SR Telecom designs, manufactures and deploys versatile, Broadband Fixed Wireless Access solutions. For over two decades, carriers have used SR Telecom's products to connect millions of people in both urban and remote areas around the globe.

		The problem The company had been using EPDM extrusions to seal the joints on their symmetryMX™airlink product due to their wide compression range. The problem was these extrusions had to be cut and the joints vulcanized (glued) – two processes that don’t allow for very tight tolerances.

"Not only were the tubes expensive, but we were having a lot of variation in our seals, which meant we had to test every station to make sure they were watertight," states Simon Benchimol, Manager of the Mechanical Engineering department at SR Telecom. "They were also difficult to install which was a problem because they are used on a high-volume product that is assembled manually overseas."

SR Telecom’s engineers knew they needed a custom design for a critical component that not only needed to seal and protect electrical components from inclement weather, but also meet specific conductivity requirements to ensure proper functionality. They turned to the rubber experts at Vicone for help.

Vicone's solution

After consulting with SR Telecom’s engineers and understanding all the necessary requirements, Vicone recommended a molded cross-section that had much tighter tolerances than the vulcanized extrusions they had been using. This meant the units no longer had to be tested because the precision of each seal was guaranteed to be consistent.

"Vicone came up with the brilliant idea of filling up the cavities while you compress it," explained Mr. Benchimol. "Their design was quite ingenious because the gaskets are now held in place while the units are being closed so they fit no matter which way they’re installed. Before, if you didn’t have the gasket the right way up it would fall off."

The result

Vicone’s knowledge and expertise not only saved SR Telecom 35% in material costs, but also helped shave over a minute off the time it takes to install the seals.

"The old gaskets used to take over a minute to install, while the new ones can be done in ten seconds flat, so it certainly reduces our labour costs," said Mr. Benchimol. "And because the mold can be amortized very quickly the overall cost savings are quite significant."

SR Telecom was so impressed with Vicone’s ability to figure out the ideal solution to their problem that they now plan to upgrade all their products using tubular seals to molded gaskets. They even referred Vicone to some of their other suppliers who were having problems with gaskets and seals.