Silicone Rubber Extrusions › Profiles › Lip & Autoclave seals
Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals
Advanced Materials manufactures silicone rubber lip seals and autoclave seals for demanding industrial applications where reliable sealing under high temperatures, pressure and repeated operating cycles is essential.
A lip seal uses a flexible sealing blade that deflects against a mating surface to create an effective seal with relatively low closing force. Autoclave seals often incorporate this flexible lip together with a secondary compression bulb or sealing chamber, enabling them to maintain reliable sealing performance in high-temperature and pressure applications.
Unlike simpler sealing profiles, lip and autoclave seals are engineered to create an effective seal with relatively low closing forces while maintaining long-term performance in challenging environments. Many designs incorporate a solid mounting section that locates securely within a metal retaining channel, together with a flexible sealing lip that deflects under compression or pressure. Some profiles also include an additional bulb or compression chamber to improve sealing performance and accommodate movement or dimensional variation.
These profile designs are commonly specified for autoclave doors, pressure vessels, industrial ovens, sterilisation equipment and other applications where dependable sealing is critical. Sectors that commonly use autoclave and lip seals include aerospace composite manufacturing, medical, pharmaceutical and laboratory equipment, and food processing, as they demand materials that combine excellent temperature resistance with long-term flexibility and reliable sealing performance.
Every silicone rubber lip and autoclave seal is manufactured to order at our West Sussex production facility. We do not hold stock sections. Instead, each profile is produced using the material grade, hardness, colour and dimensions best suited to your application. Whether you require production from one of our existing extrusion tools or a completely bespoke profile designed specifically for your equipment, we can support projects from prototype quantities through to ongoing production.
Example Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave seals Profile Drawings and Technical PDFs
Explore all of our existing tooling drawings for Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals.
Click below to view drawings for:
Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave seals Drawings
Reviewing existing profile drawings is often the quickest way to determine whether a suitable sealing section already exists for your application.
Over many years of manufacturing silicone rubber extrusions, we have developed a substantial library of tooling drawings covering a wide variety of lip seal and autoclave seal geometries. These include profiles designed for steam chambers, pressure vessels, industrial ovens, access doors, composite curing equipment and many other specialist applications.
Many existing profiles differ only slightly in lip length, mounting dimensions or compression geometry, making it possible to identify an existing tool that closely matches a new project. Using an existing die can significantly reduce tooling investment while shortening production lead times.
Where a completely new sealing profile is required, our experienced tooling team can design and manufacture a bespoke extrusion die at our Littlehampton facility. This allows us to optimise the profile for installation, compression characteristics and long-term sealing performance.
If you already have a CAD drawing, technical sketch or sample component, simply send it to our team. We’ll review the design, assess manufacturability and recommend the most suitable production solution.
Typical Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals Applications
Lip and autoclave seals are used wherever equipment must maintain an effective seal despite repeated opening and closing, elevated temperatures, steam exposure or pressure cycling.
While many lip seal profiles are designed for high-temperature autoclaves and pressure vessels, their flexible sealing geometry also makes them suitable for a wide range of industrial sealing and protection applications.
The thin sealing lip provides consistent contact with the mating surface while requiring relatively low closing forces, making lip seals an effective solution wherever movement, contamination control or environmental protection is required.
Typical Autoclave Seal applications include:
Autoclave Door Seals
Silicone autoclave seals are widely used on composite curing autoclaves, laboratory autoclaves and industrial pressure vessels. Their flexible sealing elements maintain consistent compression while resisting the high temperatures associated with repeated curing and sterilisation cycles.
Pressure Vessel & Steriliser Seals
Pressure vessels and sterilisation chambers require reliable seals that perform consistently under steam and pressure. Silicone’s excellent temperature resistance and flexibility make it well suited to these demanding environments.
Industrial Oven Door Seals
Industrial ovens, drying systems and thermal processing equipment commonly use lip and compression seals to reduce heat loss while maintaining an effective seal around doors, hatches and removable access panels.
