Gasket Tape, Strip Gasket & Strip-N-Stick

Gasket Tape, Strip Gasket and Strip-N-Stick™ are common names for a strip of gasket material with peel and stick adhesive backing. Gasket tape is supplied on a roll and widths can be cut as needed, typically 0.5” to 3”. Strip gasket is good for dust and light pressure water seals such as NEMA3, IP61, IP62. It should be noted that closed cell foam, closed cell sponge or solid materials should be used in water sealing applications and the enclosure should not allow water pool on the gasket. For aggressive water seals such as NEMA 4, NEMA 4X, IP65 & IP66, enclosure design, material selection, and gasket joints play a greater roll in enclosure sealing.

Gasket tape materials can vary from open cell urethane foams such as Poron, closed cell silicone sponge such as R-10470 & R-10480 and even solid rubber materials can be provided in Strip Gasket form. Various adhesive backings are also readily available, most common are acrylics but rubber and silicone adhesives are also available. Gasket tape is available in standard configurations such as the Saint Gobain’s Strip-N-Stick™ silicone sponge and silicone foam tape products. Stockwell can also apply any variety of 3M or Adchem adhesive to Poron foam, Neoprene sponge, Bisco silicone foams and slit strips (Gasket tape) as needed.

For more information on Gasket tape and strip gaskets, visit http://www.stockwell.com/, call 215-335-3005 or email service@stockwell.com.

Steel Rule Die for Custom Gasket Cutting

Often when people hear “custom” and think high cost; special setup charges, and tooling charges. In reality custom gaskets can be custom made for relatively low cost. If volumes warrant die cutting (often 500+ pcs) a steel rule tool can be made. A die for a six inch square window gasket with fastener holes at each corner can be made for less than $200. When amortized over a few thousand pieces, tooling cost quickly become pennies/per part.

Steel ruled dies are often made by accurately laser burning the part geometry into engineered, dimensionally stable plywood. Then a long steel blade (almost like a razor blade) is precisely bent and press fitted into the wood. Holes are made by pressing punch sets into the plywood. Tools in the 12” x 12” range can hold a tolerance of less that .012”.

Stockwell uses steel rule dies to cut Poron urethane foam, silicone foam, silicone sponge, and neoprene sponge. It is important to know that softer and thicker foam or sponges tend to have wider tolerances because the material compresses before it is cut through. Solid silicone gaskets, thermal gasket, emi gaskets can also be cut with steel rule dies.

Gaskets and pads can be made many ways. Stockwell takes into consideration gasket material type, gasket thickness and quantity to determine the production method that is most cost effective. Very tight tolerance gaskets or low volume gaskets can be waterjet cut with no tooling charge.

For more information about gaskets or gasket materials cut with steel rule dies, visit http://www.stockwell.com/ or call 215-335-3005.

What is kiss cutting and a kiss cut gasket?

Kiss cutting is a die cutting process where a gasket or pad is supplied rolled up on the adhesive liner. If you were able to watch the cutting process in slow motion you would see the die penetrate the gasket or pad material, then continue through the thin adhesive layer and cut partially into the adhesive liner. The gasket or pad must have a Pressure Sensitive Adhesive (PSA or “peel and stick”) backing for kiss-cutting to be possible.

Kiss cutting has several advantages over individually cut through parts. Kiss-cut gaskets the parts to be rolled up, parts on rolls are easier to handle can and can be set up neatly and dispensed in a paper towel like fashion at assembly work stations. Also, peeling the part off the release liner is considerably easier than removing the release liner from an individual part, this helps increase production throughput.

Stockwell regularly kiss-cuts gaskets and pads from solid silicone, silicone sponge, silicone foam, and Poron. Other materials include foam adhesives such as 3M VHB’s and thermal pads. Note, not all materials and parts can be kiss-cut, for more information please contact service@stockwell.com .