‘Static season’ is coming

It may be hot and muggy now, but by October dry air will sweep in to the Upper Midwest and beyond. This is the beginning of what we call ‘static season’.

Static electricity by definition is stationary. It is the result of the ‘Triboelectric effect’ – two materials rub together and produce an electric charge. These charges sit on surfaces and not necessarily in even amounts. As with any electrical potential, it will flow to a conductor. Moist air – high dew points – can conduct electricity better than dry air – low dew points – with temperature being equal. In the moist environment the electrical charges can find conductors at low potentials. Once dry air moves in and the air is an insulator, the potentials can reach harmful levels. Electronics, motors and people can be at risk. A few years ago, Sealeze made a static dissipative brush ‘wand’ for a building wrap manufacturer to conduct away absolutely deadly static potentials that would occur if their web broke.

There is a mantra in the static control industry to eliminate the potentials totally and there are some instances where that is important.  From our experience in solving harmful static charges, we just need to keep the potentials moving away so they do not build up to harmful levels. The fact that of moist air keeping charges down proves that.

To completely eliminate static requires devices that use electricity and require adjustments depending on humidity levels. This is a lot of expense and maintenance to work towards a goal that could be overkill.

Sealeze conductive brushes offer passive, effective static electric dissipation. They can be made as wide as the affected area to reach the ‘pools’ of high electrical potentials across the whole surface. Our stock aluminum brush holders give mounting options. Some are strong enough to wipe light particulate off of conveyor lines, while still dissipating static. Another can stand off the electrically loaded surface and still reduce static to harmless levels. This is important for printed plastic webs.

See our website for a white paper and test results.

Sealeze Brush for Bus Transportation

Sealeze provides a wide variety of brush assemblies that can be used for bus transportation. Not only can our brush products make buses a more efficient method of transportation, but they can also improve the experience for passengers.

Our brush solutions provide safe, durable, cost-effective sealing and gap-closing options for buses. Some of the main benefits include:

Sealing the bottoms of doors. Brush applications are a great option for sealing the bottom of bus doors since they can stop up to 98.5% of air infiltration. In addition, they help to block light and odor and can keep out dust and dirt from the road. All of our staple set brush or strip brush come with the option of adding a rubber Xtraseal membrane with can eliminate water infiltration from ambient conditions and washings.

Obscure mechanical gaps. Brush is a convenient solution for obscuring the large gaps that plug door actuators travel through. Hiding these mechanisms enhances appearance, but it also protects the machinery and passengers. By keeping dust and dirt from entering the mechanism, you’re more likely to extend its lifespan. In addition, it deters passengers from placing objects or body parts into the actuator mechanism, not only protecting their safety but also protecting the functionality of your machinery.

Suppresses wheel spray. Because of its customization, brush can solve numerous problems – one being tire spray. Sealeze brush provides an excellent buffer against tire spray that comes from the wheel wells during travel.

 Our high-durability, conforming brush seals are an excellent solution for bus transportation and can solve a variety of problems.

The advantages of Sealeze brush include:

• No tearing
• Highly flexible (down to -40° F)
• Conforms to irregular surfaces
• More abrasion resistant than solid seals
• Low drag on actuators

If you need support integrating a brush solution into your bus transportation application, please contact a Sealeze representative at 1-800-787-7325.

XtraSeal for Aircraft

Exposed wheel wells are a common part of many aircraft, including Boeing. The front and rear wheels do not go all the way into the plane, but rather retract into an exposed opening. This design is intentional since it allows for better ground clearance and cargo capacity. The problem with this engineering though is it requires constant maintenance due to wear and tear. The rear wheels of the aircraft are still spinning at a high rate of speed when they are retracted. Typically, a brake is applied to slow the wheel down once the aircraft has taken off but if the brake fails, the gear cannot retract. This leaves the wheels spinning at extremely high velocities, causing wear on the bearings.

Sealeze brush filament is a better solution for wheel wells since its durability and flexibility with temperatures can slow the rotation of the wheel without causing significant wear.

Our XtraSeal brush can withstand temperatures from -40°C up to 200°C. Even with the wide temperature range, XtraSeal brush still remains flexible. In addition to being flexible, XtraSeal has an extremely long lifespan and can help mitigate airflow.

Our brush solution offers:

• Environmental benefits – no more flying dust and debris
• Less wear & tear – durable brush has extremely long lifespan
• Cost effective benefits – less maintenance means less cost

In addition to helping the rear wheels, Sealeze brush can also be beneficial for front wheels of aircraft. Unlike the rear wheels, the front wheel does not have a brake and is still spinning freely at a high tangential velocity even after it retracts. A special metal shoe is used to stop the wheel; however, this creates lots of heat and smoke, damage to the tire, and wears on the shoe. Sealeze brush can be used in conjunction with the shoe or by itself to gradually slow the wheel without causing damage to the tire.

