Industry News

AIAG & VDA Statistical Process Control manual was the first harmonized manual published by AIAG in their July 2026 issue. AIAG claims it enables launching and production readiness. They mention as a point that there is still a need - namely to distinguish one single passing result from a process that remains stable over time.

2026 Is Not One Rubber Market ANRPC's June 2026 report showed natural-rubber grades moving in different directions. SMR-20 rose 1.39%, STR-20 gained 2.61%, RSS-3 advanced 4.98%, and RSS-4 increased 5.88%, while latex slipped 1.44%. A rubber headline is not yet a usable cost basis.

The O-Ring Met the Specification. It Still Cracked: Lessons from NASA's 2005 Valve Investigation What ozone exposure, local strain, installation geometry, and service history add to an O-ring purchase specification

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌ 2026 deadline was a reason for paper work questioning. The general EU transition on first placing of repeat-use final food-contact Articles manufactured using BPA finished on July 20, 2026. Exceptionally, qualified repeat-use articles used as professional food-production devices may be first placed until January 20, 2028. The Commission guidance lists seals among the components of equipment that may ​‍​‌‍​‍‌qualify.

The '-40 Degrees C' Line Is Not a Test Plan Material‍‌‍‍‌ report describes that the compound met a -40 C degree brittleness requirement. However, valve leaks just at the beginning of a cold start and seals itself when warmed up. The difference is very well explained by the standardization activities: the ASTM reconfirmed D2137-11(2025), the ISO confirmed ISO 2921:2019 in 2024, and ASTM issued WK97337 in 2025 to revise D1329.

What rubber buyers should know about test methods, part geometry, temperature, and real sealing force Why Hardness Is Back on the Quality Agenda Hardness specifications are receiving fresh attention in 2026. ASTM reapproved D1415 this year, while D2240-15(2021) remains active. A D2240 revision project also opened in late 2025 to clarify conditioning and calibration details. A hardness number without a method is not a complete requirement. Many drawings ask for 70 +/- 5 Shore A hardness. The range helps with batch control, but rubber hardness cannot identify the polymer, predict fluid resistance, or prove that a seal will retain load. Buyers still need the test location, sample type, and instrument method.

A practical guide to regulatory status, chemical resistance, qualification testing and supply continuity for fluorocarbon O-rings The Restriction Is Moving Forward, but It Is Not a Finished Ban The PFAS discussion has moved from a general environmental topic into the seal buyer's inbox. In August 2025, the European Chemicals Agency published an updated EU-wide restriction proposal under REACH. Sealing applications were one of eight additional sectors assessed after more than 5,600 consultation comments had been reviewed. The update also considered options other than an immediate full ban, including continued use under defined conditions where risks can be controlled.

Practical​‍​‌‍​‍‌ hints for working with squeeze, gland fill, stretch, clearance and production tolerances for hydraulic and pneumatic seals A New Standard Gives More Importance to Hardware In November 2027, ISO released the third edition of ISO 3601-2. The document deals with O-ring housing dimensions in general hydraulic and pneumatics installations including with or without back-up rings. It superseds the 2016 edition version and acknowledges two standard ways of choosing hardware. Selecting hardware compatible with the O-tring is one standard method of selecting and selecting an O-ring to fit predetermined bore and rod sizes is another ​‍​‌‍​‍‌one.

What cameras, lighting and trained inspection models can - and cannot - control on a rubber molding line Visual Acceptance Is Becoming More Measurable Surface inspection has always been part of rubber production, but the standard is getting harder to meet with manual checks alone. ISO 3601-3 defines and classifies surface imperfections on O-rings and sets maximum acceptable limits; the standard is currently under systematic review. At the same time, industrial vision suppliers are moving deep-learning tools from demonstrations into production inspection.

Material Selection Is Moving Higher on the Quality Agenda Hydraulic seal material selection is receiving more formal attention from standards bodies. In July 2025, ISO registered a new work item, ISO/AWI TR 26033, covering the selection of elastomeric materials for hydraulic O-rings as well as acceptance procedures and incoming inspection. In July 2026, the revised ISO/FDIS 7986 for testing rod seals in reciprocating oil-hydraulic service entered its final approval phase. Both developments point in the same direction: a seal should be evaluated as part of a defined fluid, temperature, pressure and test system, not purchased by material name alone.