Seals and components from Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies for safety technology

PLYMOUTH, Mich., May 13, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- During a run, firefighters must be prepared for every possible emergency. Their respiratory equipment must be able to handle everything – from smoke and heat to hazardous materials and freezing cold – without fail.

Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies (Freudenberg-NOK) develops materials that stand up to the toughest requirements in the safety field. These materials range from silicone, polyurethane and thermoplastics, to multicomponent parts, such as rubber-metal or rubber-plastic solutions and uniquely engineered elastomers. 

Whether being exposed to excessive heat, caustic, dangerous compounds or wind and cold, Freudenberg-NOK materials keep emergency gear and respirators reliable, safe and functional in extreme environments. The company's material expertise and market diversification allow it to develop uniquely engineered solutions from more than 1,700 custom formulas and 850 raw materials. In the process, the focus is on standardized as well as customer-specific seals, molded parts and assemblies.

"When it comes to respirators and safety equipment for emergency workers, you can't have a failure," said Jeff Kruwell, senior global segment director, Equipment Manufacturing, Freudenberg-NOK. "Our technicians and scientists understand that lives are at stake with every product decision they make. Our core competence in material technologies ensuers that we offer the right solutions to customers' challenges the first time and every time without fail."

The diaphragms developed by Freudenberg-NOK for firefighters' respiratory masks, for example, consist of a special PVMQ (phenyl vinyl methyl polysiloxane) silicone with a Shore hardness of A 35 at temperature ranging from -100 to +180 °C. They not only reliably protect against smoke and toxic gases, but the wafer-thin flexible diaphragm also ensures that respiration is not impaired. Temperature-insensitive, multicomponent valves as well as valves made of special compounds are available for reliable airflow control. The compounds include fluorocarbon rubber (FKM), ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM), polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and perfluoroelastomer (FFKM). O-rings are also used at critical points in the oxygen flow.

In specific industrial applications, respiratory masks must also be designed to be absolutely safe for welding or painting, in the chemical industry, in mines or in oil and gas extraction. For welders, for example, it is imperative that the CO₂ content in the mask remain under 0.5 percent to prevent symptoms of fatigue. In the chemical industry, on the other hand, protection against hazardous substances is the highest priority. This also applies to situations where respiratory masks are used as so-called escape masks. They must protect against chemical substances, radioactive and toxic particles as well as bacteria and viruses.

Full-face masks made of special materials also play a central role for professional divers. Especially in cold or polluted water, it is crucial that their resistance to pressure and the dependability of their materials is 100 percent guaranteed. Special seals are particularly needed in the sensitive area between the regulator and the mask. The company also offers a tried-and-tested portfolio of diaphragms, valves, O-rings and molded seals for this field of application.

A brochure on the safety field is available for download at http://www.fst.de/Maerkte/Industrial-Applications/Safety.

About Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies
Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies is the Americas joint venture between Freudenberg and Co. in Germany and NOK Corp. in Japan. Freudenberg-NOK is a leading producer – through its Automotive, Merkel, Process Seals and Simrit sales channels – of advanced sealing technologies for a variety of markets including: aerospace; agriculture;  appliance; automotive; construction; diesel engine; energy; food and beverage; heavy industry; and pharmaceutical. Founded in 1989 under the legal name Freudenberg-NOK General Partnership, Freudenberg-NOK is headquartered in Plymouth, Mich. and operates more than 20 facilities across the Americas. For additional information, please visit www.fnst.com.

SOURCE Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies

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http://www.fnst.com

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