Odd shaped "gasket" ring help

[myates]

I am designing a "gasket" ring for my company and I am having trouble finding a vendor to quote what I need. Unfortunately I can't disclose any major details but I will do my best in describing it.

It is approximately 0.29" in diamter, 0.01" thick ring. There are "notches" at certain locations around the ring allowing another circular ring to seat into those notches. This ring needs to be flexible yet hard (shore A 80 or 90 durometer silicone), to be able to hold open the said circular ring at a certain diameter. I am labeling it as a "gasket" solely for the fact that we are using o-ring and gasket manufacturers as our vendors of choice and it does not act as a sealing gasket.

If this information makes sense, can anyone point me into a direction for a vendor that does custom small silicone gasket or o-ring manufacturing with medical grade silicone?
Or maybe in another direction that may be of help in my situation?

 

[MintJulep]

http://www.stockwell.com/

 

[sreid]

Try Minor Rubber.

http://www.minorrubber.com/

 

[myates]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have talked to a few companies like these guys and they all just wish me luck and send me on my way. This design is just too complicated to tool a mold for.

Does anyone know any alternatives to creating a small silicone part with a complex shape?

 

[MikeHalloran]

Especially for really small parts,

http://www.applerubber.com/

I'm guessing your quantities are too small to be of interest to all vendors, in which case building a Teflon mold and pouring your own part might be a possibility. I'm not sure if the usual castable silicones can meet your hardness spec, but you can ask.



Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[myates]

Apple Rubber no quoted us. We are not sure if it is because of the quantities or because of the complex shape. We may be able to create a mold here, but we do not have a CNC so it will have to be by hand. We should be able to figure something out though. Thanks!

 

[1gibson]

Is it only an assembly fixture, or does it remain inside the finished part? Does it have to be round, or can it be square edged? At 0.010" thick, is there much of a difference?

If it can be "two dimensional" then why not laser cut it?

 

[myates]

It is a stand alone part that will eventually be used in a surgical procedure, so the least amount of edges would be ideal. However, if making it square edged is the only way to make it then we may have to go that route.

It cannot be two dimensional but it could be a good starting point because it would be a whole lot easier to cut.