Flexible Solutions

Even the best-sealed enclosure can fail if the gasket material isn’t up to the challenge.

They say every failure is a step toward success, but we say that failure can be completely avoided by asking the right questions and having a clear understanding of your application's use case.

Lucky for you, we've condensed the important information we've learned over the years to help you make sure your enclosure is properly design right from the start. Check out the latest blog on the Rogers website, 6 Reasons Why Gaskets Fail: Materials and Environment, and the video below to start designing more reliable sealing components for your enclosure applications today.

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

From silicone to neoprene, each gasket material comes with trade-offs and will perform best in various situations, but how do you know which is best for your application and where should you start?

Have no fear, engineers! The Enclosure Institute™ has created a comprehensive guide on the Rogers website in the newest blog: Top 8 Sealing Material Options: How to Choose the Right One for Your Enclosure. 

This blog that breaks down the key differences in compression set resistance, temperature range, chemical compatibility, and cost across eight popular gasket options. With this guide and the Sealing Checklist Workbook (available exclusively to Enclosure Institute™ registrants), you're one step closer to sealing excellence.

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

“If it doesn’t seal, it’s not really an enclosure.” This engineer-focused resource from the Enclosure Institute™, a collaboration between Rogers Corporation and Marian, Inc., highlights eight practical factors for designing effective, long-lasting gaskets and seals. You can read the full article on the Rogers website.

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

NEMA (National Electrical Manufacturers Association), UL (Underwriters Laboratories), CSA (Canadian Standards Association), & IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission)—if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by enclosure standards, our third blog from the Enclosure Institute™ is your go-to resource. 

With so many standards guiding performance, safety, and environmental protection, it can be difficult to know which ones truly matter for your application.  Whether you're designing for industrial environments, outdoor use, or specialized equipment, understanding these standards is critical—and easier than you think.

Disclaimer: The Enclosure Institute™ is a free educational resource created by Marian, Inc. and Rogers Corporation to help engineers navigate enclosure sealing with expert guidance.

What exactly are enclosures—and why does sealing matter so much? In this foundational blog from the Enclosure Institute™, we break down the role of enclosures across a range of industries, from EV charging to medical devices. 

Sealing challenges can make or break the performance of an enclosure. That’s why Marian and Rogers Corporation have teamed up to launch the Enclosure Institute™ —a free educational series designed to help engineers tackle real-world sealing challenges with confidence. 

Silicone rubber materials and some plastic films have chemically inert and non-porous surfaces, which equates to low surface energy. This means they have a weak molecular bonding force making it difficult to create a bond with many pressure sensitive adhesives.

Per the Rogers Corporation Website, Rogers “BISCO^® HT-800 Medium Cellular Silicone offers the lightness of foam with the enhanced sealing capabilities of sponge rubber.” In this post, we'll dive a little deeper into this excellent material.

Silicone Rubber, a "Low Surface Energy" Elastomer - What Does This Mean?

Silicone is a high-performance elastomer with the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, both high and low. It also naturally repels, which makes it an excellent choice for a water seal or a moisture barrier. However, this also makes silicone tricky to bond to other surfaces.

Technological advances in properties of soft, flexible foam and elastomeric materials have continued. These thick, soft, flexible foams and elastomers like PORON foam, silicone foam, and more are ideal materials for sealing, gasketing and cushioning across many industries and applications.

They compress, form to irregular surfaces, bend, and flex within an application without damage or delamination, but from the perspective of the converter, these materials may also introduce challenges when trying to achieve the tight dimensional tolerances common in metal and plastic-molded parts.