When the Seal Matters, Experience Wins.

They are included on the individual product pages.

Yes! We have extensive experience designing and manufacturing custom Connects for all kinds of applications. Contact us using the webform or email sales@cincinnati-test.com and one of our seal experts will be in touch to discuss your requirements.

Start by determining the diameter of the device to be sealed and its dimensional tolerances.

Next, consider how the device will be delivered to the seal surface. Is it a manual placement operation or automated movement?

If you are sizing the seal for manual placement, choose the seal size that is closest to the dimensional tolerance of your part to be sealed (ID seals will be the largest size and OD seals will be the smallest size). This allows the operator to move the seal into place and easily adjust for tolerance variances. Additionally, this closely sized dimensional fit allows for a small amount of cam-over actuation to make a tight seal.

To size seals for an automated operation, choose the seal size that supplies the largest tolerance variance (ID seals will be the smallest size and an OD seal will be the largest size). This allows more room for tolerance variances as the seal is automatically positioned into or around the seal location. Position variances typically occur with automated applications.

For example, if you are looking at sealing the outside diameter of 0.26 in, there are two size options for CTS Connect:

• 0.18-0.26
• 0.26-0.34

For manual seals, you’d use the larger option, 0.26-0.34. For pneumatic seals, select the smaller one, 0.18-0.26.

There are a few considerations in choosing whether to use a manual or pneumatic seal.

Force required to actuate the seal:

Manual actuation is using the cam-operated handle to engage the sealing device. Pneumatic actuation is using pilot air pressure to engage the sealing device. There is a difference between the sealing force that pneumatic operation can exert compared to the force an operator doing it by hand. Also, regulated pilot air pressure can be raised to achieve higher activation forces.

Test pressure and diameter size affect seal retention:

Test pressure and seal diameter calculated to surface area tie into the amount of push back force that will be applied to the seal surface when the test piece is pressurized. If the pressurized push back force exceeds the amount of squeeze force holding the seal in place the seal will move causing a test fault and a dislodged seal will affect operator safety.

Selecting pneumatic actuation will supply a large range for seal actuation adjustment, if you are sealing a very smooth surface or testing at high pressures, it may be necessary to increase the pilot actuation pressure to keep the seal in a stationary position.

When you have selected use of a manually actuated seal, use the high tolerance seal size so that you may adjust the cam lock actuation at its highest hold back set point.

Additional notes:

• If the seal is manually placed into position, utilize a tether to hold the seal in a fixed position as a safety for instances where it may detach from the seal area. (All CTS Connects are designed with a retention ring to affix a tether.)
• CTS can design and manufacture hold back devices built onto the CTS Connect that lock over test part features like flanges and barbs to hold the seal in place.
• Utilize pneumatic cylinders to advance and hold an attached seal in place during high pressure testing.

If there are any questions about your application, please contact CTS and speak with a CTS Connect Applications Specialist for additional information (513) 202-5100.

Cycle time, budget, and ease of access by the operator

For high production testing, it is expected that automating a process has more cost but allows operators to move parts through a test station quicker if they have less operations to accomplish prior to starting the test. Pneumatically actuated seals can be triggered to seal when the instrument start is initiated helping reduce operator independence to actuate each seal. For lower production through-put projects, the operator may have more time to move around the test part placing and hand actuating manual seals, this allows for a lower cost, test fixture but operator movement should be evaluated for efficiency of seal placement and ergonomics of motion.

Pneumatic actuation of a CTS Connect inside (CI) or outside (CO) diameter seal can be controlled by a variety of methods:

• When integrated with a CTS supplied instrument like the Sentinel IX5, Blackbelt, Blackbelt Pro, or LPC528, each instrument has an option to be supplied with integrated solenoid valves that will be operated by internal drivers designed into each instrument. Or the instrument I/O can be configured to operate external solenoid valves to actuate the seal devices automatically during the test cycle sequence.
• External solenoid valves may be PLC controlled to pilot operate the sealing devices during the PLC driven test cycle.

For manually placed pneumatic actuated seals, CTS can supply a manual slide valve integrated into the pilot air input of the seal. The operator will slide the valve to activate the seal as it is held in place with the test part. Sometimes it is advantageous for CTS to integrate a spring-loaded thumb lock onto the seal device. This added mechanism will hold it in place while the seal is actuated and to add a holdback force keeping the seal device secured to the test part while it is under test pressure.

When moving an outside diameter seal into place, it is possible that it might run into the part due to slight tolerance issues related to automation or part tolerance variations. The Lead-in mechanism is a Delrin ring on the face of the CO Connect that is funnel shaped. As there might be contact with the seal, the funnel shape helps guide the tube or fitting into the seal location. This works exceptionally well when a Springmount swivel is mounted between the CO seal and the moving mechanism (cylinder or slide).

A Springmount swivel is suggested for use when a CTS Connect is mounted onto an automated advancement device (cylinder or slide) for moving the seal to a test part. When the test part tolerance or movement tolerance is not very accurate, the springmount swivel device allows movement of the seal to self-align with the test part seal location. The CTS Connect inside diameter (CI) seal with a retention cap will guide itself into the seal location and the CO (outside diameter) seal with a Lead-in device will guide itself onto the outside of the seal location.