The Problem: Splat ball (often referred to as paintball) is an exciting recreational sport for people of all ages across the country. However, the guns that are used take a lot of abuse. A company that made these guns called us about a seal problem that made the “splat go flat.“
The Solution: We designed a more stable, rubber-bonded-to-metal seal.
Understanding the operating principles –The guns operate with CO2 to project the balls, and constant, fast compression/decompression resulted in the freezing of a seal made with carboxylated nitrile. We set our sights on improving the seal to compensate for these low temperatures.
Withstanding low temperatures –The first step was to analyze materials that would withstand the temperatures better than carboxylated nitrile using cold testing equipment in our lab. We chose a urethane material with a temperature range that went well below-20°F.
Taking another shot at it –We knew the material we chose would withstand the low temperatures. But we went a step further to add stability and reduce the effect of compression/decompression on the seal by bonding it to metal.
Keeping costs on target –Our knowledge of materials and bonding capabilities assured a quick solution as well as a cost-effective solution. The rubber-bonded-to-metal seal will simplify installation of the part and reduce assembly costs for the manufacturer.