President’s MessageSteve Hanson
In This IssuePresident’s MessagePage 1
Future Meeting SchedulePage 2
Membership AnniversariesPage 2
New Association MembersPage 2
Company Pro� lesPage 3
Press ReleasesPage 5
UV (Ultraviolet) CuringPage 6 & 7
Static Electricity & Ways to Prevent ItPages 7 & 10
Fall Meeting PhotosPages 8 & 9
Design of Experiment Pages 11, 13 & 14
Benchmarking ReportPage 15
Volume 29 Number 3 December 2010
To all GFA members and associates who bene� t
from the GFA; the “take-home” is there in the work.
• Expect a lot from the GFA.
• Invest your attention in a GFA meeting, website,
newsletter, committee, project or networking event to make
sure you get what you expect.
Here is to acknowledge all GFA members for your
business leadership at the front end of the recovery of our
economy! Gratefully, and given the status of the economy, the
September 2010 GFA meeting in Las Vegas was attended by
more than might come in a much stronger economy.
The GFA meeting content lifts our skills up to a higher
level. These skills must turn into “deliverables” to our individual companies when we return
to lead after a GFA meeting. How do we each demonstrate what we learned at a GFA
meeting to our people who are back running the company? How do they get to bene� t
and know what we learned?
One approach is to establish and improve processes and proactives to help us
compete. For me, it can be a challenge to deliver all the GFA “take-homes” when I return
to the o¤ ce. I quickly get distracted by all the action that was there before I went to the
meeting. But, I’m not giving up!
In order to support your success at delivering business leadership knowledge,
the GFA’s website (www.gasketfab.com) now has numerous resources available to you.
The Members Only area features an archive of technical webinars, including the � rst series
on an Estimator’s Guide to Basic Gasketing, and presentations given at past meetings.
Topics include Converting Methods, Laser Cutting Technology, Waterjet Technology,
Nanotechnology, Business Continuity After Disasters, Doing Business in China, Marketing &
Sales E¦ ectiveness, Sustainability, and Human Resource Issues.
Past newsletters, which feature technical articles in each issue, are also available
for downloading from the website. The vision is that the GFA will o¦ er tools that are
speci� c to our industry, as well as for any type of business. Some tools are for the entry
level employee and some are updates for the seasoned veterans.
The GFA’s Programs and Locations Committee develops the topics, and the
website is the collection site for them. Become a super-user of the GFA website and a part
of its development.
Please give me your feedback about the tools and how you’ve used them in your
business. Here’s to successful leading!
NewsletterThe Gasket Fabricator is published by the GFA and is distributed
to all members and prospective members.
President ............................................................................Steve Hanson
Vice President ..........................................................Terry S. Galanis, Jr.
Executive Director/Newsletter Editor...........................Peter Lance
Management Advisor.................................................Robert H. Ecker
Communications Committee Chair...........................David Soliday
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, Phone (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 2010 Gasket Fabricators Association
NewsletterThe Gasket Fabricator is published by the GFA and is distributed
to all members and prospective members.
President ............................................................................Steve Hanson
Vice President ..........................................................Terry S. Galanis, Jr.
Executive Director/Newsletter Editor...........................Peter Lance
Management Advisor.................................................Robert H. Ecker
Communications Committee Chair...........................David Soliday
Members are encouraged to contribute articles and items of
interest to the Gasket Fabricator
be addressed to: Executive Director, GFA, 994 Old Eagle School
Road, Suite 1019, Wayne, PA 19087-1866, Phone (610) 971-4850,
Fax (610) 971-4859, E-mail: [email protected].
in the
not necessarily those of the Association.
© Copyright 2010 Gasket Fabricators Association
President ............................................................................Steve Hanson
Vice President ..........................................................Terry S. Galanis, Jr.
Executive Director/Newsletter Editor...........................Peter Lance
Management Advisor.................................................Robert H. Ecker
Communications Committee Chair...........................David Soliday
Members are encouraged to contribute articles and items of
. All contributions should
be addressed to: Executive Director, GFA, 994 Old Eagle School
Road, Suite 1019, Wayne, PA 19087-1866, Phone (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
are the views of the authors and
© Copyright 2010 Gasket Fabricators Association
Page 2 December 2010
SuppliersThe Biltrite Corporation
Waltham, MA
www.biltrite.com
Kingwell Industries Group
Langfang, China
Lever Manufacturing Corporation
Mahwah, NJ
www.levercorp.com
GFA Future Meeting Schedule
March 29-31, 2011
PGA National Resort & Spa
Palm Beach, Florida
September 20-22, 2011
Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa
Austin, Texas
Gasketing/Converting Expo
March 20-22, 2012
Hilton Orlando
Orlando, FL
New Association Members
Membership AnniversariesIn 2010, the following companies are celebrating
anniversaries as members of the GFA. We would like to thank
them for their ongoing support.
