All Custom Gaskets are not Created Equal


Gaskets are often perceived as a commodity item, where one gasket is as good as any other. As such, many buyers seek the lowest possible price when sourcing gaskets, believing that essential product characteristics, such as quality and other attributes, are equal across the board. This way of thinking even applies to custom gaskets, where the product is produced to customer specifications.

Nothing could be further from the truth! All gaskets are not created equal, irrespective of whether the gasket is a stock or custom item. Two similar gaskets, even when produced from the same material by different suppliers, can have significantly different performance and quality characteristics.

Custom Gaskets: Some Facts

What gives rise to these differences? Firstly, there is the issue of material. Gaskets produced from inferior materials will have inferior characteristics. Cheap materials will lack quality and consistency, leading to premature failure and ineffective sealing. This can particularly be the case when dealing with offshore sources of supply – in many cases, the provenance and quality of the materials being used are highly suspect.

Secondly, there is the issue of supplier experience and technology. Producing custom gaskets that are fully fit for the purpose intended requires a high level of experience and expertise. Experienced suppliers will know how to guide their customers in selecting the optimal material to use for their application, and they will have the skills, competencies and technologies that are needed to produce high-quality finished products.

For example, many gasket suppliers are still producing gaskets using traditional die cutting technologies such as clicker presses. While this technology can produce usable gaskets, the process is slow and labour intensive, leading to decreased productivity and higher costs. In addition, these traditional cutting technologies cannot approach the high accuracy and tolerances that are achievable with more up-to-date production methods, such as waterjet or flex/flash cutting.

CRGI Custom Gaskets

At CRGI, we produce custom gaskets using the finest materials and latest production technologies. We maintain an extensive portfolio of high-quality premium materials, including those from Teadit, American Biltrite, and other manufacturers. Our extensive industry experience allows us to guide customers in material selection, thereby ensuring a quality, cost-effective solution to their application needs. And every custom gasket we make is crafted using the latest generation CNC cutting technology, assuring quality and accuracy in the process.

Our sales department will be delighted to speak with you about how CRGI can meet your custom gasket needs.

To find out more about the custom gaskets and other fine rubber products which CRGI can supply, please contact our sales department at crg@canadarubbergroup.com.