Freudenberg Sealing Technologies’ custom seals are used widely in the healthcare industry, where hygiene is paramount.

Used in medical devices and pharmaceutical manufacturing, here is a rundown of healthcare industry seals and their material attributes, from biocompatibility to resistance to toxic cleaning chemicals.

Custom seals for healthcare

We manufacture custom healthcare equipment seals from diaphragms for X-ray and computed tomography equipment, to static O-rings for dental drills.

For example, sanitary gaskets for anaesthesia equipment, surgical drills and biotech processing equipment are made from rubber elastomers such as VMQ (silicone rubber) and EPDM (synthetic rubber).

If medical equipment comes into contact with living tissue, its biocompatibility must be noted. Biocompatibility means that the properties of materials are biologically compatible and do not react with living tissue.

Seal material must have integrity too; if not, impurities can leach out of the seal over time with toxic or carcinogenic properties. Silicone rubber is non-reactive, making it good for catheters, cardiac pacemakers and cardiac valves. It’s also a good electrical insulator, remaining stable in temperatures from -60°C to 200°C.

Custom seals for pharmaceutical production

Manufacturing pharmaceuticals means process equipment seals must comply with increasingly stringent material quality and production standards to prevent batch contamination.

Seals often have to be designed for sterilisation in place and cleaning in place (SIP/CIP), processes that expose them to corrosive chemicals and heat. Depending on the seal material, it could migrate into the product in the presence of solvents, contaminating the batch. Our ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) polymers are resistant to this, making them suitable for pharmaceutical production.

We also supply mechanical seals, supply systems, packing and flat gaskets for agitators, blenders and kneaders used to make pharmaceuticals.

In a pump, these seal off the rotor from the fluid it is pumping, maintaining correct pressure in the pumped fluid and preventing contamination. One example is model AX25D, a mechanical seal that functions independent of direction of rotation and pressure direction.