30 Years
Everseal Gasket Inc.
20 Years
Creative Foam Corporation
15 Years
Gaska Tape Inc.
10 Years
Adhesive Applications
Griswold Rubber Co.
Jacobs & Thompson, Inc.
Rogers Corporation
Sekisui Voltek
5 Years
Chambers Gasket & Mfg. Co
Ludlow Composites Corporation
Page 3 December 2010
Aerospace, Military, Power Generation, Medical, Mass
Transporation, Agricultural and Construction, with many
customer representing the top companies in this these
industries.
For more information about Polymer Technologies
contact us at: 1-800-850-9001, or visit our website at
www.polytechinc.com.
Lever Manufacturing has been a premier designer
and manufacturer of single knife roll slitting machinery
since 1910. Lever manufactures a complete line of lathe
slitters from manually operated units to fully automatic,
programmable logic controlled models with easy to use
color touch screen operator control panels capable of
storing up to 1,000 recipes. Lever slitting machines are
capable of slitting a wide range of materials such as foam,
cured and uncured rubber, felt, foil, � berglass, graphite, cork
and PSA tapes on a variety of core sizes.
Lever maintains an experienced sta¦ of engineers,
sales professionals and after-sales service support personnel
to provide our customers with innovative roll slitting
solutions and superior technical support. We maintain a
large in-stock inventory of replacement parts for Lever
machines from the earliest manufactured to present-day
models.
Lever corporate headquarters and manufacturing
operations are located in New Jersey, about 35-miles
Northwest of New York City. This facility also houses
our Experimental Slitting Laboratory and Equipment
Demonstration Room. Customers are invited to submit
sample material for slitting analysis or to visit us for a
personal equipment demonstration.
If you want the very best in single knife roll slitting
machinery built to the highest quality standards, contact
LEVER.
Company Pro� les
Polymer Technologies is the most dynamic
manufacturing company in the Acoustical and Thermal
Composites Industry. Since 1989, we have dedicated
ourselves to providing our customers with the best
customer service, technical support and product quality
available in the industry.
We are locatd in Newark, DE, a short distance to
large metropolitan cities like New York, Philadelphia, and
Washington, DC. Our Polymer Molded Products plant
established in 1995 is located in Bound Brook, NJ, just
outside New York City. Both facilities are conveniently
located for truck, rail and ship, and are equipped with state
of the art equipment that includes: 3 laminators; 3 high-
speed die cutters; 2 water-jet cutters, including a dual-
head 5-axis machine; 2 table saws; 4 molding lines; and
hydrophobation, a patented process and resulting product,
Polydamp® Hydrophobic Melamine Foam.
Our company employs over 90 dedicated
associates. Thecnical engineers o¦ er over 100 years of
collective experience, while the Sales sta¦ has been in the
acoustical and thermal insulation industry for a minimum
of 15 years each. All are available for in-house and on-site
seminars, design engineering consultations, and equipment
testing.
Polymer Technologies’ quality management system
consists of procedures that are tailored to satify customer
requirements which ensure product reliability. As an ISO
9001-2008 and AS9100 registered manufacturer, we are
strongly committed to ensuring consistent product quality
with each shipment.
We provide acoustical, thermal, isolation,
gasketing, � ltration and molded foam materials. Materials
are purchased from quali� ed vendors and are custom
engineered to a customer’s speci� cations and applications.
Customers include a vast range of OEM industries, e.g.
Page 4 December 2010
ACRYLIC & RUBBER BASED GASKET ATTACHMENT SOLUTIONS
800-343-1076www.venturetape.com
Industrial Rubber Sheeting, Extruded & Molded Products
Phone: (262) 786-5300 Fax: (262) 786-5503www.frenzelitsealing.com [email protected] West Ryerson Road New Berlin, WI 53151
Bringing German Engineered Materials to the North American MarketCompressed Non-Asbestos • Beater Addition • Modified and Expanded PTFE
Mica • Expanded Graphites • Metal Reinforced Materials • Mill-Board
Page 5 December 2010
Argent International Has Spare Capacity in Their Tool Shop!
