THE GASKET FABRICATOR · 2012. 10. 30. · the Sales Line of Scrimmage.Ó In todayÕs competitive market, we can all use help selling our products. DonÕt allow your competition to

PAGE 1THE GASKET FABRICATORMARCH 2008

Volume 27 Number 1 MARCH 2008

THE GASKETFABRICATOR www.gasketfab.com

In This Issue President's MessageGary FellGary FellGary FellGary FellGary Fell

President's MessagePage 1

New AssociationMembersPage 2

Future MeetingSchedulePage 2

Company ProfilesPages 3 & 5

AdvertisementsPages 4, 12, & 15-16

Press ReleasesPages 6-7

Benchmarking ReportPage 7

Keeping MarketingTop of Your Mind

Page 8

Baggy Webs: MakingMeasurement andMitigation Thereof

Pages 9-11

Establishing andMaintaining Consistent

Gasket StressPages 13-14

As the Gasketing/Converting Expo ’08 getscloser, I am looking forward to this event for tworeasons. First, the Expo has been expanded this year.Both ISD and IADD will be cosponsoring the eventwith the GFA. I welcome their support and lookforward to meeting their members. Secondly, the eventwill be in Orlando and it will be warmer. I am sure thatmany of you share that feeling with me.

In the first months of 2008, we have experiencedseveral interesting events. The early political primarieshave significantly reduced the list of candidates in both

parties. The housing market has dropped to record lows and the financial marketsare dealing with the sub prime interest debacle. It will be an interesting year.

As we gather in Orlando, it will be an opportunity to hear more about Chinaat the panel discussion scheduled for Thursday morning. It will be an opportunityto speak with not only GFA members, but also ISD and IADD members about theeconomy and the impact it is having on our businesses. After three days, you shouldhave a very good understanding of what the year holds for us.

Earlier on Thursday, Chuck Connors has a sales presentation, “Winningthe Sales Line of Scrimmage.” In today’s competitive market, we can all use helpselling our products. Don’t allow your competition to gain market share becauseyou missed this learning opportunity.

There will also be an adhesive discussion on the types available and whichones may be best for your needs. They will cover the proper application techniquesto ensure a quality product going to your customers.

This will be my final meeting as President. The two years seem to haveevaporated. I have enjoyed the Presidency, especially the support you have givenme. This is a great organization and it has been rewarding for me to see it grow.We have seen many changes designed to make the GFA a better organization overthe past two years. Changes have been made to make the meeting times moreconvenient for our associate members, and changes have been made to the formatto get your views on the business world of which you are a part. In the future, wewill focus on “Green” and what steps we have taken or are taking to reduce ourcarbon footprint. At our last meeting, we heard from Doug Ginter on his move toa paperless office at E.G. Gasket & Supply, Inc. That is one of the Green initiativesaimed at conserving our natural resources. I see the future as challenging andexciting. I will continue as the Past President and as a resource for Clem Foley, ournext GFA President. Again, thank you all for the opportunity to serve as yourPresident.

PAGE 2 MARCH 2008THE GASKET FABRICATOR

Fabricators

Able Industrial Products, Inc.Ontario, CA

www.able123.com

Absolute Industrial Fabricators, Inc.Addison, IL

www.absolutefab.com

ESPE Manufacturing Co., Inc.Schiller Park, IL

www.espemfg.com

Melrath Gasket, Inc.Philadelphia, PA

www.melrath.com

Roettele Industries, Inc.Chino, CA

www.roetteleindustries.com

Web Seal, Inc.Rochester, NY

www.websealinc.com

Gasketing/Converting Expo ’08April 1-3, 2008Caribe RoyaleOrlando, FL

GFA FUTURE MEETINGGFA FUTURE MEETINGGFA FUTURE MEETINGGFA FUTURE MEETINGGFA FUTURE MEETINGSCHEDULESCHEDULESCHEDULESCHEDULESCHEDULE

NEW ASSOCIATIONNEW ASSOCIATIONNEW ASSOCIATIONNEW ASSOCIATIONNEW ASSOCIATIONMEMBERSMEMBERSMEMBERSMEMBERSMEMBERS

Suppliers

Archer Rubber LLCMilford, MA

www.archerrubber.com

Dielectric Polymers, Inc.Holyoke, MA

www.dipoly.com

Flow International CorporationKent, WA

www.flowcorp.com

Freeman Schwabe MachineryErlanger, KY

www.freemanschwabe.com

Pace Converting EquipmentCleveland, OH

www.pace-equipment.com

Rotoflex InternationalMississauga, ON

www.rotoflex.com

Fall 2008 Semi-Annual MeetingSeptember 23-25, 2008

Loews Ventana Canyon ResortTucson, AZ


COMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILES

Absolute Industrial Fabricators has evolved in 35years from being a focused high volume supplier ofelectrical insulators to the television and electrical apparatusmarkets to a fabricator of a myriad of flexible and rigid ofmaterials for a broad base of OEM industries.

