Available in both standard and metric sizes, industrial o-ring seals are the most common and most relied-upon components of machine design. Their size, whether metric or standard, is determined by measuring the inside diameter as well as thickness. They are typically made of elastomer, an elastic polymer, and were first utilized in the late 1930s. Meant to provide a solid seal in everything from vacuum cleaners to cars, o-ring seals can withstand high pressure and imperfections in parts to which they are mounted.

There are thousands upon thousands of sources for buying industrial o-ring seals. Look to the following as solid resources:

1. Multiple quotes from online o-ring seal distributors

2. Manufacturers of o-ring seals

3. Information about o-ring seals and accessories

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

Find a variety of o-ring seal distributors on one site

O-ring seal distributors are as numerous as the industries who rely upon o rings for their machines. If you're looking for bottom-line pricing, the best resources are sites that list multiple o-ring manufacturers. Most of these sites listing o-ring suppliers have a direct link to the manufacturer, while others keep the assortment in stock and ready to ship.

I recommend: Shop Marco Rubber & Plastic Products, Inc., and DirectIndustry. Both sites feature o-ring seal suppliers from a wide variety of manufacturers.

Shop directly with o-ring seal manufacturers for the best product guarantees

O-ring seal manufacturers could be the way to go if you use the same machinery regularly. The benefit of sticking with one manufacturer is that some of these companies keep profiles and order history for clients which include information about o ring sizes and their applications. And, since they specialize in o-ring production, it's in the company's best interest to stay on top of the latest o-ring technology and news.

I recommend: Contact o ring seal specialist Seal Science, Inc., for seals made from molds on site. Apple Rubber Products, Inc., stocks more than 300,000,000 o rings made from an assortment of seven different materials.

Arm yourself with information and tools for working with o rings

Eliminate confusion about which type of o ring is right for your machinery. Find free information online, as well as sites that offer tools to make o ring application and extraction easy. Most of these sites also offer kits to help you choose the right size o ring.

I recommend: Download a free booklet to help you decipher the expanse of o-ring information at Epm.com. Allorings.com can arm you with the right o-ring tools and accessories.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Not all industrial o-ring seal manufacturers are equal, so be sure to use a supplier that keeps up with the latest recalls of o rings issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.