ASTM International, Cooper Standard ISG and You
Customers in the industrial sealing and fluid handling space face constant pressure to meet evolving standards from regulatory agencies, certifying bodies, and industry groups. Cooper Standard ISG stays ahead by proactively monitoring these requirements, developing compliant materials, submitting documentation, and helping customers avoid penalties while entering global markets profitably.
We offer ready-to-use alternative materials, in-house compounding and profile design expertise, and advanced Finite Element Analysis to support any need.
In this blog series, we will discuss the organizations and requirements that most frequently impact our products and our customers, including ASTM; UL; California OEHHA’s Prop 65; the European Chemical Agency’s REACH and RoHS; PFAS mandates; Responsible Minerals; and, finally, the FDA, along with some of its international analogs and the certifying body NSF.
In each blog post, we will discuss some of the responsibilities that requirements might place upon customers in particular industries, and how Cooper Standard ISG expertise can help ensure that our partners’ seals, fluid handling systems and all related components meet every demand.
In this blog post, we will be discussing the ASTM.
Among all component orders we receive, ASTM International standards are the most impactful and relevant. Our customers, regardless of industry or application, set performance expectations for our products, and ASTM standards help quantify and ensure these expectations are met. Including properties like hardness, heat aging, tensile elongation, flame resistance, compression load deflection, and especially compression set for sealing performance.
ASTM International, formerly the American Society for Testing and Materials, develops and publishes technical standards through consensus among industry experts. While ASTM doesn’t enforce these standards, they become effectively mandatory when required by customers of manufacturers like Cooper Standard ISG. Although based in the US, ASTM standards have global influence, with many international manufacturers and organizations adopting them.
Vital Properties
Every component has key properties for success, many of which ASTM specifies. Common designations include D2000 for dense materials and D1056 for sponge materials, as well as with multiple properties and test protocols defined under each.
ASTM standards often serve as minimum baselines. We test materials using standards like D2240 for hardness, D395 for heat aging, and D412 for tensile elongation. Depending on the application, minimum standards may be sufficient or require improvement. In sealing, compression set – the material’s ability to return to its original shape after load – is critical for long-term sealing performance. Compression set tests involve compressing the material at a set temperature and load for a specified time, then measuring recovery. While ASTM might specify 22 hours at room temperature, customers may require more rigorous tests, such as 70 hours at 100°C, to ensure the material meets higher performance demands.
Custom Solutions For Any Need
Meeting these standards requires materials expertise and ensuring the profile works effectively within the equipment design. Specifications guide material selection, and we can compound rubber or plastic to meet even the most demanding specs, including compression set, tensile elongation, and flame resistance.
Cooper Standard ISG also works with customers to modify tests for real-world conditions using ASTM’s “Z standards suffix.” For example, instead of a standard chemical immersion test, we might use a slurry of food waste or a caustic detergent to better simulate dishwasher seal conditions.
Unlike many seal manufacturers, we perform a wide range of tests in-house with equipment such as ovens, freezers, tensiometers, immersion baths, water absorption rigs, durometer gauges and more. We also provide technical data sheets and compound certification sheets validating compliance with ASTM test specification.
Cooper Standard ISG optimizes every performance criterion for your new or existing application, validates it, and delivers ASTM-ready documentation to support it. Contact us to discuss your next project.