How Do Reinforced Inflatable Seals Work?

March 20, 2018

Since 1974, Seal Master has been the leader in product development and engineering advances in the realm of reinforced inflatable seals. The firm’s products have been featured in countless applications such as industrial, environmental, military uses.

 

But what exactly is an inflatable seal? And what does it do?

 

In countless high-tech applications, there are times when consistent, constant pressure needs to be introduced in order to push, lift, squeeze, stop, hold, or seal materials.

 

This is where an inflatable seal comes in. An inflatable seal is a fabric-reinforced elastomeric tube molded in a concave, convoluted, or flat configuration. The inflatable seal is designed to round out and work in tandem with the introduction of an inflation medium to form a tight barrier between a mounting and striking surface.

 

Upon the introduction of an inflation medium, the inflatable seal (most commonly inflated with air) then quickly expands to the striking surface and thereby affecting a positive seal. And once the inflation medium is removed, the seal retracts to its natural deflated molded configuration.

 

Reinforced inflatable seals provide several advantages over other sealing methods such as providing a leak-proof closure (that also allows clearance when needed), simplifies the design of the structure and hardware, and it is not subject to compression set.

 

To learn more about our reinforced inflatable seals, please do not hesitate to contact the Seal Master team.