depends primarily on the size of the product. Vulcanization and mirror welding require profile-specific tooling and are suitable for the most demanding solutions. These methods require more time and effort on the production line, which is why they are recommended for larger production batches.
Different methods for different materials
Silicone | TPE |
| Silicone profiles can be joined together either by vulcanization or by adhesive bonding. In vulcanization, either silicone paste or liquid silicone, more commonly called thermal adhesive, is placed between the profiles to be joined. Thermal adhesive is used when the product is so small or delicate that the parts cannot be physically pressed together too tightly during the joining process. A lower temperature is also sufficient for thermal adhesive. | TPE profiles can be joined either by mirror welding or by adhesive bonding. In mirror welding, the ends of the TPE profiles are melted and then pressed together to form the joint. The joint becomes very neat and resists stress very well. With adhesive bonding, both silicone and TPE profiles are bonded using a special glue that holds the joint together very well. Bonding is used in smaller batches where speed and economy are critical or when the product itself is small. |
3D PRINTING CUSTOM EXTRUSION DYES
When creating new extrusion dyes, the first step is to understand the customer’s requirements for the profile. Together with our sales team and the customer’s representative, we gather all the necessary information to see how we could find the right solution. Careful planning is crucial because that’s how we can find the right manufacturing process for the profile, as well as the estimated costs. Once the project has been green-lighted, the process itself is relatively swift: the extrusion dye prototype is designed, 3D printed, and delivered to the customer within two weeks. Usually, it only takes minor tweaks here and there by hand to reach the final product.
V.A.V. Group has used a 3D printer since 2017, but our custom tools go back a long way. EDM wire cutters are still relatively common, but the efficiency of a 3D printer is unbeatable: 3D printing is not always faster than EDM wire cutting, but it’s more efficient, as the printer can handle several tools and does most of the work. The printer is much more accurate than any welder or cutter. The number of custom tools we have created is in the thousands by now, given that we design around 50 new custom tools per year.
The range of 3D-printed items is not limited to V.A.V. Group’s extrusion dyes and valves for customer needs. The high-end metal printer is capable of manufacturing spare parts, tools, and other specific and detailed items for a broader client base. 3D printing a spare part is often faster and cheaper than ordering the part from the other side of the world and having it shipped. If the part is needed for manufacturing purposes, 3D printing can shorten the stoppage period significantly, minimizing the time the machine is out of order.
How Are Custom Extrusion Dyes Designed?
“The customer usually knows the basic needs of their new profile – the shape, material, heat resistance, etc. Most customers deliver all the information along with images, blueprints, and measurements, but if those are unavailable or the customer is placing their first order, our salespeople are experts in their field and will help the customer with the specifications.”
– Tuomas Moilanen, Tools Manufacture & Quality
CUSTOM SOLUTIONS BY V.A.V. GROUP
Our strengths lie in the flexible and fast supply of small to medium-sized volumes. The goal is to have your product ready within two weeks of the order, and if there are ever sudden changes in supply sizes, our downstream operations can be directly in contact with the client. We aim to offer a reliable service every time. That’s why we actively listen to feedback and are constantly developing new processing methods and equipment, as well as improving the sustainability of materials and methods used on our production lines.
We place high importance on quality assurance and, therefore, conduct several inspections throughout the assembly process to ensure safe and high-quality products.
WHY V.A.V. GROUP IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR YOU
Our guiding principle is to find the best solutions for each and every client, to ensure their competetive edge.