Customers in the appliance, electrical controls,electronic assembly, food processing, gaming, safety andsecurity, and telecommunication markets, to name a few,look to AIF to provide unique solutions and componentsparts such as gaskets, electrical insulators, EMI/RFIshielding, sound absorbers, cushioning, and pressuresensitive adhesives.

AIF’s Addison, IL facility can die cut, stamp withhard tooling, laminate, slit, print, or heat form plastic, fibre,rubber, sponge and foam, or adhesive. In addition, ourrepresentatives attentively strive to support the design andinformational needs of engineering departments.

We are pleased to be part of the Gasket FabricatorsAssociation and welcome you to browse our website:www.absolutefab.com.

MACtac

MACtac® is a leading global supplier of pressuresensitive adhesives. Founded on personal service, technicalsupport, quality assurance, and custom capabilities, MACtacis dedicated to providing superior quality to our customers.

MACtac serves a number of market segments,including graphics, roll label, sheets, medical and technical.MACtac technical products are comprised of MACbond®double-coated film products for general purpose and highperformance bonding applications; MACmount® double-coated polyethylene foam tapes for mounting and bondingof irregular surfaces in general purpose and high-shearmounting applications; and MACfilm® acrylic-free filmsdesigned for bonding to low surface energy substrates aswell as a wide range of industry standard foams.

MACtac has served the gasket fabrication industry

since our company’s inception in 1959, providing a varietyof pressure-sensitive adhesive products specificallyengineered to bond with key gasket fabrication industrysubstrates. From compressed sheet, cork, sponges, plastic,rubber, urethane or PVC foams and more, MACtac offersa standard adhesive to suit nearly any bonding need.MACtac Technical works closely with converters andfabricators across many traditional markets, includingtransportation, industrial equipment, electronic, applianceand nameplate.

Headquartered in Stow, Ohio, MACtac servesNorth America, Europe, South America and Asia and hasmanufacturing and distribution facilities in 14 countriesworldwide. MACtac's international presence reflects theglobal strength and innovation of its parent, the BemisCompany, which is the largest flexible packaging supplierin North America. For more information, please visitwww.MACtac.com.

High Performance Rotary Die Cutting,Slitting and Rewinding

Winner of the 2007 Label Industry Award forContinuous Innovation, Rotoflex International is a worldleader in the research, development, manufacture, salesand service of high performance inspection, slitting,rewinding and die cutting machinery for the label, packagingand general converting industries. Its 35 year legacy ofinnovation includes several recent advancementsdeveloped for the gasket and foam converting industryincluding new servo driven rotary die cutting and converting.

The Rotoflex DLI eDrive rotary die cutting seriesis a line of robust, high production machines designed fora wide range of applica¬tions and material processingneeds including paper, adhesives, plastic films, foams, foilsand laminates. Rotoflex offers configurations capable ofprocessing web widths up to 24.25’’/610mm. Using thelatest in electronic web guiding technology, the web isprecisely positioned for ultimate die-cutting accuracy anddifferent rewind core size requirements are easilyaccommodated by the quick-change interchangeable

Continued on Page 5...



COMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILESCOMPANY PROFILES

Visit us online at:www.gasketfab.com

rewind shaft design. With an emphasis on maintainingweb control through starts, stops and speed changes,Rotoflex integrates the latest in die station designdevelopments to improve quality and performance.

Rotoflex die cutters can be operated through atouch-screen interface providing complete operatorcontrol and critical function feedback. Operators canreduce set-up times and maintain consistent productionand quality control by calling up previous setup detailsfrom its recipe files. Designed for high accuracy diecutting, slitting and rewinding; these machines providehigh through-put and low operating costs.

Rotoflex offers many accessories/optionsincluding dual die station, sheeter/conveyor and laminationstation based on application requirements.

For more detailed product information includinga customer profile on a highly successful GFA memberutilizing Rotoflex technology, visit www.rotoflex.comand sign-up for Rotoflex updates (check GFA memberbox).

Kevin Gourlay, Sales Manager (International)Tel: 905-670-8700; [email protected]

John Paetkau, Regional Sales ExecutiveTel: 905-670-8700; [email protected]

ROTOFLEX INTERNATIONALContinued from page 3...