Press Releases
At Argent International, we design and build
Blanking, Forming and Progressive tooling such as Wire EDM
Tooling, Match Metal Tools
and Combo Tooling for any
vertical punch press, such
as Precos. Typically we do
this for our own purposes
and consumption; however,
occasionally we do it for
other fabricators as well.
As mentioned previously,
we have spare capacity and top notch tool makers. And
what’s better than having a fabricator make tooling for a
fellow fabricator. We know
the business and cutting
challenges better than a
standalone tool shop ever
would! So...Let us give
you a quote; you will be
pleasantly surprised with
our competitiveness. For
more information please
contact Argent at (800)223-9890 or visit us online at
www.argent-international.
com.
Con� dentiality Note:
All tool designs and any
information associated
with the tooling would
be held in the strictest of
con� dence. Argent will
gladly sign individual non-
disclosure agreements if and when necessary.
Thermoseal Inc. Introduces KLINGER® Quantum, A Second Generation
Compressed Fiber Gasket Material
Thermoseal Inc., a leading manufacturer of ° uid sealing materials
for a broad range of applications, has announced a new product
to the market: KLINGER Quantum, the � rst � ber-reinforced
gasket material that is exclusively HNBR-bound. KLINGER
Quantum o¦ ers a level of
° exibility at continuously
high temperatures that
is unknown in today’s
market. In addition to
improved ° exibility, this
gasket material can be
used with a much wider
range of media than any other � ber reinforced gasket material
that is currently available.
The HNBR (hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber)
binder provides Quantum gaskets
with exceptional temperature and
chemical resistance so Quantum
gaskets perform even after prolonged
use at higher temperatures while
other gaskets become brittle
reducing the gasket’s ability to
adapt to changing temperatures and
pressures. Quantum gaskets adapt to
conditions caused from ° ange irregularities and misalignments
and absorb additional forces in the gasket connection.
Quantum gaskets ensure a safe connection, and the
extended service periods save time and money.
KLINGER Quantum gaskets are already successfully
sealing an array of applications in Europe’s chemical,
petrochemical, energy, and food industries, and now this
revolutionary gasket material is available from Thermoseal’s
centrally located factory in Sidney, Ohio for applications in
the United States and Canada. For detailed information about
KLINGER Quantum gasket material, call 800-990-7325 or visit the
company’s website at www.thermosealinc.com.
Page 6 December 2010
It was said previously that UV light has two
important characteristics (wavelength and intensity). For the
photoinitiator to react properly, it must be exposed to light
of the correct wavelength and of su¤ cient intensity and
duration. Otherwise, the reaction will not happen completely
or quickly. The result will be poor or inconsistent curing or will
take an extremely long time to a¦ ect the cure.
Types of UV adhesives and Coatings: There are a
wide variety of UV-curing materials available for a broad range
of applications. UV-curing likely has been used to protect
laminated ° ooring or to coat “peel and stick” labels.
Some of the most common types of adhesives and
coatings are:
• Epoxy adhesives which use a catalytic cure mechanism
are available. The catalyst is a by-product from the
reaction of the photoinitiator to the UV light. (A catalyst,
by de� nition, is something that promotes a chemical
reaction but is not consumed in the reaction.) One
consequence of this is that UV-curing epoxy adhesives
can exhibit a shadow curing capability. In other words,
material that is not exposed to UV light will cure
eventually. Epoxy adhesives are easy to modify for special
purposes. They can be � lled with carbon, silver or gold to
provide electrical conductivity. Other addititives can be
used to enhance thermal conductivity while maintaining
electrical insulation.
• Acrylic adhesives result from an entirely di¦ erent
chemisty and a di¦ erent type of photoinitiator. A free
radical mechanism performs the curing. The free radicals
are produced by the photoinitiator when it is exposed to
ultraviolet light; however the free radicals are consumed
in the cure process. This means that the acrylics adhesives
can only core where UV light is delivered. At least one of
the components must be UV-transparent to some degree.
