Simrit, the general sealing products business of Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies, has made several announcements in the aerospace arena in conjunction with this week’s Farnborough Air Show in England.
O-ring distribution agreement with Pattonair
Simrit announced that it has finalized a global distribution agreement with Pattonair, a leading supply chain service provider. Simrit’s Lutterworth, Leicestershire, U.K. and Santa Ana, Calif. facilities will supply Pattonair with aerospace sealing products for its global aerospace OEM customers.
“The agreement with Simrit allows Pattonair to strengthen its product offering with high quality and reliable sealing products,” said Nick Ammerlaan, supply chain director, Pattonair. “Simrit’s material expertise and dedication to quality make the company an ideal global partner.”
Pattonair is an international provider of value-added distribution and supply chain outsourcing services, such as product distribution management, direct line feed and kitting, and consultation, to customers in the aerospace market. Its customers include Rolls-Royce plc, BAE Systems, Safran Group, Parker Aerospace, Goodrich, Thales Aerospace, Turbomeca and Eaton.
“Simrit’s distribution agreement with Pattonair is another milestone in our journey to grow as a leading global aerospace sealing supplier,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president global sales aerospace, Simrit. “Pattonair has an outstanding reputation for quality and we’re confident our aerospace sealing product portfolio aligns with the company’s commitment to excellence.”
Simrit meets the unique demands of the aerospace industry through its customized, proprietary material and technology solutions. As a material and sealing solution specialist, the company provides a wide range of products with aerospace material specifications.
Simrit’s Lutterworth facility, which provides warehouse and logistics services, has achieved the AS9100 recertification for product design and the AS9120 Revision A quality management system certification. The company’s Santa Ana facility has more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing of aerospace O-rings, plate seals and molded shapes. The facility has earned the AS9100 Revision C certification for design and quality, is Nadcap-approved for critical aerospace applications and houses an American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) certified laboratory.
Three aerospace sealing facilities earn AS9100 Revision C Certification
Simrit announced that three of its facilities – Ashland, N.H., Santa Ana, Calif. and Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada – have been certified to the AS9100 Revision C quality management system (QMS) aerospace industry standard. This latest revision builds on the elements of the AS9100B standard and places an added focus on the processes a company employs to conduct business in accordance with the certification’s requirements.
The original AS9100 standard was designed to meet the stringent, complex and unique demands of the commercial and defense aerospace industries. Earning the certification validates an organization’s commitment to quality, and provides a comprehensive QMS focused on the areas that directly impact product safety and reliability. The latest revision evaluates a process, such as a contract review, based on customer-related processes, design and development, record retention, risk management, etc.
“Simrit’s prompt achievement of the updated AS9100 Revision C certification is a testament to our diligence and unwavering commitment to product and process quality,” said David R. Monaco, president, Simrit Americas and senior vice president, Simrit Global. “The aerospace industry requires precise practices and processes, and Simrit has proven yet again that it is committed to achieving and maintaining the proper certifications on behalf of our customers.”
The Ashland facility, with more than 30 years of experience, designs and manufactures low to medium-volume radial shaft seals and aerospace radial shaft seals. The plant serves a variety of markets and is also responsible for manufacturing mechanical face seals.
The Santa Ana plant has more than 30 years of experience in the manufacturing of aerospace O-rings, plate seals and molded shapes. The facility is Nadcap-approved for critical aerospace applications and is the first O-ring plant in the world to receive this prestigious certification. Additionally, it houses an American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) certified laboratory and produces nitrile, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), silicone, fluorosilicone, fluorocarbon and per fluorinated elastomeric components.
The Nadcap-approved Tillsonburg plant is one of the most experienced facilities in the aerospace industry. It designs and manufactures aerodynamic seals and sealing products, including engine seals, thrust reverser seals, and door and window seals, for commercial aircraft and jet engines. The facility was recently named a United Technologies Corp. Supplier Gold Award winner for three consecutive years (2009 – 2011).
“With more than 100 years of combined experience in manufacturing aerospace-related sealing products, our Ashland, Santa Ana and Tillsonburg facilities offer customers a dependable industry partner,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president global sales aerospace, Simrit. “As a trusted supplier, Simrit is dedicated to maintaining the needed industry specifications to continue this high level of service and expertise.”
Plate seal manufacturing transitioned to Tillsonburg, Ont. facility
To address increased demand from its aerospace customers and the resulting expansion of its plate seal product portfolio, Simrit transitioned all of its plate seal manufacturing to its Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada facility on July 1. The facility, which produces plate seals and metal overmolded products, has the established resources and certifications to successfully accommodate the increased production.
“Our Nadcap-approved Tillsonburg plant is one of the most experienced facilities in the aerospace industry and has the design engineers, FEA resources and bonding expertise already established to support this expansion,” said John Vettor, lead center manager – Tillsonburg, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies. “Further, the facility’s focus on engines and high-temperature applications lends itself for this type of plate seal manufacturing.”
The ISO9001-approved Tillsonburg plant designs and manufactures low pressure seals for many markets, including aerospace, appliance, energy and electrical, with a special focus on applications in extreme temperature, electrical and environmental situations. The facility was recently awarded United Technologies Corp.’s Supplier Gold status for the third consecutive year, as well as 3M’s Superior Performance Award for the second time. The plant is certified to the AS9100 Revision C quality management system including design for the aerospace industry.
“With our continued and anticipated growth, we need to establish additional capacity to supply our plate seal customers across all industries, especially aerospace,” said Vinay Nilkanth, vice president global sales aerospace, Simrit. “With the aerospace’s industries unique material and process requirements, transitioning our plate seal manufacturing to the aerospace-compliant Tillsonburg facility was an ideal choice.”
Plate seals are hybrid seals designed to incorporate the best features of flat gaskets and O-rings, while eliminating the drawbacks associated with each of those sealing methods. Plate seals originally gained their reputation for reliability by solving the critical sealing demands of the aerospace industry. Simrit’s custom plate seal designs, combined with the seal’s weight and performance benefits, make them an ideal choice for numerous aerospace applications.
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