The engineering design staff at Sealeze is ready to help you customize your brush solution. Our full-service team helps take the responsibility off in-house engineering teams, so you can get the problem solved!

How Sealeze Brush Can Prevent VOC Leakage in Oil Refineries

There are many intricate processes involved in operating an oil refinery. Numerous processes and technologies work together to produce the thousands of petroleum-based products that Americans use every day. Scientists, engineers, and safety officials collaborate to produce these products safely and efficiently. In the midst of this fine-tuned operation, a Sealeze brush application plays an important role.

Sealeze brush is used to seal the outside of Archimedean screws, used in oil refineries to move the oil/water slurry that seeps down to a pit at the bottom of the plant. Water and oil are pumped from the pit by turning a screw-shaped surface inside the pipe. Even though the oil down there is very thick, it still has enough VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) to waft out of containment.

The EPA classifies VOCs as both indoor and outdoor air pollutants. Oil refineries are regulated and fined by various agencies for excessive VOC leakage. This is where Sealeze brush comes in.

We have successfully eliminated the VOC leakage at oil refineries in California and Illinois by sealing around the outside of the Archimedes barrel. The Archimedes screws we’ve worked on have been 48” – 60” in diameter on the outside of the barrel and 40 – 50 feet long. By sealing around the outside of the barrel with two concentric rings of brush we are able to completely eliminate leakage. In addition to sealing the barrel, Sealeze brush also plays a role in eliminating static electricity before it can pose a danger.

The seals used on Archimedes screws are passive and do not require maintenance for years. Given the necessary smooth surface for the brushes to seal onto, the brushes are not affected by wear for many years. In fact, the brushes we installed at a California oil refinery are still in place after 6+ years!

Our brush can be used to solve a variety of problems. To learn more about Sealeze brush, visit our website or give us a call today to see how we can customize your solution!

How Brush Can Lower Production Costs and Improve Runnability

In the world of wire drawing machinery, production volume is extremely important. Because manufacturers spend so much money on drawing machinery and wire forming equipment, they expect that machinery to produce at a high volume and quality. When this doesn’t happen, the blame game starts — usually focused on the operator, the equipment or the vendor.

Often, however, the real culprits are not the equipment or the operator, but the raw material itself. In the process of drawing or forming wire, scale and residual lubricants are inevitable. When they’re not managed properly, they can have a significant impact on the overall operation of the line. The most common issues that arise are:

• Incomplete scale removal or clinging fine particulates
• Residual lubricants gumming up dies or wire straighteners

All of these can affect forming, final finish, or prematurely wear out dies, as well as force line-speed reduction and frequent shutdowns.  The impact of scale and residual lubricants on wire runnability can be huge. On the plus side, these problems are relatively easy to manage without huge expense or reengineering.

Wire descaling and cleaning brushes come in a variety of materials, sizes and textures to optimize the condition of the wire surface, pre- or post-process. It is not expected that the brushes alone will replace existing descaling equipment or methods. They are, however, a proven cost-effective tactic that increases process efficiency and final product quality.

Depending on your objective, brushes can:

• Quickly remove excess scale to improve traditional mechanical descaling processes
• Extend die life
• Easily remove excess lubricants and residue
• Improve uniform lubricant adhesion
• Enhance drawing and bending machine performance and reliability
• Optimize surface finish and brightness
• Reduce the costs associated with chemical descaling

At Sealeze, we produce brush types designed for each wire type, material, size, finish requirement, drawing operation, or final product configurations. In addition, they are very easy to install and can be changed out in seconds. To learn more about brush, please visit our website or give us a call today at 1-800-787-7325.

Sealeze Brush For Elevators

Most of us simply assume an elevator is going to perform its job of carrying us from one floor to another when we get onboard one. What you don’t think about are the hundreds of small mechanisms that allow the elevator to do that job — namely, Sealeze brush seals.

Our elevator hoistway brushes are designed to help seal the elevator shaft, maintaining fan-induced positive pressure in the shaft. This is done for a variety of reasons, including energy and operating concerns as well as keeping smoke out of the hoistway. In the event of a fire, the fan-pressurized hoistway keeps smoke out, allowing first responders to use the elevator as an evacuation method. You’ve likely been taught not to use an elevator during a fire. This is because if an elevator’s hoistway is not properly sealed to keep smoke out, the hoistway essentially turns into a chimney. Sealeze hoistway brushes are low friction, long lasting and incredibly effective at sealing the openings.

In addition, the brush can act as a seal to prevent conditioned air (air from AC or heater) from escaping, as well as contaminated air (like smoke or fumes from parking garages) from entering the elevator.