• Speci� cally formated silicone coatings will cure with
UV exposure. It is intended primarily as a protective
coating for both rigid and ° exible printed electrical
circuitry. It is usually applied by dipping, spraying or
brushing. It has also been used extensively as a gasket
coating and can be applied by dipping, spraying or
UV (Ultraviolet) Curing By: Larry Pyle, LFP Technologies
Materials that cure using ultraviolet light provide a
convenient cure on demand capability. Other compounds that
cure at room temperature must be mixed and used within an
often tight time window to obtain optimum properties and
results.
Typically there is no mixing necessary for UV-curing
materials and there is no requirement to use the dispensed
material within a certain short time period. It is more convenient
for the user.
UV curing materials are typically adhesives, inks and
coatings.
What is UV light?: Ultraviolet light is a particular part of
the light spectrum, typically considered to be in the wavelength
range from 200nm (nanometers) to 400 nm. Light in this
same range is also useful in water puri� cation, semiconductor
lithography, sun tanning and ahhesive and coating curing. Since
UV light falls below the visible part of the ligth spectrum, UV
light cannot be seen. This is an important consideration since
another important factor is the intesity. Special equipment, a
radiometer, is required to measure the intensity of UV light. The
intensity of light falling on a surface is measured in milliwatts per
square centimeter (mw/cm2).
UV-Curing Adhesives and Coatings: Virtually every
high performance adhesive has at least two components. An
example of this is Epoxy and the most notable exception to
this is contact cement, where only a single material is handled.
For the contact adhesive to work, a solvent must evaporate
from the product, leaving the actual bonding resin behind.
This evaporation also produces a volumetric loss so that the
thickness of adhesive laid on the surface will diminish with
the evaporation. The solvent carrier is often an environmental
hazard.
In an ultraviolet curing material, there are also two
components. One part is the resin itself and the second
component already mixed in, called a photoinitiator. The secret
of the photoinitiator is that it will not react within the resin itself.
The photoinitiator must absorb ultraviolet light before anything
happens. When the UV light is delivered, the photoinitiator will
undergo a chemical reaction and produce by -products that
cause the material to cure the coating to gel.Continued on Page 7.
Page 7 December 2010
Static Electricity and Ways to Prevent It
By: Michael Thyberg, Technical Service Manager, Adchem Corp.
Edited by: Gary Guzek, Sealing Devices, Inc. As users and converters of pressure sensitive tapes
and other rolled materials, we need to understand electricity:
where it develops, the dangers associated with it, and, of
course, ways to control it. Static electricity is much more
prevalent in low humidity conditions and the coming months
are typically the driest months of the year.
What is static electricity?
Static electricity builds up when one surface is
positively charged and the other surface is negatively
charged. Nature’s desire for balance causes the charges to
attract one another, resulting in the discharge that we call
static. On a small scale, you see static discharge in the form
of a spark when you touch a doorknob after walking across a
carpet. On a much larger scale, when the electrical potential
occurs between clouds and the Earth, the resulting discharge
is in the form of a lightning bolt.
What static has to do with the use of a PSA tape or plastic
� lm?
The act of unwinding and winding a rolled product
like a pressure sensitive tape or a plastic � lm creates a build
up of positive and negative charges which, eventually, may
lead to a static electricity discharge. This discharge can be
small and simply go unnoticed or it may be very large and
potentially dangerous. If you have ever felt the hair on your
arms stand up when near an unwinding roll of tape, you have
felt static electricity. Films are particularly prone to creating a
static build up.
Why is static a problem to me?
• The discharge of static electricity may be only a small
shock or build to the point that a lightning bolt-like spark
will reach out and strike the operator, delivering life
threatening voltage.
• Static discharge is a spark. Areas with ° ammable liquids
or gases must remain spark-free at all times. A static build
up in such areas can be potentially life threatening.
• The accumulation of electrostatic charges can cause
problems, even if ESD events do not occur. If static
charges are not neutralized, sheets of materials will stick
together, creating jams in downstream processes.
• Electrostatic � elds also attract dust particles, � bers, bugs
and hair, which result in surface contamination. This
causes obvious quality problems in printing, coating and
laminating, as well as cleanliness problems with medical
PSA applications. Moreover, static charges can cause
uneven coatings and “wicking” of inks, and pressure
sensitive tape carrying a static charge can damage
sensitive electronic components.