Composite Manufacturing Equipment
Autoclaves used in aerospace and advanced composite manufacturing rely on dependable sealing systems throughout repeated curing cycles. Silicone rubber offers excellent thermal stability and long service life in these demanding applications.
Medical & Laboratory Equipment
Sterilisation equipment, laboratory chambers and specialist processing equipment frequently incorporate silicone lip seals because they retain flexibility across a wide operating temperature range and withstand repeated cleaning and sterilisation processes.
Environmental & Dust Sealing
Lip seals are also widely used as flexible wiping seals to exclude dust, dirt and moisture from machinery, cabinets and equipment enclosures. Their low operating force makes them particularly suitable where doors or covers require frequent operation.
Sliding & Access Doors
Many industrial enclosures and access systems use lip seals to provide reliable environmental sealing without requiring excessive closing pressure. The flexible sealing blade adapts to minor dimensional variation while maintaining consistent contact across the sealing surface.
Low Pressure Fluid & Splash Protection
Lip seals are commonly specified where protection from splashing liquids, condensate or light fluid contact is required. While not intended for high-pressure hydraulic sealing, they provide an effective barrier in many industrial applications.
Typical Silicone Rubber Lip Seal Applications:
Wiping Seals
Lip seals are commonly used as wiping seals to remove dust, moisture or debris from moving components as they pass through an opening. The flexible sealing edge maintains gentle contact with the surface, helping to protect internal mechanisms without creating excessive friction.
Splash Protection
Machinery operating with water, coolants or cleaning fluids often incorporates lip seals to reduce splashing and contain liquids within the equipment. Silicone’s excellent resistance to temperature extremes makes it particularly suitable where hot water or steam is present.
Dust Exclusion
In manufacturing environments, preventing dust and airborne contaminants from entering equipment can improve reliability and reduce maintenance requirements. Lip seals create an effective barrier while still allowing access doors, covers or moving components to operate smoothly.
Cabinet Door Seals
Electrical enclosures, control cabinets and industrial housings frequently use silicone lip seals to minimise the ingress of dust, moisture and airborne contaminants. Their low compression force allows doors to close easily while maintaining a reliable environmental seal.
Sliding Door Seals
Unlike compression seals that rely on significant closing force, lip seals perform well on sliding doors and access panels where the sealing surface moves across the profile. The flexible lip accommodates movement while maintaining continuous contact with the mating surface.
Conveyor Guarding
Lip seals are often incorporated into conveyor guarding and machine protection systems, helping to reduce the escape of dust, powders and light debris while allowing products or components to pass through with minimal resistance.
Environmental Sealing
Many industrial enclosures require protection from rain, dust and general environmental contamination. Silicone lip seals provide a durable sealing interface that withstands prolonged outdoor exposure, UV radiation and wide temperature fluctuations while retaining long-term flexibility.
Low-Pressure Fluid Retention
Although not intended for high-pressure hydraulic applications, silicone lip seals can provide effective retention of condensate, wash-down water and other low-pressure fluids in industrial equipment. Selecting the correct profile geometry and silicone compound helps ensure dependable sealing performance and long service life.
Explore all of our existing tooling drawings for Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals.
Click below to view drawings for:
Custom Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals Manufacture
All silicone rubber lip and autoclave seals are manufactured at our West Sussex production facility, where tooling design, extrusion, curing and inspection are carried out under one roof. By keeping the entire manufacturing process in-house, we maintain close control over dimensional accuracy, material consistency and production lead times.
We manufacture both prototype quantities for equipment development and larger production volumes for OEMs and industrial manufacturers. Whether you require a replacement sealing profile or a completely new design, every extrusion is produced to your exact specification rather than supplied from stock.
Custom Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seal Extrusions to Your Specification
Many sealing applications have unique installation and performance requirements that cannot be met using a standard profile.
Our experienced technical team works with customers to develop sealing solutions that provide reliable compression, long service life and straightforward installation. With two full-time toolmakers based at our Littlehampton factory, we design and manufacture bespoke extrusion tooling in-house, allowing us to respond quickly while maintaining complete control over tooling quality.
