t o r s as president’s message i c a so b r terry galanis ... · september 30 - october 2, 2014...

President’s MessageTerry Galanis, Jr.

In This Issue

President’s Message

Pages 1 & 2

Future Meeting Schedule

Page 2

New Association Members

Page 2

Company Pro�les

Pages 4 & 5

Press Releases

Pages 5 & 7

Design for Success

Pages 8, 10 & 12

Benchmarking Report

Pages 14 & 15

Volume 33 Number 1 March 2014

If you really think about it, trade associations were

formed for one basic reason, to network with suppliers

and competitors in your industry. I am sure when our

founding members formed the GFA, everyone was

extremely cautious about how much information they

shared with each other. After all, you would never want to

give away your competitive advantage. Maybe they were

thinking about the old adage, “keep your friends close and

your enemies even closer.” And by the way, while we are

getting closer to our competitors, let’s do it in a nice place

and enjoy some golf. Let’s face it, that was the way business was done in 1979.

This year, the GFA will be celebrating its 35th anniversary. I can tell you this is not our

fathers’ GFA anymore. We have had to change. Doing business today presents more

challenges than just fabricating gaskets. The customers are demanding more value-added

services, and employee issues and bene�ts are more complex than ever before. Now

our members are eager to network and share all kinds of ideas on issues such as Social

Media, Human Resources, Tax Bene�ts, Information Technology, Contract Administration,

Government Mandates, and many other topics we all deal with daily in today’s complicated

business world. We want more knowledge and we are �nding the GFA might be a good

place to get it. The GFA o�ce recently received a call from one of the GFA’s founding

members and �rst President, Bob Gerschke. Bob expressed how proud he was of the

association he helped found, and how excited he was about the direction the GFA is

heading. I guess we have �nally become the type of association our founders always

wanted, it just took a little more time than they expected to get there. Oh, and by the way,

we still go to nice places, play a little golf, and even have activities for the spouses.

Our economy is expected to grow stronger this year. This is the perfect reason to attend

our upcoming GFA signature event, the “EXPO”. This event sets the GFA apart from other

trade associations. Our members get the opportunity to display their products to over

500 EXPO attendees in Orlando, March 25 to 27. This year’s EXPO will be our 5th since the

�rst one in 2006. Our co-chairmen Judette Savino and Shelby Ricketts, with help from our

Program and Locations Committee, promise that this EXPO is just what we need to get a

jump start into the more robust business climate expected for 2014. We are fortunate to

have the FSA, IADD, and ISD as co-sponsors of this event.

Continued on page 2

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BRICATORS ASSOCIATIO

N Here!You

GottaBe

Fall 2014 Semi-Annual Meeting

September 30 - October 2, 2014

Portola Hotel & Spa

Monterey, CA

Spring 2015 Semi-Annual Meeting

March 17 - 19, 2015

Fairmont Southampton

Bermuda



Hyatt Regency San Antonio

San Antonio, TX

Spring 2015 Semi-Annual Meeting

March 17 - 19, 2015

Fairmont Southampton



Hyatt Regency San Antonio

March 2014

GFA Future Meeting SchedulePresident’s Message

(Continued from Page 1)

My two year term as President will come to an end in March.

Like my predecessors before me, I have tried to improve the

value and image of our association. I know I have pushed

the envelope with the subject matter for my President’s

Message and drove Pete and Brian a little crazy in the

process. It has been a privilege to serve as your President.

I was fortunate to have the opportunity to meet all our

new members, get closer to older ones, and have more fun

than I ever expected. I found a quote from my friend and

Past President Clem Foley’s �nal President’s Message that I

thought was worth repeating.

“Try to integrate fun into everything you can and don’t

take yourself too seriously. When people have fun they

collaborate more, they communicate more and they

achieve better results.”

This quote describes our organization perfectly and is one of

the reasons we have been so successful. We must never lose

our ability to enjoy ourselves.

Looking forward, Ken Stober will be taking over as President

of the GFA. Most everyone knows Ken. He is the guy

who chairs our Thursday morning breakfast roundtable

discussions about business topics. Ken is a good friend and

like myself, a second generation GFA’er. His father, Don, was

one of the founding members and a Past President. Ken

runs one of the most successful companies in our industry

and is highly respected for his integrity and fairness. He will

de�nitely make his mark on our association.

Thanks again for your support and friendship over the last

two years; I will see you all at the EXPO.

Visit us online at:www.gasketfab.com

FabricatorsBasic Rubber & Plastics Co.

www.basicrubber.com

Derby Fabricating Solutionswww.derbyfab.com

Engineered Materials, Inc.www.engineeredmaterialsinc.com

Jacobsen Ind.www.jacobsenindustries.com

Motion Industrieswww.motionindustries.com

Premier Internationalwww.premierdiecut.com

Quest Gasket & Supply Inc.www.questgasket.com

Secon Rubber and Plastics, Inc.www.seconrubber.com

New Association Members

Suppliers3F North America, Inc.

www.3f-gmbh.com

Action Rotary Die, Inc.www.actionrotary.com

ALLPax Gasket Cutter Systemswww.guardaircorp.com

Amtec North America, Inc.www.amtec-services.com

Cima NanoTech Inc.www.cimananotech.com

Chemsultants/ChemInstrumentswww.chemsultants.com

March 2014

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Company Pro�les

3F GmBH is a producer of high performance emulsion acrylic

PSA tapes, servicing a wide variety of OEM and distribution

clients across the globe. Our European facility operates 6

coating lines just outside of Stuttgart in Germany. The 63,000

sq ft facility located in Charlotte, North Carolina currently

serves as a stocking and converting distribution point for

North America. Plans to install a new coating machine in

Charlotte are underway, o�ering clients increased �exibility

and turnaround on the newest production line in the United

States.

Established in 1995 with a focus on water based technology,

3F has grown to become a leader in both standard tapes and

tapes engineered to speci�c client requirements. We o�er

unique coating capabilities of low to very high coat weights,

up to 17 mils in a single pass, scrim transfer tapes, custom

formulations, in house blending, toll coating, slitting and

spooling to name a few. Our formulations feature low VOC,

low �ame spread and smoke generation characteristics and

can be traced into Automotive, Construction, HVAC, Acoustic

and many other applications. We stock a wide variety of

product for these markets in Charlotte at all times.

Flexibility, Friendly service and Fast responsiveness are the 3

hallmarks of 3F performance. We are proud to be a member

of the GFA and to serve the North American converting

markets. Please contact us at 704-399-6114 with any

discussion or requests.

Excelsior is a custom manufacturer and distributor of

gaskets, washers, seals, o-rings, packings, shims, covers and

other precision parts from both synthetic materials and

metals. We were founded in Rockford, Illinois in 1916 and

are in our 5th generation of ownership.

Our manufacturing capabilities include waterjet cutting,

laser cutting, hi-speed CNC hydraulic presses, CNC traveling

head presses, punch presses, lathe forming / cutting and

rotary die cutting. We also perform converting operations

including slitting, cutting, horizontal or vertical cutting of

blocks or buns and application of adhesives.

We service a range of industries, including aerospace,

compressor/pump manufacturers, electrical, food,

hydraulics, valve manufacturers, plumbing, hardware

and others. We have a full service inspection department

that utilizes computerized vision inspection machines for

both in-house inspection programs as well as performing

outsourced inspection.

We work with a very wide range of synthetic materials.

We also work with certain light gauge metals. A

list of our materials can be found on our website at

www.excelsiorinc.com. We are AS9100C; ISO9001:2008

registered.

Chengdu Teamful Gasket Technology Co.,LTD ( hereafter

Teamful Sealing) was established in 1985 and specializes

in R&D and production of sealing materials and small parts

of sealing gaskets for engines. The products are also widely

used as OEM approval products by several well-known

Chinese engine manufacturers.

