Wednesday 25 September 2013

Rubber Gaskets For Aircraft Helping To Make Air Travel Safer

By Marla Mills


Those who have worked on any aeroplane will understand that these craft are so much more than engines powering a cylinder through the sky. Each part, no matter its size has to be produced to high specifications and tolerances. Compare these requirements against those of the motor industry. Even something as basic looking as rubber gaskets for aircraft.

There are also people who think that these items will all be of the same design. Perhaps they also feel that they come on a roll and can just be cut to the required size. As you have guessed there is a lot more to it all. For instance in a car if a seal fails you can pull over to the side of the road, but with an aeroplane that option is not available.

Imagine a passenger jet waiting to take you away to your vacation destination. The last thing that you would want as you are sat there in your seat would be for the windows to start rattling. Even though they are a very tight fit, seals are also used to prevent any movement. This makes the window and frame joint so tight that special tools have to be used to fit and remove the windows.

Here is something else for you to ponder on your next flight. During a flight the fuselage is pressurized, but to board the craft you had to pass through a door in the skin. Broadly speaking that door is over a hole in the body of the aeroplane. Remembering the safety drills, in the event of depressurization the breathing masks will deploy. So you can see why it is imperative that the door seals are correctly maintained.

Your baggage also gets similar protection whenever you fly. Your luggage will get to spend the time in the baggage or cargo hold. This is slightly pressurized, but at a lower level than the passenger and crew areas. The cargo door also has a seal fitted.

There are also numerous seals and grommets throughout the engine and fuel systems. In fact wherever you look on a modern aeroplane there is a very good chance that your gaze will rest on either a seal or grommet. The grommets are there to also prevent pipes and cables becoming damaged as they pass through frames and bulkheads. Especially if the aeroplane were to encounter any form of vibration either on the ground or during flight.

Not only are the seals and grommets specially designed, so are the various compounds and adhesives which are used in conjunction with them. They all have to be capable of functioning correctly at a broad range of temperatures and pressures. Some areas operate at higher, or lower, temperatures to others which could be a factor in deciding which compounds are utilized in which areas.

So whenever you see a modern aeroplane remember that there are also unnoticed items playing their parts. These rubber gaskets for aircraft are also helping to make air travel safer. Yet these pieces are often overlooked even though they are just as important as everything else.




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