Some other ways in which brush seals are beneficial in elevator applications include:

• Sealing out dust and debris
• Keeping fumes from entering the elevator
• Cutting down on noise
• Minimizing air leakage

Each Sealeze brush seal is rigorously tested to stop 98.5% of air infiltration. To learn more about Sealeze brush for elevators, please visit our website.

Sealeze in Airports

When was the last time you were in an airport? Did you happen to notice brush products as you made your way to board your plane? Probably not, but it is all around helping airport procedures go smoothly!

Brush has various uses that are applied all over airports. Check out some of these examples:

• Baggage Check and Claim: Brush helps keep your luggage in check on the conveyor belts as it leaves to get on the airplane and as it comes off.
• Escalators and People Movers: Look down while you are on an escalator or people mover and you will see brush. It is there for your protection so luggage, fingers, and other objects do not have access to the moving pieces.
• Revolving Doors: These are all over the airport. The brush on the bottom helps to keeps dust, and debris, weather and pests out. It also helps to slow the doors down for safety.
• Aircraft Hangar: The large doors on aircraft hangars have brush on the bottom. Much like a home garage door, these doors need to keep weather, pests, rodents, debris, and various other things out of the hangar.
• Trams: As you go from gate to gate, there are sight seals and door seals on the trams that are transporting you there.

Not only is Sealeze brush versatile in an airport setting, it is versatile everywhere. From buses to data centers, brush can be used to solve many problems.

Sealeze Keeps Valuables Safe

Not only can Sealeze brush be used in factories and manufacturing plants, it can be used in everyday places like storage facilities.

Keeping customer belongings dry and safe from the elements is a promise many facilities live by. Our brush can help keep that promise. With our custom design, Sealeze weatherseal brush can fit any size door and opening.

Our brush can be made with different materials like nylon or Polypropylene to get the tightest seal.

We know customer satisfaction is a big deal to storage unit owners and our brush can help with that. The weatherseal brush will keep out weather, air, pests, and any other critters from entering your customers’ units.

To learn more about Sealeze brush for storage facilities, please visit our information page.

Door Seals for Mass Transit

Did you know every time you hop on a bus, subway or train you are protected by a brush seal? Pay attention next time you are on mass transit to the door seals – that is brush, possibly Sealeze brush.

Our brush is custom made for various mass transit purposes, but the most common is door seals. Without brush, debris and air would make it’s way into the vehicle. Brush helps to eliminate this problem.

Our brush also solves following problems on mass transit:

• Reduce Friction: brush is used that a seal is created without getting up in mechanisms.
• High Abrasion Resistance: brush is able to handle the repetitive open and close of doors and other moving parts.
• Wide Temperature Range: effectively seal in hot and cold conditions – even to 70° F to below zero.
• Self-extinguishing: in the event of mechanical failure, the filament will not catch fire.

Our brush can be used to solve a variety of problems. Check out our transportation page to see some recent examples, or give us a call today to see how we can customize your solution at 1-800-787-7325.

Wire Descaling

A proven, cost-effective complimentary tactic that increases process efficiency and final wire product quality…is wire descaling brush.

In the process of drawing or forming wire, scale and residual lubricants are inevitable. If not managed effectively, they can have a significant impact on the overall operation of the line. The most common are:

• Incomplete scale removal or clinging fine Particulates

• Residual lubricants gumming up dies or wire straighteners

All of these can affect forming, final finish, or prematurely wear out dies… as well as, force line-speed reduction, and more frequent shutdowns to change worn parts or clean
critical points.

The impact of scale and residual lubricants on wire run ability and quality is greater than realized. On the plus side, these problems are relatively easy to manage without huge expense or re-engineering.

Wire descaling and cleaning brushes are a quick low cost way to optimize wire finish and increase line speed. They are installed in seconds with no special tools.

Depending on your objective, brush can:

• Quickly remove excess scale to improve traditional mechanical descaling processes
• Extend die life
• Easily remove excess lubricants and residue
• Improve uniform lubricant adhesion
• Enhance drawing and bending machine performance and reliability
• Optimize surface finish and brightness
• Reduce the costs associated with chemical descaling

There are specific brush types designed for each wire type, material and size, finish requirements, drawing operation, or final product configurations.

 

A few examples are:

• Heavy to light scale removal
• Bright wire, plate grade finishing
• Low and high carbon steel, copper, stainless steel, aluminum, and other
alloys
• Soap/lime/lubricant removal
• very light talc, copper dust or fines removal
• Continuous scouring
• Wet or dry environments
• Acidic or neutral baths
• Line speeds from 200 fpm (60 mpm) to 6500 fpm (2000 mpm)
• Cable and chain

Easy to install

Another advantage to the in-line spiral brush design is they change-out in seconds,
with the wire in place. Most operations allow the brush to ride free on the wire, while others choose to clamp them to a fixture.

Call Molly at 800.787.7325, she can talk about your wire descaling need or email: mberry@sealeze.com. For more info check out our web page.