The Teamful Sealing headquarters is located in Chengdu

Shuangliu Xihanggang Economic Development Zone, near

the Shuangliu International Airport and city center. Teamful

Sealing’s main products are environmentally-friendly non-

asbestos gasket sealing material (100% asbestos-free),

rubber coated metal material, and expanded graphite

sealing material. Our branch located in the Jiangmen city

of Guangdong is the production base for rubber coated

materials. Teamful Sealing now has over 300 employees

including 30 technical engineers.

Continued on page 5

March 2014

Company Pro�les(Continued from Page 4)

Founded in 1963, Frank Murken Products ( FMP ) is a

gasket fabricator and distributor supplying the Aerospace,

Construction, Transportation, Pharmaceutical, Energy and

Semi-conductor markets.

FMP supplies local and global OEM and MRO customers

with die-cut components fabricated from a wide range

of materials including rubber, sponge, graphite, cork and

compressed materials. We also distribute Tapes/Adhesives,

Sealants ( Silicones ), O-rings and Hose products ( Hydraulic

& Industrial ) from marquee manufacturers such as 3M,

Loctite, Tesa, Saint-Gobain, Thermoseal and Parker.

Our value added services include vendor managed

inventory (VMI), 24 hour emergency service, Parker Store

counter service and inventory stocking programs.

We are AS9100:2009 and ISO 9001:2008 certi�ed. FMP is

located in the Capital Region in the heart of Tech Valley of

New York State. For more information, you can contact FMP

online at www.fmproducts.com or call 518-381-4270.

Created in North Carolina as Shurtape Technologies,

LLC, we are a privately owned, global company proudly

serving a variety of markets, from HVAC and transportation

to industrial and packaging, including custom design

packaging and foam converting, and we continually remain

engaged with our markets and the customers and craftsmen

who use our tape so we can deliver what they need, to the

absolute highest standards.

We o�er a comprehensive assortment of tapes, each

engineered to provide consistent and reliable performance.

Our double-sided tapes o�er the versatility and qualities you

need for mounting, splicing and joining applications. For

case sealing, the ShurSEAL™ Solution, which combines our

HP Series packaging tape with a PrimeLoc™ tape applicator,

produces dependable and secure seals, every time. No

matter the task, Shurtape delivers.

As we continue to grow, the basis of our success remains the

same: our relationships with our customers and craftsmen.

It’s why we demand consistent product performance, on-

time delivery and relentless customer service. It is also why

we never stop innovating our product lines, investing in

manufacturing or improving our distribution.

For more information about Shurtape, visit shurtape.com,

�nd us on Facebook® (facebook.com/Shurtape), follow us on

Twitter® (@shurtapetech), or watch our videos on YouTube®

(youtube.com/shurtapetech).

Press Releases

2014 marks the 50th anniversary of Monmouth Rubber and

Plastics Corp. (MRPC) - a leading US manufacturer of closed-

cell sponge rubber and plastic foam buns. All manufacturing

is done at its fully equipped ISO certi�ed plant in Long

Branch, NJ.

For half a century, MRPC has been helping OEMs and

Fabricators develop and solve problems to ensure they

have the right materials to meet the requirements of the

application. Its product development and improvement

program enables OEMs and Fabricators, in turn, the ability to

o�er their own customers e�ective solutions that are hard to

obtain elsewhere.

MRPC attributes its success to having a comprehensive

technical library, which is comprised of the latest expert

Monmouth Rubber & Plastics Corp. Celebrates 50 Years

Continued on page 7

March 2014

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Custom-engineered PVC foam and foam tapes

Novagard Solutions™

5109 Hamilton AvenueCleveland, Ohio 44114Phone:1-800-380-0138www.foam-seal.com

Foam Seal GFA Newsletter

Meets GMW15473 Spec.

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Die-cutting Presses60" Heat LaminatorsHorizontal Splitters

Ttarp Co.

800-871-7596 • www.Ttarp.com

March 2014

Press Releases(Continued from Page 5)

information based on 50 years of experience with cellular

materials. It also provides a free technical support program

called “Ask John” which provides customers (and potential

customers) free technical information and guidance on

rubber and plastic questions and problems.