Flow International Corporation is the world leaderin the development and manufacture of ultrahigh-pressure(UHP) waterjet technology. Flow provides technologicallyadvanced, environmentally-sound solutions to themanufacturing and industrial cleaning markets.

Since 1974, Flow has delivered more than 8,500waterjet and abrasive waterjet systems to customers inmore than 45 countries. With nearly 60% worldwidemarket share, Flow has proven to be the industry leader.The company offers solutions to a wide range of customersin such diverse areas as aerospace, automotive, job andmachine shops, gaskets, paper, food, art and architecture,industrial cleaning, food processing and other specialty

FLOW INTERNATIONALCORPORATION

The WaterKnife pure water cutting head is idealfor cutting soft materials such as rubber, thin

plastics, foam, cardboard, cork, cloth,insulation, gaskets and more.

applications. Flow's global preeminence can be attributedto its focus on key areas including technology leadership,providing total systems solutions, new product developmentthrough extensive research and development, and anunrelenting focus on customer success through systemreliability and worldwide technical support from the largestservice team focused on waterjet and ultrahigh-pressuretechnology in the world.

Today, UHP waterjet technology is used to cutand machine a wide range of materials for a variety ofindustries. Everything from aluminum for boats, tocomposites for sporting goods, to fabric and plastics usedfor automotive interiors, and even granite for kitchencountertops is cut with the waterjet. The hair-thin streamof water pressurized up to 87,000 psi can quickly cutgaskets, foams, plastics and thin rubber. Starting at lessthan $70,000, Flow offers a wide range of cutting systemsto meet virtually any need.


PRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESRECYCLING TECHNOLOGY

LEADER TAKES A NEW NAME,BROADER FOCUS

Dodge-Regupol Becomes ECORE InternationalNorth America’s largest user of recycled tire

rubber goes globalDodge-Regupol announced that the privately held

business with roots that date back to the mid-1800s hastaken a new name – ECORE International, and hasbroadened its strategic and geographic focus.

The company has operated as Dodge-Regupolsince 1989, and prior to that as the Dodge Cork Company.As North America’s largest user of scrap tire rubber, theorganization has made a thriving business out of findingcreative ways to reduce, reuse and recycle. It manufacturesinnovatively designed cork, cork/rubber and recycledrubber products, which had primarily been distributed inthe United States.

With a new name, and growing global appetite forproducts that are environmentally friendly, ECORE hasits eyes set on expanding its leadership as a provider ofsustainable materials and systems for global markets.“We recognize that sustainable products and processesform the core of what we already do,” said ECOREPresident and CEO Arthur Dodge III, whose great, greatgrandfather founded the Dodge Cork Company morethan 100 years ago.

“Our vision is to build an organization of talentedindividuals who share a common passion for protectingand preserving this planet and a passion for success in themarketplace of sustainable products and services. Ourvision is also about finding solutions and developing systemsand standards on the cutting-edge of sustainability. Theseideas are not alien to who we are today. This company isalready regarded as a pioneer in developing innovativerecycled products and systems,” said Dodge.

Dodge-Regupol was formed 18 years ago througha partnership between the Dodge Cork Company and theGermany-based Berleburger Schaumstoffwerk GMBH(BSW). The companies mutually agreed to conclude theirjoint venture last November as a way to enable bothorganizations to purse distinct business strategies andaccelerate growth. According to Dodge, ECORE willcontinue to operate in Lancaster, Pa., and retain ownershipof all its brands and operating units.

VENTURE TAPE CORP.ACQUIRED BY 3M

Venture Tape Corp., a worldwide manufacturerof specialty tapes based in Rockland, MA, has beenacquired by 3M Corp., which manufactures Scotch tapeand Post-it notes.

“We see tremendous opportunities to continue tobuild our business by drawing on the strength of 3M’sresources and technical capabilities,” said Lew Cohen,president of Venture Tape Corp. “Our customers willcontinue to receive the same quality products and serviceVenture Tape has always provided them.”

Venture Tape manufactures a broad range oftapes used in construction, oil and gas, HVAC, electronics,aerospace, marine and appliance markets. It also providesspecialty industrial tapes for splicing, automotive andautomotive aftermarket applications.

PETRONE NAMEDNATIONAL SALES MANAGER

FOR VENTURE TAPEAndrew Petrone has been named national sales

manager of jacketing systems for Venture Tape Corpora-tion, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty tapes. In hisnew position, Petrone will manage the sales and marketingof VentureClad™ jacketing systems nationally.

Petrone received his undergraduate degree inbusiness from Louisiana State University. He has workedat Venture Tape since 2004 as a sales manager forspecialty products in the Insulation Sales Group.

Visit us online at:www.gasketfab.com


PRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESPRESS RELEASESBENCHMARKINGBENCHMARKINGBENCHMARKINGBENCHMARKINGBENCHMARKING

REPORTREPORTREPORTREPORTREPORTBelow are the results from the Benchmarking

Survey, which was undertaken to give GFA membersa thumbnail sketch of how other members are fairingat this time.

We had 42 out of 77 Fabricator responses.

1. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared toPrevious Quarter

UP DOWN SAME19 11 1245% 26% 29%

2. Current Quarter Sales ProjectionCompared to Last Quarter

UP DOWN SAME20 14 848% 33% 19%

We had 25 out of 59 Supplier responses.

1. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared toPrevious Quarter

UP DOWN SAME13 4 852% 16% 32%

2. Current Quarter Sales ProjectionCompared to Last Quarter

UP DOWN SAME10 13 240% 52% 8%

1410R EPT SEALER WITH BUTYLADHESIVE FROM

JACOBS & THOMPSON MEETSTSK6505G-2A2

Independent testing confirms that the EPTSEALER with Butyl Adhesive supplied by Jacobs &Thompson meets all requirements set out in the ToyotaStandard TSK6505G-2A2. This super soft, extremelycomfortable, closed cell product with acrylic PSA andButyl Adhesive is now available at Jacobs & Thompson.

Found in 1955 and headquartered in Toronto,Jacobs & Thompson Inc. is one of the largest foamconverters in North America, serving the automotive,appliance, window and door, and general manufacturingsectors. For more information, visit www.foamparts.ca.

VENTURE TAPE DEBUTS NEW COLD WEATHER

METAL BUILDINGINSULATION TAPE

New Tape Has High Perm RatingVenture Tape Corp. has introduced Venture

Tape 1567CW®, a cold weather insulation tape designedto match metal building insulation facing VRR-50 made byAlpha Associates. VRR-50 is a white, polypropylene,scrim and metalized polyester film. Venture Tape1567CW® is primarily used as a closure system and vaporseal on metal building insulation.

Venture Tape 1567CW® has a permeability rat-ing of .02 (to ASTM E-96), making it ideal for use insituations in which condensation is a concern, such asstorage or food processing plants. Coated with VentureTape’s special cold-weather acrylic adhesive, VentureTape 1567CW® can be installed in temperatures as low as–10°F.

“This product is designed to work well with VRR-50 facing, which meets UL 723 for flame and smokeresistance,” says Ed Sore, manager of insulation productsfor Venture Tape. “Both facing and tape have superiortensile strength and are mold resistant, which is criticalwhen used in metal buildings with dampness.”

Venture Tape 1567CW® provides superior quickstick at normal temps, excellent long-term aging, and isavailable in 3” X 50 yards. It is also available in otherwidths. For more information or product samples, contactEd Sore, Venture Tape at 800 343-1076 or visit thecompany’s web site at venturetape.com.


NEWSLETTER

The Gasket Fabricator is published by the Gasket FabricatorsAssociation and distributed to all members and prospectivemembers of GFA.

President ................................................................Gary FellVice President ...............................................................Clem FoleyExecutive Director................................................. Robert H. EckerAdministrative Director/Newsletter Editor................. Peter LanceCommunications Committee Chair.....................Chris Brand

Members are encouraged to contribute articles and items ofinterest to the Gasket Fabricator. All contributions shouldbe addressed to: Executive Director, GFA, 994 Old Eagle SchoolRoad, Suite 1019, Wayne, PA 19087-1866, Phone (610) 971-4850, Fax (610) 971-4859, Home Page: www.gasketfab.com,E-mail: [email protected].

Articles appearing in this publication may not be reproducedwithout written consent from the Association. Articlesappearing in the Gasket Fabricator are the views of theauthors and not necessarily those of the Association.

© Copyright 2008 Gasket Fabricators Association

If you want to be “top of mind” with prospects andcustomers, then you must keep marketing top of yourmind. If you’re not thinking marketing, then you’re notdoing marketing—and neither is your team. Here are afew ways to keep marketing active and on everyone’smind:

1. Share your marketing strategy with yourentire team. Yes, even the guy in Shipping and Receivingneeds to know about your marketing. Talk about yourmarketing goals, plans, successes and failures. Share yourads, brochures, and website updates. Keep everyoneinformed of what you’re doing to grow your business.You’ll improve both your marketing and morale.

2. Demonstrate that marketing is a toppriority for you and the company. Show that it’s alwayson your mind and to-do list. Show that you are not afraidto spend money where it is necessary to make the rightimpressions and create the right perceptions. Develop asense of purpose and urgency about it.

3. Train every employee on the basics ofmarketing, their marketing role, and the impact they haveon the company’s ability to keep and maintain marketingmomentum. (I love a story that Zig Ziglar tells abouttraining. A man asked Zig, “What if I spend all of this timeand money to train them and they leave?” Zig’s answer:“What if you don’t train them and they stay?”)

4. Get employees excited about marketing.Make it a regular topic of discussion in weekly or monthlystaff meetings. Celebrate successes large and small (e.g.compliment from a customer, new inquiry, revived account).Create incentives and reward programs to get everyoneon board in making marketing happen.

5. Establish a marketing champion tocoordinate and oversee your marketing initiatives.You need a point person other than you to make suremarketing gets done and that everything works together.

6. Establish a marketing committeecomprised of individuals of all levels anddepartments. You need ideas and perspectives fromevery part of the company. You’ll also send the messagethat marketing is everybody’s business (and it is).

7. Post signs around the workplace such as,“How can we make a great impression today?” or “Thecustomer wants to know What’s in it for me? Are youtelling him?

8. Make it routine to ask big questions like,What is the marketing opportunity here? What does thatmean for the customer? Does this send the right messageto the customer? How can we turn this “nothing special”event into something great and memorable?

9. Hold team members accountable to yourestablished marketing standards and systems. Thisis critically important! If you want to grow your business,you cannot let anyone slide in their responsibilities.Marketing must be as important, routine, and natural asissuing invoices and making payroll. It’s that important.

10. Take action every day. Make that phonecall you’ve been meaning to make. Write a note to aprospect. Read an article. Attend a workshop. Remember,the more you do it, the better the results. The better youget at it, the easier it gets.

Lauron Sonnier is the author of 365 Ways to Stir the Potand Put Marketing Into Action, a daily marketing guide.To learn more about her book and marketing trainingprograms, visit www.sonniermarketing.com or [email protected].

KEEPING MARKETING TOP OF YOUR MINDKEEPING MARKETING TOP OF YOUR MINDKEEPING MARKETING TOP OF YOUR MINDKEEPING MARKETING TOP OF YOUR MINDKEEPING MARKETING TOP OF YOUR MINDBy: Lauron Sonnier


BAGGY WEBS: MAKING MEASUREMENTBAGGY WEBS: MAKING MEASUREMENTBAGGY WEBS: MAKING MEASUREMENTBAGGY WEBS: MAKING MEASUREMENTBAGGY WEBS: MAKING MEASUREMENTAND MITIGATION THEREOFAND MITIGATION THEREOFAND MITIGATION THEREOFAND MITIGATION THEREOFAND MITIGATION THEREOF

By: Dr. David R. Roisum, Finishing Technologies, Inc.The following is part two of a two-part article. Part one appeared in the December 2007 issue.

DETECTION AND MEASUREMENTOF BAGGINESS

The most important tool for bagginess detection is,for better or worse, your eye. A strain difference of as littleas 1/10,000 will be readily visible on thin stiff materials.What you will observe is that baggy edges will appear asruffles, a baggy lane as stitches oriented in the MD andbaggy patches as, well, bulging patches. The reason theweb does not lay dead flat, just as with wrinkling, is that ithas buckled in compression to accommodate the extralength. The only structural difference between wrinklingand bagginess is that while wrinkling is induced by externalforces, bagginess is induced by internal residual stresses.

The safest read of the web is made when it isremoved from the machine. Bright low angle lighting helpsto bring out the hills and valleys. Near the machine, the webmight be laid out on a flat aisleway and observed againsta flashlight pointed in the MD. Better yet, many willconstruct light inspection booths to provide a dead flatsurface and where ambient lighting is blocked on all butone side, the observing side.

Controllable back and/or side lighting aids forbagginess detection while lighting underneath and overheadis used for other web quality control inspection. Whilevisual inspection is usually nonquantitative, one can turn itinto a measurement. One merely needs to count thenumber of ‘ruffles’ in a given span.

The severity is the sum of their heights over somestandard length. This could, in principle, be converted intoa strain by assuming the ruffles assume a half-sine shapeand calculating the extra length of sine of that wavelengthand amplitude over the standard span length. In practice,however, we don’t know what thestrain of the neighboring material is. Web flatness can bemeasured by both contacting (LVDT) and noncontacting(laser) sensors. However, these measurements have notenjoyed wide application outside of the metals industries.

Bagginess can also be observed in a machine, butwith much less sensitivity. One problem is that web line

tension can pull bagginess out of compression. Withoutlocal compression, there is no buckling and thus lack offlatness to observe. Another problem is that the rollermisalignment will cause a tipping of the stress distributio.Thus, crooked rollers will make the web appear to bebaggy on one side. It is possible to quantify in-machinebagginess by measuring the sag difference across thewidth (e.g., ends versus center) in a long span.

However, this technique only works well whenthe sag difference is extraordinarily high, such as might beon the baggy edges of creped tissue paper. Another insitutechnique is to feel the web’s tautness with your fingertips.Again, this technique is adequately sensitive only in somesituations, is accessible only in some situations and maycreate a threat to safety in others.

We can make use of the fact that line tension willremove compression from the web to construct a benchtester of bagginess. This tester is similar to a giant tensiletester. A web specimen is fixed along one edge of its lengthon a large table. The other edge is also clamped, but thisgrip is moveable, such as with a hand-cranked windlass.The load on one of the grips is measured, perhaps by aspring scale that provides a helpful compliance. The loadto flatten the web, which can be converted to strain viaHooke’s Law, is a fundamental measure of bagginess.

This load is also a good performance predictor. Ifthe load to flatten is greater than the anticipated runningtension, the web will be puckered and may not passtrouble-free through nips. If, on the other hand, the load toflatten is less than the running tension, the baggy webshould run flat and probably trouble-free. This technique,while simple quantitative and fundamental, does havesome limitations.

First, the test technician must judge when the webis flat in the testing fixture. Some may look for dead flateverywhere, while others may allow a few stubborn buttiny puckers at their decision threshold. Second, thetechnique does not work as well with stiff webs thatmay break before they are flattened.



Another lab test technique is the bow or fold test.The web is laid as flat as possible on a flat surface. Theseverity of bagginess is measured as the bow on the insideedge of the test specimen over a standard length.Alternatively, the web can be folded down the middle andhalf of the difference between the position of the edges isthe same measure. These measures are also fundamentaland can be converted to strains by first calculating theradius of curvature.

1) r = l2 / (8b)Next, the radius of curvature is converted to strain.2) ex = w / (2r)and finally to stress through Hooke’s Law.3) Sx = Exex

While the bow and fold methods are simple andamong the most common of the quantitative techniques,they do have shortcomings. The most serious is that theyonly accurately measure the case of pure camber wherestresses vary linearly from one side to the other. In anyother situation, the measurements underpredict thebagginess. Indeed, with symmetrical distributions of stress,such as with baggy edges, the measurement shows nobagginess as the edges are straight (in one plane, butruffled in the other). Also, any method where the operatortouches the specimen, such as flattening the web by hand,is subject to additional uncertainty.

A very sensitive method for measuring MD straindifferences across the width is the strip technique. TwoCD lines are very carefully marked using a square to thecut edge at stations perhaps a dozen meters apart. Then,several MD lines are marked by snapping a chalk linewhich are used as guides to cut the web into strips a fewcentimeters wide. After cutting, the strips are pulled toalign one end using the square line. The difference in thelength as measured on the other square line is the straindifference. The strip test clearly shows that the baggy laneis ‘longer’ that the rest of the web once it is freed from itsneighbors which hold it back.

The strip technique is quite sensitive if either thegage length is long, or magnifying techniques are used sothat resolution can reach the parts per 10,000 necessaryfor some applications. It may also have the widest range

of application since most materials can be measured thisway. Problematic exceptions include creped tissue oruncured rubber that are easily distorted and hard to handle.

However, the strip test is extraordinarily tedious,most especially the cutting step. While it is possible to usea winder to cut the strips, the squareline may be hard tomake there. Thus, the strip technique is best used forspecial troubleshooting or qualifying of materials ratherthan for regular quality control.

In an ideal world, quality control measurementswould be made online, rather than in the lab. This wouldallow quick feedback so that actions or corrections couldbe made. We have but three choices: flatness that wasdescribed earlier, stress or strain. Since there are no onlineabsolute strain sensors I am aware of, we are left withmeasurements of stress or tension. To be useful, however,the sensor must meet many criteria.

First, it must be ‘mill duty’, meaning simple andrugged enough for the manufacturing environment. Second,it must be affordable as compared with the costs of therejected material. Third, it must be sensitive to tension,perhaps resolving to less than 10% of the lightest runningtension. Fourth, it must have minimal cross sensitivity, suchas to temperature or CD tension or edges. Finally, it musthave a spatial resolution of a fraction of the web’s width,perhaps less than 10%.

Conventional load cells, for example, meet all butthe last criterion and thus are not so useful for tensionprofiling across the width. Unfortunately, the sensors thatdo profile seldom meet the other criteria and all seem to befraught with one difficulty or another.

