Prepare for Tighter Safety Standards
Prioritizing airplane safety has never been more urgent and compelling. From navigating inclement weather to mitigating mechanical malfunctions, regulatory bodies are developing and strengthening safety protocols and oversight mechanisms. As a result, suppliers providing critical components for aircraft need to uphold the highest standards of quality and reliability.
SAE aerospace standards
Since 2004, there have been roughly 500+ new or revised standards every year. While global standards are necessary to ensure aircraft interoperability and safety, the constant change certainly keeps all of us on our toes – especially considering that the US Department of Defense adopts more standards from SAE than any other organization. That’s why it’s important to stay up to date on the latest trends in aerospace. Developing the right material to stay compliant poses huge challenges to material and product designers – especially during a time of trade volatility and supply chain issues.
New standards, new practices
One of these new and important standards, AMS7410, was issued in Q4 2021. This specification sets temperature, compression set, and fluid resistance requirements for fluorocarbon (FKM) elastomers in the form of compressions seals, O-rings, molded rings, and molded-in-place gaskets for aerospace applications. AMS7410 was written to address the shortcomings of FKM elastomers, which historically have struggled to perform reliably at low temperatures.
Greene Tweed is proud to be among the first seal suppliers to offer an FKM solution compliant with the new standard. With its broad temperature range and chemical compatibility, extremely low compression set, and strong abrasion resistance, Fusion® 665 meets and exceeds the requirements of AMS7410. This highly resistant elastomer provides superior low-temperature leakage control without sacrificing high-temperature performance, making it an ideal choice for aircraft engine and hydraulic system seal applications.
The material can be molded into proprietary seals like Greene Tweed’s AGT® Ring, CGT™ Capped GT Ring, Ener-Cap®, and ACT® Advanced Concept GT Ring seals, as well as standalone O-rings. Where nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) and fluorosilicone (FVMQ) suffer from leakage and early failure, Fusion® 665 performs at a temperature range of -70⁰F (-57⁰C) to 450⁰F (232⁰C). That’s 30°F lower than our legacy low-temperature FKM solution, Fusion® 772 (which successfully served the aerospace industry for years as a high-performance elastomer for a variety of demanding applications).
As the industry moves into a new year with new challenges, Greene Tweed looks forward to continuing the development of smarter, safer solutions for the ever-changing aerospace industry.
You May Also Like: