Gasket Dispensing

Gasket dispensing describes the extrusion of a viscous fluid that upon curing forms an elastomeric seal. After cure, when a mating surface is applied, the joined parts typically meet some requirement for a barrier against liquids or gasses. Commonly referred to as Form In Place gasketting (FIP), this process avoids the cumbersome aspects of handling and placing cut gaskets and affords the flexibility of many variations without having to inventory cut gaskets. As long as process issues such as part variations, material rheological variations, and operator induced variations can be addressed, FIP gasketing can be a production floor operation that adds value to the bottom line.
Classical gasket dispensing solutions include key process control elements such as needle tip calibration to ensure dispense tip location, height measurement (tactile , laser, or ultrasonic) to rule out part height errors, temperature control to lock in consistency, vision for part location and quality verification, and the software tools that make these elements work together so that they augment each other become more than the sum of their parts.