For example, while handheld meters have longbeen used to check paper machine wire tensions and otherapplications, they often lack resolution or repeatability.Most have a cross sensitivity to CD tensions or web edgeeffects. Some are based on sound, excuse the pun,principles of time of flight of ultrasonic pulses, but areexceedingly complex. Others that are mill duty and sensitiveare not suitable for those working within a budget. Thus,the world still awaits an affordable, flexible and trustworthytension-profiling sensor to troubleshoot bagginess andother web quality issues.


Continued from page 9...



CAUSES FOR BAGGINESS

The causes for bagginess are myriad. In general, theymight be categorized as either uneven formation/processing,or brutish handling. The first web handling cause we willinvestigate is the misaligned roller. A misaligned roller tilts thenominally even tension distribution so that one side is tighterthan another. If that side is taken beyond the yield point, thetension distribution will have a slack edge. The middle of a webmight be stretched intoyield if it is pulled over an excessivelybowed roller or bent pipe spreader.

However, it is much more common for the web to bemade baggy than pulled into bagginess by handling. A commonexample is basis weight or caliper variations that can accumulateinto ridges on a winding roll. These ridges will stretch that laneinto bagginess if the ratio of the diameter difference over thediameter is greater than the yield strain of the material.

For example, if paper readily yielded or creeped at a1% strain, then a diameter difference of 1 centimeter on a 1meter diameter roll would be guaranteed to stretch the web atthe high spot, no matter how tightly or loosely the roll waswound. However, the basis weight does not need to be heavyin lanes to cause bagginess, one nonwoven converter I workedwith found that their baggy patches after hot calendering weredue to locally heavy basis weight patches on the raw material.

Obviously, forming elements such as slice lips, dies,wires and nips demand special attention. Sometimes the levelof attention required to level the web is much greater than aplant might be accustomed to. Other things to be very carefulabout are variations in temperature, moisture, solvent, andcoating thickness.

Troubleshooting the source of bagginess can be difficultfor many reasons as was discussed earlier. Nonetheless, thereare two vital tools. The first is to note that the source ofbagginess can only be an element that has the ability topermanently deform the web. This obviously includes anyforming element, but seldom does it include conventional webhandling elements such as idler rollers, spreaders and evenwinding with the exception of the gage band. Thus, on a largemachine with a hundred rollers and elements touching the web,perhaps only ten are capable of web distortion. The secondtool, the shape tool, screens this list even further. Thus, baggyedges can only be caused by an element that has a smile or

frown shaped profile. The very much-shortened list ofpossibilities that survives both of these tests is all thatneed be investigated more seriously.

FIXING OR LIVING WITH ABAGGY WEB

The ideal way to deal with a problem is toprevent it from happening in the first place. Thus,troubleshooting the element that causes the bagginessshould be given priority, even though it may not beeasy. You will know when you have the right answerwhen you can touch the spot on the particularelement that is causing the bagginess, and most tellingly,make it come and go at will. Barring that, you may tryto fix the bagginess after it has been created.Unfortunately, this involves careful and uniform yieldingof the material. Yielding can damage the web evenmore easily than it can fix it, especially if it is not donecarefully and uniformly. Besides, this is not an optionfor many materials.

If you can’t prevent or fix the bagginess, youmust live with it. The first tactic is to adjust tensions,usually upward, in an attempt to make the system moreforgiving. Second, you should eliminate every nip thatis not absolutely required, and consider aggressivespreading upstream of those that remain.The final tactic is to salvage the web by slitting it intonarrower widths. Indeed, the baggy lane is not‘defective’ unless accompanied by a tighter lane andvice versa.

The baggy web is for many reasons, as wehave seen, a very challenging web manufacturing andconverting problem. It can be a most perplexing,formidable and tenaciously difficult problem. In somecases, the most effective treatment for baggy webswill be to pray that these troubles never visit your plant.





ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESS

By: Larry Pyle, LFPtechnologiesBACKGROUND:

Establishing and maintaining proper clamp loadis the key to the success of any gasket. Preventing liquidor gas leaks is one on the most important and mostdifficult jobs faced by bolted joints. It is a difficult job fortwo reasons. The requirement that a joint be liquid or gastight means that it must be assembled and tightened withan extra measure of knowledge. Liquid or gas jointsusually contain a gasket of some sort, and this alwaysadds major uncertainties to the behavior of the joint.Incidentally, there is no such thing as a truly leak-freegaseous joint. They all leak to some degree but the bestones leak so slowly that it doesn’t matter and/or are sodifficult to detect. On the other hand, liquid-containingjoints can be leak free.

