Precision Gaskets
Overview
Preserved shop record for bentleymfg.com. The former plant is not quoting from this domain. What follows is drawn from the preserved pages and kept inside the process language those pages used. The preserved home page sets the tone: precision quality gaskets, a tradition of quality, service and price. It speaks of people and their commitment to the highest standards, of precision gaskets, washers and products made to exact specifications, delivered on time whether around the corner or around the world, and of value for the investment. That is the frame. Everything else in the record hangs from it. The about page carries the longest view. Since 1955, the tradition of superior quality, service and price made the company the manufacturer of choice for countless industries serving customers worldwide. It calls itself the premier supplier of precision gaskets, washers and products to busine
Details
sses of all types and sizes. Demand is attributed to unsurpassed quality. From the arrival of raw materials at the plant until the time the customer receives the order, quality assurance is of utmost importance. From the time the first part is stamped, the shop meets expectations and sustains exact specifications. The inspection process is described as so comprehensive that many customers accept those high standards as their own. The products page asks what space suits, irrigation systems, pharmaceutical valves, syringes, faucets, mechanical pumps, fastening systems and gages have in common. The answer given is most likely a Bentley gasket, washer, spacer or diaphram. That list is the practical map of the shop's output. It is not a catalog of part numbers; it is a statement of where thin, precise, cut or molded components disappear into larger assemblies and do quiet work. The same page notes a history of quality products that afforded award winning recognition among worldwide customers, and an experienced order department reachable through a U.S. Continental number. It also notes that the shop keeps abreast of the ever changing array of available raw materials through its association with the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The quality page is the most specific about materials and process. Precision products are manufactured from the best raw materials, such as TPE, TPR, plastics, Teflon and elastomers. A variety of metallic washers is offered. The shop describes itself as innovative when it comes to using new materials, working with the customer to find the perfect compounds for unique needs, including those with talc or siliconized finishes. It notes a variety of registered proprietary compounds that may be suitable for an application. Whatever material is selected, it will always meet or exceed specifications. Certificates of Compliance or chemical and physical analyses can be supplied. The shop is capable of producing million-unit part orders, and at the same time is geared for short-run production. The profile page, the biography of Kevin P. Crampton, president and CEO, is not a process document, but it belongs in the record because it explains the temperament behind the shop. The familiar cry of a mother with a son whose imagination and determination always kept her wondering what his next business adventure would be. From grade school through college graduation, a keen eye and ear for business. Ventures ran the gamut: a kid's lemonade stand, paperboy, dog walker, picnic coordinator, limo and messenger service. At age nine, one of the most successful ventures was selling old toys. Whenever toys arrived, the boxes were tucked in a safe place. When the toys were tired of, they were gathered, polished and painted if necessary, then packaged in their original boxes. That is the same instinct that shows up later in the plant: keep the material controlled, keep the finish right, keep the part in its proper condition until it reaches the customer. Read together, the preserved pages describe a shop organized around a few plain commitments. Precision gaskets, washers, spacers and diaphrams are made to exact specifications. Raw materials arrive and are held to quality assurance from that point until the order is received. The first stamped part is the reference point for meeting expectations. Inspection is comprehensive enough that customers adopt the standards. Materials include TPE, TPR, plastics, Teflon, elastomers and metallic washers, with talc or siliconized finishes available and registered proprietary compounds in the mix. Certificates of Compliance and chemical or physical analyses can accompany the work. Production ranges from million-unit orders to short runs. Delivery is on time, near or far. Value is part of the promise, alongside quality and service. That is the shop's process language, and it is enough to describe the target topic without reaching outside the record. Precision gaskets, in this shop's terms, are not an abstract category. They are the parts that go into space suits, irrigation systems, pharmaceutical valves, syringes, faucets, mechanical pumps, fastening systems and gages. They begin as raw material arriving at the plant. They are stamped, molded or cut from compounds selected for the application, sometimes with talc or siliconized finishes, sometimes from registered proprietary compounds. They are inspected under a process comprehensive enough to become the customer's own standard. They are documented, when needed, with Certificates of Compliance or chemical and physical analyses. They are produced in million-unit runs or short runs. They are delivered on time. And they carry the tradition that has been in place since 1955: quality, service and price, with precision as the constant.
Surface finish reference
| ISO grade | Ra (µm) | Ra (µin) | RMS (µin) | CLA (µin) | Rt (µm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N12 | 50 | 2000 | 2200 | 2000 | 200 |
| N11 | 25 | 1000 | 1100 | 1000 | 100 |
| N10 | 12.5 | 500 | 550 | 500 | 50 |
| N9 | 6.3 | 250 | 275 | 250 | 25 |
| N8 | 3.2 | 125 | 137.5 | 125 | 13 |
| N7 | 1.6 | 63 | 69.3 | 63 | 8 |
| N6 | 0.8 | 32 | 35.2 | 32 | 4 |
| N5 | 0.4 | 16 | 17.6 | 16 | 2 |
| N4 | 0.2 | 8 | 8.8 | 8 | 1.2 |
| N3 | 0.1 | 4 | 4.4 | 4 | 0.8 |
| N2 | 0.05 | 2 | 2.2 | 2 | 0.5 |
| N1 | 0.025 | 1 | 1.1 | 1 | 0.3 |
Common questions
What does N8 surface finish mean?
N8 is Ra 3.2 micrometres, or 125 microinches. The equivalent RMS reading is 137.5 microinch and the CLA figure is 125 microinch. Grades run from N12 (roughest, Ra 50) down to N1 (finest, Ra 0.025).
What does N7 surface finish mean?
N7 is Ra 1.6 micrometres, or 63 microinches. The equivalent RMS reading is 69.3 microinch and the CLA figure is 63 microinch. Grades run from N12 (roughest, Ra 50) down to N1 (finest, Ra 0.025).
What does N5 surface finish mean?
N5 is Ra 0.4 micrometres, or 16 microinches. The equivalent RMS reading is 17.6 microinch and the CLA figure is 16 microinch. Grades run from N12 (roughest, Ra 50) down to N1 (finest, Ra 0.025).