• The release of energy seen and felt in a static discharge
can damage the release liner of the product being
unwound. When the silicone is disrupted by static, it will
no longer function as a release system in the area a¦ ected
by the discharge.
• For example, if you are rewinding large rolls of tape to
Continued on Page 10.
UV (Ultraviolet) CuringContinued from Page 6
brushing. It has also been used extensively as a gasket
coating and can be applied by roll coating (if the viscosity
is adjusted properly) at a thickness of .0005” to .0001”.
With the proper UV exposure equipment, cures can be
accomplished in as little as one minute. A typical silicone
based coating features: Rapid UV cure; Solvent free;
Shadow cure; Variable viscosites when viscosity control is
required for the application method.
UV Cured silicone gasket coatings have excellent
performance in a wide variety of gasket applications.
Conclusion: The use of ultraviolet light to cure
adhesives and coating has many bene� ts to product
manufacturers. Among them is ease of use, ° exibility,
reduced environmental considerations (no solvent), process
consistency and availability. When proper material slection is
made and best practices for curing are made, the potential for
consistent, high quality, high performance products can be
obtained.
Page 8 December 2010
Fall 2010 Meeting PhotosJW Marriott Resort & Spa - Las Vegas
Steve Hanson, GFA President, at the Semi-Annual Dinner Don Scantling with Ecore International acknowledged as a
long time GFA Member at the Semi-Annual Dinner
Chuck Keeley with CGR Products presenting
at the General Session
First Time Attendees: J.G. Koehnemann, 3M; Mike Brock,
Rogers Corporation; Joe Matthew, AM Rubber & Foam Gaskets;
Ted & Dianne Flewwelling, I.R.P. Industrial Rubber Ltd.
First Time Attendees: Fred Perenic, Argent International;
Bill & Linda Cline, LGS Technologies;
Stephanie & Jason Henderson, LGS Technologies
First Time Attendees: Tom Miller, Arlon;
Lynn Perenic, Argent Tape & Label; Rich Parry, MACtac;
Mary Kay Renaud, Argent International
Page 9 December 2010
Page 10 December 2010
smaller rolls, your customer may have defective material
because it will no longer unwind properly at that spot.
How do I deal with static?
The � rst step is to identify the ‘hot’ areas, those
that seem to be generating the highest static charge. This
can be accomplished with a small, inexpensive handheld
electrostatic � eld meter. You will reach your own comfort
level but in general, action should be taken when the charge
approaches 10 (either +10 or -10). There are numerous ways
to control static in your facility.
Humidity
Keeping the relative humidity above 50% will
lessen the likelihood of static. This can be accomplished
with a humidi� cation system such as a simple series of water
misters.
Static Control Devices
Three types of static control devices are commonly
used in production facilities where tapes and other rolled
goods are used and converted: grounded pads, passive
ionizers and active ionizers.
Grounded pads, also called antistatic protected
° oor mats, provide operators with limited protection
from ESDs due to induction charging of the human body.
If the operator is standing on a properly grounded pad
(connected to ground with a proper current-limiting
resistor) and with conductive footware (not rubber soles),
the pad can reduce operator shocks. But grounded pads do
not eliminate the other problems caused by static electricity
and do not protect the operator from direct discharge from
a highly charged unwind or rewind roll for example.
Ionizers o¦ er a more e¦ ective approach. Ionizers
produce large quantitites of both positive and negative air
ions. These ions are directed to areas where electrostatically
charged surfaces require neutralization. The ions of opposite
polarity are attracted to the charged surface until electrical
equilibrium is achieved.
There are two general types of ionizers and active
ionizers. Passive ionizers, also called induction ionizers,
include static tinsel and static string, which are simply grounded
emitters placed parallel with and close to the charged material.
The electrical energy of the charged material will excite the
passive ionizer, causing it to generate air ions of the opposite
polarity. If properly positioned, a passive ionizer can successfully
reduce bulk electrostatic charges. Typically, an active ionizer
may follow the induction ionizer to “clean up” residual charges,
especially in critical applications.
Passive ionizers have the advantage of low purchase
costs. However, a passive ionizer is highly operator-dependent.
It must be positioned at the correct distance from the web,
and not come in contact with it. If it comes in contact with the
charged material, it may become ine¦ ective and the � laments
will wear o¦ and contaminate the web and the machinery. If
positioned too close, it can overcompensate and result in a
charge of the opposite polarity. It must be replaced whenever
it becomes dirty or damaged. Active ionizers have a higher
purchase cost, but are much more reliable and require minimal
maintenance. Unlike the passive ionizers, they are electrically
operated or use radioactive materials for the ion source, and are
not dependent on local conditions or the electrostatic charge on
the web.
The most common type of ionizer for PSA and � lm
applications is the high output static neutralizer bars. They are
highly e¤ cient, electrically powered bars which are permanently
mounted across the web. Another type of active ionizer is a
static blower, which uses fans to blow positively and negaitvely
ionized air at the moving web, thus neutralizing the charged
surfaces.
Consult a trained static control engineer to evaluate
your facility and determine the best option for controlling
static on your equipment. For the safety and well being of your
employees, your products and your customers, maintaining a
static free environment is critical.
Static Electricity and Ways to Prevent It(Continued from Page 7)
If you have questions you would like to see answered in future issues, please send them
by email to [email protected].
static on your equipment. For the safety and well being of your static on your equipment. For the safety and well being of your
employees, your products and your customers, maintaining a employees, your products and your customers, maintaining a employees, your products and your customers, maintaining a
static free environment is critical. static free environment is critical.
If you have questions you would like to see answered in future issues, please send them
by email to [email protected].
Page 11 December 2010
Design of Experiment (DOE)By: Larry Pyle, LFP Technologies
Continued on Page 13.
Note: I o� er information on this subject only so that
you are aware of the use of this technique by others. The scale
of your processes may not warrant its use. It is however widely
used in large organizations to help in their design of costly
processes and in the development of new products. During this
research I found the widespread use of DOE in:
the initial applications in the � eld of agriculture. Other
contributiors to Designed Experiments have included Rao,
Plackett, Burman, Box, Taguchi, Barker, Derringer and many
others. Until the early 1980’s, Designed Experiments were
usually set up and run by specialists within an organization.
Today, with the advent of readily available software, the non-
statistical person can successfully set up and analyze simple
but powerful experiments. Design of Experiments has been
used extensively by DuPont, Dow Chemical, BF Goodrich and
others for over 30 years. DOE was introduced in Japan in the
early 1960’s. Taguchi’s methods became known in the USA
in the early 1980’s when Toyota, Honda, Canon and many
others overtook their American counterparts with high
quality products.
DISCUSSION
Many processes can be complex with a lot of
independent variables or relatively simple with few variables,
but the production equipment involved in creating the
� nished product can be complex and expensive. The need
is to design the process to produce the highest quality and
lowest cost � nal product.
You may be struggling to answer these questions
on your key precuts:
• Which experiments do I run?
• How do I analyze data?
• What are the key relationships?
• What is the optimum?
• Will the product be consistent?
Is there internal pressure to:
• Reduce time to market?
• Develop custom products quickly?
• Develop products faster?
• Improve R&D productivity?
• Run your process more e¤ ciently?
It is smart to develop a pilot production capability
to determine the optimum conditions before incurring the
great investment in fully capable high volume equipment.
• Plastics
• Marketing
• Pharmaceuticals
• Sports Equipment
• Medical Equipment
• Paint and Formulations
• Paper
• Adhesives
• Automotive Parts
• Printers and Inks
• Packaging
• Semiconductor Devices
• Food and Beverage
• ...more For those wanting to get their feet wet, there is a lot of
information on the web including sources for training and
software.
INTRODUCTION
The term experiment is de� ned as the systematic
procedure carried out under controlled condition in order to
discover an unknown e¦ ect, to test or establish a hypothesis
or to illustrate a known e¦ ect. When analyzing a process,
experiments are often used to evaluate which process inputs
have signi� cant impact on the process output and what the
target level of those inputs should be to achieve a desired
result (output). Experiments can be designed in di¦ erent
ways to collect this information. Design of Experiments
(DOE) is also referred to as Designed Experiment or
Experimental Design.
Experimental design can be used to reduce
design costs by speeding up the design process, reducing
late engineering design changes, and reducing product
material and labor complexity. Designed Experiments are
also powerful tools to achieve manufacturing cost savings
by minimizing process variation and reducing rework, scrap,
and the need for inspection.
HISTORY
Design of Experiments has been in practice since
the early 1900’s. Developed in England, R.A. Fisher led
Page 12 December 2010
More Capable • More Affordable
Ttarp Industries, Inc. • Since 1981
Automatic steel-rule die cutting pressesfor non-metallic materials.
