The Problem: A piston seal in a nail gun kept failing.
The Solution: We designed two different prototypes and both solved the problem.
Our exclusive ExpresSeal SystemSM allowed us to manufacture a precision custom seal in hours.
The phone call came on a Friday morning from a nail gun manufacturer. A piston seal used in the gun would disfigure and fail. As a result, the gun wasn’t driving the nails in all the way.
Sealing a piston with a unique groove
We faxed engineering drawings back and forth, detailing the specifics of the seal. The piston featured a unique groove which was very sensitive to the roundness of the O-ring. The slightest disfiguring of the O-ring would cause seal failure.
Part of the solution – a teardrop shaped cross section
We worked as a team over the weekend. Using our CAD system, we had the new design in no time – a teardrop shaped cross section which would give the O-ring a better structural ability to stay round. Utilizing our exclusive ExpresSeal SystemSM, which can manufacture precision custom engineered seals in hours, we had two working prototypes completed by Sunday morning.
Delivering two prototypes and going the extra mile
We boarded a plane and hand-delivered two prototypes the following Monday to the nail gun company. We even designed a custom shipping container to prevent the seals from disfiguring in transport. The first prototype was made of the same material as the original O-ring. However, we were not completely satisfied. Through our research we discovered another material that was even better suited to the high pressure of the piston. So we invested additional time and materials to offer an O-ring of a lubricated elastomer that will enhance the piston design. It was worth it.
One solution leads to another
After providing an initial order of more than 40,000 piston seals, we continued to work on additional aspects of the nail gun and additional projects. These included a seal for the gun's trigger mechanism, gas compression fittings for cylinders and seals for a variety of sensors. Using our CAD system, we had new designs in no time.
To create seal compression, the groove depth must be less than the seal cross section. To compensate for this compression, the groove width must be greater than the seal cross section. » Learn More
Nailing the culprit