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Sealing material turns 50. No retirement in sight

By Paul Dvorak | July 13, 2012

Hydraulics manufacturer AVN approached Trelleborg to jointly develop seals to meet the requirements of continuous pitch systems. The specified solution is a complex arrangement of seals ranging from O-Rings to specialist Turcon PTFE based geometries and Slydring in Orkot.

From airplanes to spacecraft, prosthetics to wind turbines, and almost everything in between, Turcon performs well for a broad range of applications. This material is a part of—and has made possible—some of the most innovative engineering advancements in the last half-century. Now, on the eve of the PTFE material’s 50th anniversary, its developer, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions, is commemorating the material’s impact on the world.

Turcon is a proprietary polytetrafluoroethylene-based (PTFE) material introduced by Bill Shamban and Hank Traub in 1960. Its properties are unmatched in the industry, says Trelleburg.

For the commemoration, the company has brought together customers such as Boeing and Eaton, former executives from Busak+Shamban and Trelleborg, and engineers, researchers, manufacturers and others who have been involved with Turcon over the years for a multimedia retrospective.

The project unfolds in stages. A website with photos, videos and first-person contributions from a variety of people in the industry debuted in May. The project also includes a commissioned, hand-painted mural showing Turcon’s impact over the decades. Once a month until January 2013, Trelleborg Sealing Solutions will reveal the next panel in the mural, along with relevant photos, videos, and other media.

“The brand started with W.S. Shamban in 1962 and if you look at all the engineers in the market today, they don’t recognize the Trelleborg name with the Turcon brand,” says Nancy Getz, Product Manager of Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Fort Wayne.

Turcon has a long history tied tightly to the Fort Wayne community. It was developed by Bill Shamban, founder of W.S. Shamban Co., which moved to Fort Wayne in 1956. Turcon was produced in Fort Wayne facilities under the W.S. Shamban Co. and Busak+Shamban names, and now by Trelleborg Sealing Solutions. For more information about Turcon visit www.turcon50.com.

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions

www.trelleborg.com/news


Filed Under: News, Seals & slip rings
Tagged With: Trelleborg sealing solutions, Turcon
 

About The Author

Paul Dvorak

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