Foam gaskets are the gaskets that seal, cushion and prevent the liquid or gas from leaking between two sealed surfaces. The foam gaskets are very important for various industries such as the automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical industry.

Foam gaskets come in many shapes and sizes and in different types of foams. The foam gaskets are available in different forms such as open cell foam gaskets and closed cell foam gaskets. Common applications of open cell foam gaskets are hand-held communication devices, domestic electronics devices and automotive components. You can use closed cell foam gaskets in industrial machinery, electronic enclosures and automotive taillights.

Some important parameters you must consider before you buy a foam gasket are

1. Type of fluid
2. Features of the foam gasket: material, shape and size
3. Operating conditions: temperature and pressure
4. Required quantity of the foam gaskets
5. Requirement of additional features such as corrosion resistance and compressive strength

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy foam gaskets from reliable foam gasket manufacturers

Once you understand your requirements, check out different foam gaskets available in the market.

I recommend: Marian, a provider of die-cut flexible components, offers foam gaskets to various industries such as consumer electronics, telecommunications and medical. You can buy commercial foam gaskets at Frank Lowe Rubber & Gasket Co., a reputable foam gasket company. American Flexible Products manufactures gaskets of recycled and fresh foam materials. Reed Rubber & Foam Products is another foam gasket manufacturer that supplies gaskets of different foam materials such as neoprene, microcellular urethane and polyethylene.

Buy foam gaskets from foam gasket distributors or retailers

You can compare different foam gaskets depending on the features and prices at distributors or retailers' websites.

I recommend: Able Industrial Products is a foam gasket distributor that provides low density, medium density and swirl free foam gaskets. You can also buy foam gaskets at All Seals, a reputable distributor of seals and gaskets.

Buy specialty or customized foam gaskets

If standard industrial foam gaskets available in the market do not meet your requirements, you can ask reputable foam gasket companies to supply specialty or customized foam gaskets.

I recommend: Regional Rubber Company, a reputable foam gasket supplier, provides customized foam gaskets as per customers’ requirements. UFP Technologies is custom foam gasket manufacturer that provides foam gaskets for different industries such as chemicals, construction, medical and automotive. LAMATEK, another foam gasket manufacturer, can supply specialty gaskets with high corrosion resistance and compressive strength.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  For extreme operating conditions such as vacuum or ultra high pressures, consult an expert to design a foam gasket.
• •  You can also use foam gaskets as EMI (electromagnetic interference) shields in your electronic equipment.