Expert Gasket & Seal Customizes Solution to Combat Powdery Raw Material Spills
Handling raw materials is an integral part of the manufacturing industry, and poor handling can lead to safety and productivity concerns. So, when a welding rod manufacturer was experiencing toxic raw material spills throughout its warehouse, they turned to Expert Gasket & Seal.
While transporting totes of the material by forklift to vessels for production, powder-based raw material was leaking out. Due to its fine particle form, dusty, gritty, pumice-like material was being carried by foot and by equipment contaminating other parts of the building including offices and areas of the plant where “cleaner” manufacturing practices are required. This led to safety and housecleaning issues, as well as the loss of valuable product.
Solution
Working with the manufacturer’s maintenance and engineering teams, Expert Gasket & Seal designed a cone-shaped rubber boot out of 30 Durometer Silicone rubber to form a seal between the top of each metal tote and the production equipment, creating a positive seal and eliminating spillage.
Results
The silicone seal not only eliminated spills on the floor that migrated to other parts of the facility, but it also limited the amount of the toxic material in the atmosphere. Because the cone-shaped seals are durable and can be reused many times over, the savings in loss of material and cleaning costs alone easily offset the cost of the seals.