Automotive Industry
Independent elastomer expertise for automotive suppliers and manufacturers – from material selection to series production approval.
We reduce costs, development time and risk in sealing technology.
Problem & risk
Errors in material selection lead to problems with material approval and thus prolong
the duration of development projects.
Poor finished part quality can significantly increase the risk of costly series failures, yet finished part properties are often insufficiently specified in common automotive specifications.
Seal failures in the field
Complaints & OEM escalation
Expensive recall campaigns
Delays in the PPAP/APQP process
Costs due to changes in recipes or suppliers
PFAS challenges & regulatory pressure
We help eliminate risks early on – before they become costly.
Our solutions
Comprehensive support in the development process of seals for automotive applications.
Material selection and qualification
- Support in selecting a suitable polymer base, including cross-linking system.
- Comparison of different candidates using specifically developed screening programmes.
Supplier evaluation and selection
- Technical evaluation of potential suppliers
- Comparison & Benchmarking
Seal design & service life estimation
- Support in the design of seal geometries.
- Ensuring service life through appropriate testing programmes.
Specification testing & OEM support
- Complete automotive test programmes based on common OEM specifications
- Support with presenting results to the OEM
Lifespan & long-term assessment
- Temperature & media ageing
- Zuverlässige Lifetime-Prognosen
Recipe/supplier changes
- Validation of compounds and process changes
- Audit-proof documentation
Troubleshooting & Feldprobleme
- Technical Analysis & Root Cause Analysis
- Support with OEM communication
- escalation management
Regulatory support
- PFAS assessment & alternatives
- Compliance strategy & testing
Ensuring series quality
- Series-accompanying tests
- Ensuring manufacturing quality
Why OPR
We support automotive suppliers and OEMs in the development of sealing systems and other elastomer components, helping our customers to avoid costly field failures.
Self-test checklist
Fit for modern elastomer knowledge in your industry?
Specialized training from onboarding to elastomer expert, on-demand, in-house, on-site or hybrid
Properties of materials
Sealing with elastomers
Design of moulded seals
Creation of a service life curve
Request timetable
We are here to help you
info@oprgroup.de
Telephone
+49 7148 16602-0
Every day, we see how crucial the right material and formulation decisions are in the automotive sector. That is why we support OEMs and suppliers from the initial selection to series production validation, making risks transparent at an early stage – and thus helping to shorten development times and avoid recall risks.
-Marius Gebhard, OPR Project Manager
Case summary:
Critical hot oil application -> Material recommendation + screening -> Test programme -> OEM review -> Concept for series production validation -> Approval -> Time-to-SOP significantly reduced, recall risk eliminated