“It is with pride that I can announce that Monmouth Rubber

& Plastics is celebrating its 50th anniversary. I started the

company in 1964 at the age of 23 in my uncle’s cellar in Long

Branch, NJ. Fifty years later, Monmouth has grown to be one

of the top three manufacturers of closed cell rubber & plastic

foam in the United States. The success of the company has

far exceeded the dreams I had back then,” says founder and

General Manager John Bonforte Sr. “Monmouth Rubber

is a family-owned and operated business. Incorporating

our family values into our daily operations helps us stay

focused on our customers and products, and not just our

�nancial success. Our loyal customers, quality suppliers and

dedicated employees are what allow us to continue to grow.

Under the current leadership of my son, John Jr., our goal

remains to continue to serve our customers by supplying

the highest quality products and customer service for the

next 50 years.”

For more information, contact John Bonforte Sr. at

732-229-3444 ext. 12, or visit www.monmouthrubber.com.

Novagard Solutions®, a global supplier of NOVAGARD®

and NOVAFLEX® sealants, Foam Seal PVC foam products,

Versilube® lubricants, NOVAGARD UV® coatings and

compounds, and other engineered products, announces

that their Foam Seal 60A Automotive PVC foam has been

certi�ed and listed against General Motors’ worldwide

speci�cation, GMW15473 Class II, Type II, for Flexible

Novagard Solutions Announces that General Motors has Listed Foam Seal 60 A Automotive PVC Foam on their GM Material File

Expanded Rubber Materials for Air, Dust, Noise, and Water

Sealing for internal and exterior applications (excluding those

applications where direct sunlight or UV exposure exists).

Additionally, Foam Seal 60A Automotive PVC low-density foam

conforms to the Chrysler MS-AY500 Type III and Ford ESB-

M3G102-A speci�cations.

The Foam Seal Automotive PVC foam products have been

scienti�cally engineered for use in stringent automotive

applications that require positive seals on irregular surfaces

or when �ex and conformability to seal tight radius curves

are critical considerations. The foam products are available

in thicknesses of 0.062” to 0.787” (1.2 to 20 mm). These value

added products are easy to compress, are conformable, but at

the same time are resilient to meet the automotive demands

of the application. Additional information is available at www.

foam-seal.com.

V. Himark USA is very excited to announce that we have

changed our name to Cactus Tape. This change is the �rst of

many for 2014 that will help us to better serve our business

partner's needs. The word "Cactus" is synonymous with the

term endurance. The Cactus plant is known for standing up

to the test of time and the elements. Let's also not forget

that a Cactus, plain and simply, "sticks". Our name change to

Cactus Tape falls in line with our dedication to manufacture

double-coated tape that exempli�es these same qualities. As

we move forward our new name will be a constant reminder

to continue engineering "Industrial Bonding Solutions"

that our customers can depend on.

V. Himark Changes Their Name to Cactus Tape

Joining a committee is one of the best ways to take advantage of your

GFA membership. Contact the GFA o�ce at 610-971-4850 or [email protected]

if you would like to join a committee.

March 2014

Continued on page 10

Design for SuccessBy: Larry Pyle, President, LFPtechnologies

Often, the gasket is the compromising component that has

to make up for the de�ciencies of the rest of the system.

It has to perform its principal function of establishing and

maintaining a seal whether it be gaseous or �uid. The

principle failure of a joint results from the loss of the tension

or the initial load imparted on the assembly by the fasteners.

The design objective is to establish an e�ective and durable

seal and to maintain it throughout its service life. Not every

gasket joint is as complex as that shown below but some

may be far more complex. The vast majority of gasket

applications are simpler with fewer variables, however, the

same design principles apply.

Schematic of Cylinder Head

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March 2014

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March 2014

Continued on page 12

Design for Success(Continued from Page 8)

A Gasket Takes Load to Seal

The success of any gasket is highly dependant on the

other components that make up the joint. The fastening

system and its ability to establish adequate and predictable

compressive loads on the gasket is probably the most

important factor. Not only does the joint have to provide

su�cient initial load at installation but also must maintain

su�cient load throughout the life cycle of the gasketed

joint. There are many factors that go into the equation. The

two �gures below illustrate the essentials of sealing any

gasketed joint.

No-Retorque Head Gasket (1965+)

Multi-Layer Steel (1986 - Current)

The top dashed lines show the amount of load applied to

the joint. The solid line indicates the e�ects of time and

temperature with time. The �rst show a joint with poor load

retention while the second shows excellent load retention.

The oscillating line represents the reduction in clamp load

due to any internal pressure within the sealed chamber.

In these cases, the force produced by a piston �ring. If the

pressure is too great or the relaxation or the loss in clamp

load is too great, the residual clamp load may not be

su�cient to prevent failure of the gasket.

FASTENING SYSTEMEstablishing initial sealing load:

What makes the gasket seal is to establish a minimum

recommended compressive stress on the material. This

stress compressed the gasket material, allowing it to

conform to the surface �nish and �atness conditions of

the �anges. During this compression process, the inherent

porosity of most gasket materials is reduced to impede the

minute �ow of gases or liquids being sealed. The source

of this compressive load is the fastening system, bolts or

screws in most cases. This load is a linear function related to

the stretch of the bolt or screw.

E�ect of Friction:

It is the tension in the fastener that is the important factor,

not the torque used to produce it. Torque is simply related

to tension by the following equation T=µFD (T=torque

(lb-ft), F=force (lbs), D = fastener diameter in inches, and

µ=coe�cient of friction). The big “if” in this equation is

the coe�cient of friction. It is not very reliable since so

many factors can change the relationship between Torque

and Tension (some sources say that there are some 30 or

40 factors). Here are some of the more important ones:

hardness of the parts, surface �nishes, condition of the

threads, cleanliness, types of materials, type of plating,

lubricants, �t, and thread pitch. Many of these factors can be

controlled to some degree, but complete control is probably

impossible.

March 2014

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Alternative tension control:

As an alternative to friction control, manufacturers have

attempted to eliminate friction as a factor altogether by

going to other tension control systems. Torque-to-yield and

Torque-angle techniques are commonly utilized. Torque-

to-yield operates on the principle that the metallurgy of

the fasteners is precisely controlled so that the yield point

is predicable and consistent. This is most commonly used

in automated assembly operations that are performed with

sophisticated machines.

Torque-angle method assumes that the initial torque

eliminates most of the non-linear portion of the stress-strain

curve. This is commonly used in hand assembly operations

where sophisticated equipment is not required. The

procedure is developed in a controlled setting.

Stress Relaxation (Creep):

The objective of any gasket joint is maintenance of the initial

assembly load. This is rarely possible but can be controlled

to acceptable limits. Remember that load is established by

stretching the fastener and load loss is a result of stretch

loss. The formula for this is:

Stress relaxation (%)=Tension (load) loss (%)=

100 ( ∆Linitial-∆L�nal)/∆Linitial

∆Linitial=initial fastener stretch

∆L�nal=residual fastener stretch

In general these statements apply:

The thickness of the gasket will contribute to creep

(the thicker the gasket the more creep).

Stress relaxation as a percentage of the initial load is

greatly in�uenced by the length of the fasteners.

Fasteners have elongations that are directly

proportional to their relative lengths.

Smaller diameter fasteners stretch more than those

with larger diameters for the same length.

Design for Success(Continued from Page 10)

Some creep will occur in a joint even in the absence of

a gasket.

JOINT FLANGES:

These are the metal structures on either side of the gasket

although they can also be made from engineered plastic

or any solid material. Structural sti�ness is a major key to a

gasket’s success. This sti�ness is a function of:

Flange thickness

Reinforcing ribs or other third dimensional attribute

Modulus

Fastener spacing

Dissimilar metals can create gasket scrubbing due to

thermal cycling. This can be destructive

GASKET:

Gasket materials are engineered to reduce the e�ects of

their environment on their load bearing properties. Gaskets

however are not the sole contributor to creep relaxation.

Temperature and chemical attack are catalysts to creep.

Vibration is another catalyst that can a�ect creep and gasket

performance. Internal pressures can rupture a gasket often

with messy and sometimes catastrophic consequences.

Important physical properties include:

Creep relaxation properties

Fluid resistance/compatibility

Compressibility/recovery

Tensile strength

Depending on the complexity of the sealing environment,

additional features are often required when a simple, clean-

cut gasket doesn’t do the job.

Gaskets are not always a simple solution to a sealing

problem. All of the factors touched on above contribute to

the solution and success of any gasketed joint. Each of these

joints is unique and often complex.

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March 2014

Specialists in Silicone Innovation since 1959

www.silicone.co.uk

NewsletterThe Gasket Fabricator is published by the GFA and is

distributed to all members and prospective members.

President .............................................................Terry S. Galanis, Jr.

Vice President .................................................................Ken Stober

Secretary/Treasurer...........................................................Ken Eaton

Executive Director..............................................................Peter Lance

Administrative Director/Newsletter Editor...........Brian Schaaf

Communications Committee Chair..............................Gord Sirrs

Long Range Planning Committee Chair...................Steve Hanson

Marketing Committee Chair...........................................Mark Nye

Membership Committee Chair....................................Keith Crowe

Progam & Locations Committee Chair............................Bill Hibner

Technical Committee Chair...............................................Matt Weiss

Members are encouraged to contribute articles and items of

interest to the Gasket Fabricator. All contributions should be

addressed to: Executive Director, GFA, 994 Old Eagle School

Road, Suite 1019, Wayne, PA 19087-1866, 610-971-4850,

Fax 610-971-4859, E-mail: [email protected].

Articles appearing in this publication may not be

reproduced without written consent from the Association.

Articles appearing in the Gasket Fabricator are the

views of the authors and not necessarily those of the

Association.

© Copyright 2014 Gasket Fabricators Association

Want to advertise in a future issue of the GFA newsletter?

Contact the GFA o�ce for details!

[email protected]

March 2014

Below are the results from the Benchmarking Survey, which was completed to give GFA members a thumbnail sketch of how other members are fairing at this time. The following results were recorded from January 2 - February 26, 2014.

We had 41 out of 85 Fabricators respond.

1. Were sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the third quarter of 2013? UP DOWN SAME 23 (56%) 14 (34%) 4 (10%) 2. Were sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the fourth quarter of 2012? UP DOWN SAME 30 (73%) 7 (17%) 4 (10%)

3. Is your projection for the �rst quarter of 2014 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the fourth quarter of 2013? UP DOWN SAME 31 (76%) 1 (2%) 9 (22%)

4. Is your projection for the �rst quarter of 2014 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the �rst quarter of 2013? UP DOWN SAME 28 (69%) 1 (2%) 12 (29%)

Benchmarking Report: Fabricators

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Aug12 (42/77) Dec12 (35/79) Mar13 (41/78) Aug13 (31/80) Dec13 (36/85) Mar14 (41/85)

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March 2014

Below are the results from the Benchmarking Survey, which was completed to give GFA members a thumbnail sketch of how other members are fairing at this time. The following results were recorded from January 2 - February 26, 2014.

We had 32 out of 80 Suppliers respond.

1. Were sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the third quarter of 2013? UP DOWN SAME 7 (22%) 14 (44%) 11 (34%) 2. Were sales for the fourth quarter of 2013 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the fourth quarter of 2012? UP DOWN SAME 15 (47%) 6 (19%) 11 (34%)

3. Is your projection for the �rst quarter of 2014 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the fourth quarter of 2013? UP DOWN SAME 20 (63%) 1 (3%) 11 (34%)

4. Is your projection for the �rst quarter of 2014 UP, DOWN, or the SAME compared to the �rst quarter of 2013? UP DOWN SAME 24 (75%) 3 (9%) 5 (16%)

Benchmarking Report: Suppliers

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March 2014

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