Tag Archives: Trelleborg Sealing Solutions

Trelleborg establishes India R&D hub to tailor solutions to local market

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, , , , , ,

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions has inaugurated a new R&D facility in Bangalore, India, as it looks to foster a hub for innovation, focusing on research tailored to meet the specific needs of the regional market.

Expanding Trelleborg’s presence in the region, the facility strengthens partnerships with local industries while enhancing responsiveness and competence in the dynamic market landscape in Asia-Pacific, the company says. It focuses on a range of advanced sealing technologies, including both material and design innovations. Teams of researchers and engineers will work on developing new solutions that address sector-specific challenges faced by various industries including hydraulics, off-highway and industrial automation.

Dr Konrad Saur, VP Innovation & Strategic Business Development with Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: “This R&D facility is our second in Asia and our first in India and it significantly enhances our local capabilities. Our R&D centres are essential in driving material and product development, ensuring the performance excellence of our solutions across diverse applications. We’ve always prioritised substantial investments in R&D to meet the dynamic demands of the industry.

“The facility is part of our strategic approach to get closer to our customers and foster stronger partnerships in the Asia Pacific region and specifically in India. It is configured to meet both global and local needs, particularly in material testing, materials application conditions and media compatibility. This will enable us to effectively address the stringent regulatory compliance and material compatibility requirements that industries are increasingly adhering to.

“We are committed to driving innovation and look forward to forging even stronger partnerships with our customers to help them achieve their goals with our advanced sealing solutions.”

Initially the R&D centre will focus on analysing the physical characteristics like tensile strength, elongation, modulus and tear strength of elastomer compounds, in addition to compatibility of high-performance materials with critical application fluids. Equipment includes ageing ovens to conduct compatibility studies in air and fluid media which allows Trelleborg to examine the compatibility of materials with customer-specific fluids, whether locally procured or sourced from global labs.

Future plans include incorporating additional capabilities like analytical testing, benchmark analysis and product testing. It will also support local sales and manufacturing teams during failure analysis or with customer feedback, enhancing the company’s ability to serve customers and improve products, Trelleborg says. The additional capabilities supplement existing local engineering, simulation and design competence.

Ranjan Sen, Managing Director Industrial Asia Pacific, says: “This reflects our dedication to building robust relationships with local companies and industries. We’re focused on delivering tailored, high-quality solutions that meet the specific needs of the Indian market, including the demand for durable solutions with long lifetimes. Our aim is to be a trusted partner and a key contributor to the growth and success of our customers in India.

“With the new R&D centre, we can partner on early development with customers and validate the designs. It enhances our ability to provide customers and partners with a more personalised and responsive approach to their needs, making us better equipped to collaborate closely with our customers and meet their unique challenges by delivering tailored solutions.”

The investment demonstrates Trelleborg’s strong commitment to the Indian market, bringing advanced research capabilities closer to customers to enable quicker and better support.

Salome Martin, Director R&D Services India, says: “This is a big step forward by Trelleborg in the Asia region. The development is carried out in a structured manner understanding the current needs of our customers and developing capabilities, solutions and technical expertise accordingly.

“The Indian market is different and having a local presence enables this centre to focus on the needs of our customers and collaborate with them to meet their growth aspirations.”

Trelleborg to provide a ‘step change in composite bearings’ with Orkot C620

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, , ,

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions says it is pushing the boundaries of composite technology with the launch of Orkot® C620, an innovative ultra-low friction bearing material with five times the compressive strength of other Orkot materials for off-highway applications.

A high-specification thermoset composite, Orkot C620 meets the requirements of the most demanding high-load applications across all market sectors, including off-highway, Trelleborg says. Though strong and light, it withstands high loads and stresses over a long service life.

Mark Hampton, Product and Innovations Manager, says: “Orkot C620’s optimised properties provide customers with a step change in composite bearings, offering a unique combination of ultra-low friction and a compressive strength of 470 MPa, five times the strength of standard Orkot materials. It is both stronger and has better friction characteristics than competitor composite materials, and can even challenge many metallic bearings for strength, offering industries such as aerospace the lighter, lower-friction solutions they increasingly demand.

“Featuring a strong glass fibre backing with a low-friction Orkot lining, it builds upon regular Orkot composite formulations with a unique compound where the properties of the different layers increase load capacity and strength. It does this without compromising weight while reducing friction and eliminating maintenance to maximise efficiency and service life.”

Because of its unique characteristics, Orkot C620 is an attractive solution for the demanding high-load applications of off-highway equipment like excavators, Trelleborg says. It withstands high loads in boom pivots when excavating large volumes of material. Its low stick-slip means that hydraulic cylinder pivots bearing heavy and valuable loads can be more efficient and operate more smoothly, while its durability extends the service life of track rollers and undercarriages in dynamic applications by reducing wear.

In bucket linkages it resists impacts of up to 200 KJ/sq.m, demonstrating resilience in applications that experience shocks and vibration, the company says. Orkot C620 wear rings in hydraulic cylinder rod guides reduce stick-slip to manage an excavator’s sharp and repetitive movements.

Orkot C620 has been extensively tested for its mechanical properties, thermal expansion and fluid compatibility, and meets standards including AS 9100, ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, Trelleborg says.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions offers up new digital manufacturing process for LSR parts

Equipment maintenance, Mining consumables, Mining equipment, Mining services, , ,

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions says it is supporting manufacturers with iCast™ LSR, a new fast and flexible digital manufacturing process for product development and small batch production of Liquid Silicone Rubber (LSR) parts.

Trelleborg’s iCast LSR process, the company says, offers a cost-effective way for manufacturers to develop product variations or try out different design concepts before investing in serial production tools. In addition, the process enables the start of pre-series and series production with small batches, to close the gap between low and high-volume production.

Felix Schädler, Project Manager Innovation & Technology at Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, says: “iCast LSR is an adaptable five-step modular process that utilises digitisation and new manufacturing techniques. It can dramatically cut concept to production time for prototypes from several weeks to a few days for the average part. This helps manufacturers meet the pressures of rapidly moving markets that are demanding faster new product introductions, improvements, and advancements.”

The Trelleborg iCast LSR process starts with the submission of 3D part data and order details. A feasibility study based on artificial intelligence is triggered to confirm if the iCast LSR process is suitable for production of the part. Upon completion of the feasibility study, the part design is analysed, and the individual digital mold layout is created based on 3D data. If necessary, this undergoes mold flow simulation. In a virtual environment, this process identifies the optimum production process for the use of additive manufacturing technologies in order to achieve the best possible quality.

With iCast LSR technology, quick and multiple design iterations of components in standard industrial grade two-component platinum-cured LSR can be made, the company said. These demonstrate the properties and quality levels of high-volume injection molded parts. Currently suitable for production of one to 2,500 parts, Trelleborg’s iCast manufacturing process can be used to produce a wide range of 2D and 3D LSR components including O-Rings, profile seals, diaphragms and custom-molded parts.