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Gasket compression can support enclosure sealing or contribute to gasket failure. That’s because rubber gaskets are resilient, but only to a point. Compressing an enclosure gasket within allowable limits forms a reliable seal. If the gasket is over-compressed, however, the rubber won’t rebound when the compressive stresses are removed. This creates a gap between the rubber gasket and the surface of the enclosure. Gaps cause leaks, and enclosure seals that leak won’t support your larger product designs.
Material scientists calls the permanent deformation of the gasket material “compression set”, a term that’s widely used but not always fully understood. Engineers need to know the basics of compression set, but they also need to consider its limitations as a test method. With a metal or plastic enclosure, you need to account for the entire application environment, including variables such as temperature and vibration. Relaxation, a related phenomenon, is also associated with gasket compression.
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