A joint leaks when the material being containedescapes through pores or gaps in the gasket, or escapesaround the gasket. The gaps or pores are what allow thegasket material to compress without excessive change inshape. Persistent leaks through a gasket can often bereduced by a change in gasket material or type. Sometimesit helps to coat the gasket with compounds that soak inhelp to reduce the size of the pores. Soaking a gasket inwater or mineral oil can reduce nitrogen leaks, forexample.

Eliminating leaks around the gasket is a moredifficult job. It is not just a question of eliminating majoropenings or gaps between the gasket and flange surfaces.Instead we must maintain sufficient contact pressure,usually called gasket stress, between the flange andgasket surfaces and this stress must be maintained asbolts or gaskets relax, and as the temperature andpressure of the contained fluid or gas change.

Tightening the bolts or studs that hold the jointtogether generates the contact pressure. Nonuniformtightening can distort the joint members and/or the gasket,opening leak paths.

CLAMP LOAD DETERMINATION:Many methods are used to establish the initial

clamping force on the gasket. Some are simply determinedand others as a result of much research.

Torque Formula Method: T = µFd (torque =coeff. of friction x force x bolt diameter)

(Values for µ of 0.16 for lubricated threads and 0.2 fordry thread is commonly used)

Friction is the great variable in this determination.The coefficient of friction is very difficult to control andvirtually impossible to predict. There are 30 or 40 variablesthat affect the friction seen in a threaded fastener. Theseinclude such things as:• Hardness of the parts• Surface finishes• Types of material• Thickness, condition, and type of plating, if present• Type, amount, condition, method of application,

contamination, and temperature of any lubricantsinvolved.

• Speed with which the fastener is tightened• Thread fit• Hole clearance• Surface pressures

Torque Table Method: Torque and hardness forvarious grades of fasteners. The clamp values are in lbs,the dry and lub are in ft-lbs.

size grade 5 grade 8clamp dry lub clamp dry lub

1/4-20 2000 8 6 2850 12 91/4-28 2300 10 7.5 3250 14 105/16-18 2250 17 13 4700 25 185/16-24 3700 19 14 5200 25 203/8-16 4950 30 23 7000 45 353/8-24 5600 35 25 7900 50 357/16-14 6800 50 35 9550 70 557/16-20 7600 55 40 10650 80 601/2-13 9000 75 55 12750 110 801/2-20 10250 90 65 14375 120 909/16-12 11600 110 80 16375 150 1109/16-18 13000 120 90 18250 170 1305/8-11 14400 150 110 20350 220 1705/8-18 16375 180 130 23000 240 1803/4-10 21300 260 200 30100 380 2803/4-16 23800 300 220 33500 420 320

The clamp values are in in-lbs, the dry and lub are in ft-lbs.



Torque-to-Yield Method: Since friction is thelargest variable that affects the torque tension relationship,alternative methods were developed to ensure that theaffect of friction was minimized and that tension in thefasteners are predictable and consistent. It was determinedthat the metallurgy of the fasteners can be tightly controlledso that they yield, or permanently deform as very preciseelongations with very predictable force. Thus, the Torque-to-Yield method has been utilized extensively, particularlyby OEMs. Sophisticated equipment has been developed toapply this technique. The graph below illustrates a typicalresult, a tight control of clamp load and elongation (stretch).

ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGESTABLISHING AND MAINTAININGCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESSCONSISTENT GASKET STRESS


Torque-Turn Method: Another method that usesa similar principal is called the Torque-Turn method.Again, it assumes that the bolt properties are carefullycontrolled by metallurgy. The method consists of applyinga fractional portion of the final torque to each fastener andthen rotating the application tool through a fixed angle orangles. This method is also useful in overcoming a lot ofproduction related problems: blind holes, incomplete tappedholes; crossed threads, soft parts, chips, etc. Measuringboth torque and turn makes it possible to spot problems ofthis sort. In one technique, an electronically controlled airtool will produce first a preset torque, then a preset turn ofthe fastener. The control system will examine the finaltorque required to produce the final turn. If everything iscorrect, the torque and turn values will fall somewherewithin an acceptable “window” as illustrated in the follow-ing figure.

This is a torque-angle curve. (1) represents theinitial torque, (2) the angle and box (3) the acceptable rangeof both parameters.

This method also lends itself very well when itcomes to field or repair shop use. With a simple torquewrench and closely watching the angle of turn, a fieldtechnician can accomplish the same degree of control ofbolt load.

If you have technical questions you would like to see answered in future issues, please send them by e-mail to [email protected].



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