O-ring gasket factories around the world labor tirelessly to produce small but significant parts that contribute molecular quantities in a countless array of engines, from our cars to our airplanes. One of these factories, known as Hovoo, is located in a small American town. Let’s go inside the factory and learn how these essential pieces are made to help machines operate as they should.”
O-ring gaskets are small, but they perform a big job. They help ensure machines and equipment continue to work properly. O-ring gaskets start with raw materials, or the base materials required for manufacturing, at Hovoo's factory. These materials are rubber and PVC. Rubber is pliable and elastic; PVC is a durable type of plastic. As part of this process, workers mix these materials until a consistent mixture is achieved.
After preparing the mixture, it is pressed into long, thin strips. These strips are then cut to size, which will be used to make O-rings. This becomes very important as the size of the pieces needs to be very accurate. It is put into a special mold, what a tool used to shape the rubber. The pieces are heated after they are placed into the mold. As the material expands when heated, it fills the mold completely forming the ideal shape to be used for an O-ring.
The molds are cooled after the molding process. Then, having cooled them, the O-rings are removed, inspected to be sure they are good. These being read because it requires that every O-ring is safe. Then they undergo a cleaning process. This cleaning is important to remove any dirt, dust, or small pieces of material that may have clung to the O-rings during manufacturing. A clean O-ring is much more effective and reliable.
Hovoo has a rigorous testing process to ensure the quality of every O-ring that leaves the factory. And they need to be confident that every O-ring is sturdy and can withstand various environments. They test how long the O-rings are safe to last without a break. So they’re also tested to see how well they resist heat and cold, and how well they stand up to pressure.
Technology has evolved significantly over decades and benefited O-ring gasket factories to manufacture a large number of O-rings with big precision. Hovoo uses state-of-the-art machines in its new factory facility to streamline its production process significantly. These O-ring production machines are highly sophisticated, and are used to help make sure that every O-ring is produced to specification.
Everything on the factory floor is controlled by computers which means every part of the production process is tracked. The machines track everything, and if anything goes wrong, they can be reset and adjusted to enable speedy fixes. Not only does this technology speed up their production, but it also ensures that the O-rings always are the same size and shape.