Making A New Bond With
Your Machines

Improved Gaskets for Better Seal

Gaskets for today’s high speed industrial sewing equipment come in many shapes, sizes, and thickness.  Some gaskets are only a couple of millimeters in size and less than a millimeter thick.  Others are almost a meter long and well over a millimeter thick.  The shapes can run from the basic circle and square to the complex with angles that jot in and out from all sides.  But all of these gaskets serve the same purpose, and that is to prevent oil leakage.

Gasket material can also vary in today’s machines, with rubber, cork, metal and composition being widely used.  With the wide range of the material types being used, the way in which the gaskets are applied must also change.  

Over the last few years Union Special has been changing its gasket material, for most applications, from the cork type to the new composition type that has been impregnated with a bonding agent called “Three Bond ®”.  With these new gaskets the oil seal has improved dramatically, therefore reducing the possibility of oil leakage.  With the use of these new gaskets, the proper installation method has also changed.

When installing a new gasket the following simple procedure should be followed:

1. Remove the old gasket from the machine and cover surfaces.
    

2. Carefully scrape any residue from the machine and cover  surfaces, making sure not to nicks or gouge either surface.
    

3. Clean and wipe dry surfaces of both the cover and machine.
    

4. Place the new gasket on the dry machine surface.
    

5. Place the dry cover over the new gasket.
    

6. Start all screws in the machine.
    

7. Tighten the screws equally using a crisscross pattern.
    

8. Torque the screws if required.

Note:  With the new composition gaskets with “Three Bond ®”, DO NOT coat either surface with oil.  This will cause an improper seal and possible oil leakage.

If your machine uses a metal or rubber gasket, use the following method for installation:

1. Remove the old gasket from the machine and cover surfaces.
    

2. Carefully scrape any residue from the machine and cover  surfaces, making sure not to nick or gouge either surface.
    

3. Clean and wipe dry surfaces of both the cover and machine.
    

4. Apply a light coating of liquid gasket, as specified in your manual,  on both the surface of the machine and cover.
    

5. Place the new gasket on the dry machine.
    

6. Place the dry cover over the new gasket.
    

7. Start all screws in the machine.
    

8. Tighten the screws equally using a crisscross pattern.
    

9. Torque the screws if required.

Note:  It is also important that both surfaces be free of oil before applying the liquid gasket.  ® Three Bond is a registered trademark of Three Bond International, Inc.