PAWLING, N.Y.—Pawling Engineered Products Inc. has added a silicone inflatable seal with built-in antimicrobial properties to its product offerings.
It's the first seal of its type, company President Craig Busby said.
“We certainly have competitors on the inflatable-seal side, but to our knowledge, we don't know of anyone that's making inflatable seals with antimicrobial silicone,” Busby said. “Putting those two together is a unique capability of ours.”
The AMS Series antimicrobial seal is designed for use anywhere that cleanliness is essential, according to the company.
For example, the manufacturer plans to market the seal for use with equipment for food processing, pharmaceutical, medical and scientific applications and other high-performance environments.
Busby said the AMS Series seals would be particularly appropriate for use with sterilizers.
“If you've ever seen the seals on your windows, a lot of mildew will grow on that, and it's impossible to get off,” Busby said.
The new inflatable seals could be used in any application where growth on the silicone would be cause for rejection or is just aesthetically displeasing.
Another major market segment Pawling hopes to attract is manufacturers of bathtubs for senior citizens or those with limited mobility.
“There are a lot of new bathtubs on the market for the older generation, where the doors swing into place and the seals inflate,” Busby said. “Then they'll fill the tub up so they don't have to climb over anything. It would certainly be a good market for this product.”
The company doesn't know the size of the market for the new product yet, so no additions of employees or manufacturing facilities are planned at this time, he said.
Pawling's inflatable seals offer a long cycle life, Busby said. Tests indicate that after 2 million cycles the material retains its integrity without cracking or loss of resilience.
Other benefits include protection from deterioration resulting from microbial growth, he said.
The extruded product is manufactured at the company's Pawling, N.Y., plant. The company employs 130 and maintains 125,000 square feet of manufacturing space.
Additional information about the AMS Series seals is available on the firm's website at www.pawlingep.com.