60" heat laminators for heat-activated or cold-bondingadhesive products.
Contact us for specifications and pricing: 800-871-7596 • www.Ttarp.com
Ttarp GFA Ad 393-1004:Ttarp GFA Ad 393-1004 1/27/10 4:30
Flame Retardant Materials
630.889.8655www.itwformex.com
SCORE IT! FOLD IT! BEND IT!
High Quality Electrical Insulation available in sheets, rolls, and panels.
UL 94V-0 flammability. Extremely low moisture absorption.
Die Cut Laser Water Jet Heat Form Machine Thermoform Easily Printed, Laminated, Welded. Cost Effective.
DEPEND ON IT!
• Turn to FLEXcon for Bonding, Laminating, Fabricating and more... • Custom PSA solutions for transfer, single and double-coated tapes.
• Join the wide variety of industries that rely on FLEXcon’s experience.
Call us with your challenge at 508-885-8440or visit us at www.FLEXcon.com/performance
Providing Solutions in Pressure-Sensitive Films and Adhesives
Page 13 December 2010
Continued on Page 14.
Design of Experiment(Continued from Page 11)
This pilot process should have the wide range of parameter
control.
The basic steps involved in DOE are the following:
• De� ne the control variables (Typical control parameters
might be time; temperature; speed; atmosphere;
pressure, etc. )
• Determine desired outputs
• Design Model for the experiment. Below is just one
typical model for a certain set of parameters. Make the
range of each variable as wide as possible.
• Randomize the order of the testing. This is important in
screening out unknown parameters.
• Analyze data through regression analysis.
• Plot appropriate results (DOE software will do this as well
as set up the model)
• Verify � ndings.
Below is one design of a DOE model:
Each set of experiments requires a Design Model.
Because each product and process has a di¦ erent set of
input and output parameters. I will sight one example
as it would be applied in gasketing. Proper analysis will
dictate the particular model design bases on the number
of variables and the number of repeated data points. One
of the fundamentals of the conduction of the test phase is
that the order of experiments are completely randomized.
If the model calls for each set of identical parameters to be
repeated three times, they must not be three samples taken
from the same setup, but one from three random separate
setups.
The reason that there are multiple data points is to
determine the consistency and repeatability of outputs and
to be able to determine statistics of the process.
GASKET RELATED EXAMPLE
There is a UV (Ultra-Violet) activated silicone gasket
coating. The process consists of roller coating a gasket and
then passing under a series of high-intensity UV light source
on a moving conveyer. The UV light activates the curing of
the coating. Once activated, the coating will change from a
liquid to a solid with time. The control variables in the set of
experiment would be:
• Coating thickness (controlled at the roll coater)
• UV intensity (controlled at the light source)
• Conveyer speed (in feet/minute)
The output variable would be time to complete
the curing process in seconds. The object is to � nd the
appropriate conveyer speed and UV intensity which will yield
a fully cured coating without undesireable attributes such as
bubbles. The UV light produces a lot of radiant heat which
can cause bubbling or burning if the speed is too low and
the intesity too high. The importance of determining the time
to cure is that the coating must be cured before turning the
gasket over and coating the other side in the same process
so duing the curing process the gasket must remain on the
conveyer. The time to cure will determine the physical length
of the conveyer thus ° oor space required for the process.
Through computer statistical analysis of the data gleamed
from these experiments, statistical curves such as the ones
on the next page can be generated.
NON-GASKET EXPERIMENT: (THE BASIS OF THE EXAMPLE
AND RESULTS WERE TAKEN FROM A PRESENTATION OF
REGIS BETSCH, PhD OF VELOCITY POINT)
Here is an example of results from a DOE to determine
the proper process parameter levels for the bond strength for
potato chip bag seals.
Page 14
The problem was de� ned as:
• The bag of potato chips MUST stay sealed during
shipment and stocking of shelves
• The bag should easily open when the customer wants a
chip
• It was initially determined that a bond strength
speci� cation of 82+-5 psi would meet the above criteria
The control variables were duration of clamp
pressure (0.2 seconds to 2.0 seconds) and temperature (120C
to 180C) and Clamp pressure (50 psi to 150 psi) were chosen.
