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O-Ring Buyers' Guide to the Internet
Comparative Evaluation of Leading Internet O-Ring Supplier Websites
Table 2: Specifications, Physical Properties, and other Technical Information & Resources
Summary of related information available and/or not available on select internet o-ring supplier websites
| |
Company/Link |
Physical Property Specs | Other Technical Information |
Cross References | Remarks | |
Standard Gasket | Detailed, Tol+, Spec, Test |
- Material Selection Guide
- Fluid, Gas, Chemical Resistance
Charts
- O-Ring Users' Guide to Internet
|
-
Leading Manufacturer Compound Cross Reference
-
Internet O-Ring Vendor Price Comparisons
- Leading O-Ring Supplier Website
Evaluations.
| | |
Marco Rubber &
Plastics Products | Standard,
Tol+/- |
- Brief seal failure analysis aids
- O-ring groove design aids
- Fluid compatibility chart
- Material selection guide
| N/A | | |
Any Seals | Standard+,
Tol+ | N/A | N/A | | |
MI Rubber
& Gasket | Detailed, Tol+, Spec, Test |
- General Material Information
|
- Leading Manufacturer Compound Cross Reference
- Physical Property Comparison Charts
| Affiliated | |
Allorings |
Basic, Tol- |
- O-Ring Failure Analysis Guide
- Fluid Compatibility Guide
- Gland Design Guide
- Material Selection Information
|
N/A |
No meaningful specifications for standard products offered at all. | |
Hercules Bulldog |
Basic-, Tol- |
- Material Selection Info
- O-Ring Gland Design Guide
- Fluid Compatibility Charts
- Failure Analysis Guide
|
N/A |
Thorough downloadable (PDF) guide for general o-ring seal information. | |
O-Rings Inc. |
Basic-, Tol- |
- Paint gun O-Ring Info
- O-Ring Gland Design Info
- Failure Analysis Overview
- Material Selection Overview
|
|
Good general information, but no detailed
specifications regarding their own products. | | AOP Technologies |
Basic-, Tol- |
- Fluid Compatibility
- General Material Info
|
N/A |
Scant general information
and no specific physical properties for products offered. | | Scientific Instrument
Services |
Basic-, Tol- |
- General Material Properties and
Applications
|
N/A | | | McMaster-Carr | Basic-, Spec, Tol- |
|
N/A |
Thorough and well
presented general information |
Table 2 Notes
Selection
The websites in this survey were objectively selected as follows:
- All websites listed on first five pages of Google™ search for "o-rings" (3/21/2005) surveyed; all those meeting the following criteria (10 total) featured:
- Offer full lines of common types and sizes of o-rings for sale;
- Based in the United States;
- Prices published online and available without password, registration, or request for quote.
- Those not listing prices listed separately on Resources page.
O-Ring Buyers BEWARE!
Many internet vendors offer general information on rubber classes without actually
stating the specifications of their own products! While this probably merely indicates incomplete information on a website in most cases, we strongly recommend against buying o-rings or any sealing product without documented physical property specifications, because, like most commodities, there are always ways to reduce costs at the expense of quality...and companies willing to do so. |
Physical Property Specs
Summary of physical property specifications explicitly stated as representing the products offered. Most o-ring and rubber information published on o-ring supplier websites is general in nature, not product-specific.
- Basic (+/-) = Rubber Compound Class (Buna-N, Silicone, Viton®...), Hardness, Color
- Standard (+/-) = Basic + Temperature Range, Tensile Strength, Ultimate Elongation
- Detailed (+/-) = Standard + Tear Resistance, Cold Temperature Brittleness, Changes in Physical Properties based on Time, Temperature and/or Fluid/Gas environment, other.
- +/- = Appended to any of the above indicates more (+) or less (-) information than indicated in above categories.
- Spec = Manufactured to standardized material specifications (ASTM, Mil, etc.).
- Tol+, Tol-, Tol+/- = Specification criteria either 1) includes (+),
2) excludes (-), or 3) partially includes (+/-) precise ranges, minimums, maximums, and tolerances as applicable; (e.g. a stated tensile strength of 2,150 psi is ambiguous and,
therefore, quite different than 2,150 psi minimum, etc.)
- Test = Actual test data included.
Other Technical Information
General information on o-rings, seals, rubber compounds, fluid/gas compatibility, o-ring gland and groove design, etc.
Cross-References
Often useful, less common resources cross referencing various manufacturer rubber compound numbers, standard specifications, supplier physical properties comparisons, supplier price comparisons, etc.
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Technical Info
Orders, Inquiries, Customer Service: