Lathe Cutting Services

Ames Rubber Manufacturing is an industry leader in the production of precision tolerance lathe-cut gaskets, washers and seals. These seals can be made to custom dimensions with minimal tooling costs. Also known as square cut seals; they can be used in place of O-rings in almost any static seal application, giving superior sealing properties. Let Ames Rubber Manufacturing be your one stop solution for precision Lathe cut seals.

Advantages:

Maximum sealing surface compared to standard O-rings
No mold flash line, voids or non-fills in the seal
No concave edges or ("hour glassing") vs. die-cut products
Flat and parallel cut surfaces
Economical alternative to die cut or molded gaskets, washers and seals
Precision molded tubes available for ultra-close tolerances
Extruded and pole cured tubing for high volume production
Mandrel built tubes for large diameter production
Cuts from .010" thick and up
Large washers and Seals - Up to 16" in diameter
Precision dimensional tolerances to .003"
Chamfered and beveled cuts
Plastic washers, including PTFE
Wide range of materials available
Large selection of Inside Diameter (ID) tooling for cutting and grinding
Minimal or no set-up or tooling charges
Rapid prototypes/samples
Flexible scheduling and large capacity for short lead times

Processes

How Are Lathe Cuts Produced?

A rubber sleeve is produced by molding, extruding or mandrel-building tubes, which are then hot vulcanizing cured. The cured tube can then be precision ground to the finished Outside Diameter (OD). The tube is then transferred to a cutting mandrel, which is mounted to a lathe specially designed to cut the rubber tube to the desired seal thickness or sleeve length. Our lot control system assures full traceability for all lathe cut products throughout the production cycle.

Cost Reductions Available

One cost-reducing option includes elimination of the grinding step when an extruded sleeve is used and when extrusion tolerances are sufficient.

A second cost cutting option allows for inline profile cutting of the sleeve if tolerances allow, eliminating the lathe-cutting step completely.

Both options may be combined for maximum cost savings; however, the utilization of normal methods yield a part of excellent precision at very economical cost and with minimal part-to-part variation ensuring close tolerance repeatability.