It was determined that an experiment which would
predict the desired results would require an experiment with
20 runs (15 unique and 5 replicated).
The 20 trials were run and the data analyzed to give:
What is plotted in the � rst chart the family of
constant bonds lines represent the bond levels as a function
of Temperature and Duration with a clamp pressure of 100
psi. The process will yield the desired 85+-5 psi with a process
temperature of 120C and duration of 1.75 sec, OR at 160C and
.4 seconds.
SOFTWARE
There are a lot of good software providers with
programs speci� cally designed for the Design of Experiments.
This software can do the modeling and the analysis of your
data and most providers o¦ er training for the users. I attended
courses given by DuPont Chemical and by one of the initial
software developers for the Design of Experiments, Velocity
Pointe with their ECHIP software.
Design of Experiment(Continued from Page 13)
December 2010
What you need, when you need it
800-549-9860www.arlonecp.com
What you need, when you need it
www.arlonecp.com
Page 15 December 2010
Below are the results from the Benchmarking Survey,
which was undertaken to give GFA members a thumbnail
sketch of how other members are fairing at this time.
We had 25 out of 59 Fabricator responses.
1. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared to
Previous Quarter
UP DOWN SAME
22 1 2
88% 4% 8%
2. Current Quarter Sales Projection Compared
to Last Quarter
UP DOWN SAME
17 3 5
68% 12% 20%
We had 28 out of 68 Supplier responses.
1. Most Recent Quarter Sales Compared to
Previous Quarter
UP DOWN SAME
24 1 3
86% 4% 11%
2. Current Quarter Sales Projection Compared
to Last Quarter
UP DOWN SAME
18 2 8
64% 7% 29%
Benchmarking Report
Cutting Solutions for YourCutting Needs With or Without Dies.
ASSOCIATED PACIFIC MACHINE CORP. 724 Via Alondra, Camarillo, CA 93012-8713 USA(805) 445-4740 • (800) 679-APMC • www.apmcorp.com • [email protected]
3
ThinkFirst3M
TRANSPORTATION, MEDICAL DEVICES, APPLIANCES, ELECTRONICS
ThinkFirst3M
New 3M™ Silicone Laminating Adhesive & all-around winner 3M™ Quick Bonding Adhesive360 Family. Details & samples: 1-800-223-7427 or visit 3M.com/converter
for bonding, gasketing, laminating
for bonding,gasketing, laminating
Gasket Cutting
Parter with Preco
800.966.4686precoinc.com
•Registrations:X,X-YandX-Y-Ø•Knockoutandstacking•Acceptsvarioustooling•Standardorcustomsystems•Kisscutandcutthrough
•Precisionservoregistration•Modulardesigntoincorporate: •Laminating •Continuouslasercutting •Islandplacement
Rotary Die Cutting
Die Cutting Presses
Page 16 December 2010
www.rogerscorp.com/hpf
Valu-Edge is Wagner’s commitment to providingthe best quality, value, service and training.Give your company the edge - Valu-Edge!Exclusively from Wagner Die Supply!
ISO 9001: 2000C E R T I F I E D
Ontario, CA • Dallas, TX • Elmhurst, IL • Tacoma, WA
(800) 423-4478www.wagnerdiesupply.com
ASK ABOUT OUR CUSTOM WATER-JETCUTTING SERVICES!
ISO 9001: 2000C E R T I F I E D
Ontario, CA • Dallas, TX • Elmhurst, IL • Tacoma, WA
(800) 423-4478www.wagnerdiesupply.com
America’s Leading Source and Resourcefor Diemaking and Diecutting
Supplies, Equipment and Training.
ISO 9001: 2000C E R T I F I E D
Ontario, CA • Dallas, TX • Elmhurst, IL • Tacoma, WA
(800) 423-4478www.wagnerdiesupply.com
Custom-Designed and Milled Punchesfrom America’s Punch Leader!
O-Rings, Seals, Gaskets, Adhesives, Rubber Parts, EMI
www.sealingdevices.com * 716-684-7600
937.498.2222www.thermosealinc.com
Quality Sealing with Service and Innovation
Manufacturer of sustainable cork, recycled rubber and cork/rubber
products for the following markets:
www.ecoreindustrial.com
• Industrial• Aerospace• Automotive• Sealing
• Gasket Cutting• Packaging• Friction Materials• Anti-Vibration