Depending on your application, you can specify:
- Mounting block dimensions to suit your retaining channel
- Lip length and thickness
- Lip angle and sealing geometry
- Compression bulb size and position
- Wall thickness
- Shore hardness
- Silicone grade
- Colour
- Finished cut lengths or continuous coils
If you already have a technical drawing or existing sample, we can often reproduce the profile or recommend design improvements to enhance manufacturability and sealing performance. Where a profile is still at the concept stage, our team can advise on practical extrusion design, helping to minimise tooling costs while achieving reliable performance.
With more than 30 years of silicone extrusion experience and an extensive tooling library, we can often identify an existing die that is close to your required dimensions. Where no suitable tooling exists, we manufacture new extrusion dies in-house, reducing both lead times and development costs.
For more information about our manufacturing process, see our guide to in-house extrusion tooling.
Material Grades and Performance Options
Selecting the correct silicone grade is critical to the long-term performance of any lip or autoclave seal.
Different operating environments place different demands on sealing materials. Some applications require continuous exposure to elevated temperatures, while others must withstand steam, cleaning chemicals, repeated compression or regulatory compliance requirements.
Advanced Materials manufactures lip and autoclave seals using a wide range of silicone compounds, including:
- General purpose silicone
- High-temperature silicone grades
- Steam-resistant silicone compounds
- FDA-compliant grades for food processing equipment
- Medical and pharmaceutical grades
- Flame-retardant silicone materials
- Rail-compliant grades meeting EN 45545
- Translucent and coloured silicone compounds
Silicone rubber provides excellent long-term resilience and compression recovery, making lip seals particularly suitable where repeated opening and closing occurs without permanent deformation.
Lip and autoclave seals are frequently manufactured in compounds between 50 and 70 Shore A, providing an effective balance between flexibility, sealing performance and durability for many industrial applications.
Material selection should always be based on the operating environment, compression requirements and equipment design.
Where appropriate grades are selected, silicone offers excellent performance across a broad temperature range and can withstand operating temperatures of up to 300°C in certain high-temperature applications.
Steam-resistant compounds are also available for demanding sterilisation and autoclave environments.
Our technical team can advise on the most suitable compound for your application, ensuring the finished seal provides the required balance of flexibility, resilience, temperature resistance and regulatory compliance.
Designing for Effective Compression
Lip and autoclave seals rely on controlled deflection rather than excessive compression to achieve an effective seal.
A well-designed lip should flex smoothly against the mating surface, creating consistent contact without requiring excessive closing force. Profiles that include a secondary compression bulb are typically designed so that both sealing elements work together, improving sealing reliability while accommodating manufacturing tolerances and thermal expansion.
When designing a sealing system, engineers should consider:
- Available closing force
- Compression percentage
- Pressure acting on the seal
- Temperature cycling
- Steam or chemical exposure
- Installation method
- Ease of replacement during maintenance
Providing these details at the quotation stage enables us to recommend the most appropriate profile geometry and silicone grade for long-term performance.
From Tooling to Production
Every lip and autoclave seal follows a controlled manufacturing process from initial design through to finished extrusion.
Where a new profile is required, our toolmakers manufacture the extrusion die at our Littlehampton facility before production trials are completed to verify dimensions and material performance. Once approved, production can be scheduled for prototype quantities or ongoing manufacture.
Throughout manufacture we operate under our ISO 9001 quality management system, helping to ensure consistent quality and repeatability across every production batch.
Our quality procedures include:
- ISO 3302-1 Class E1 cross-sectional tolerances as standard
- Visual and dimensional inspection
- Batch consistency checks
- Full material traceability
- Retention of production samples
- Batch identification and laser marking where required
For regulated industries including aerospace, food processing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and medical equipment, we can also provide supporting material documentation and advise on suitable silicone grades during the quotation process.
Explore All Silicone Rubber Extrusion Profiles
Lip and autoclave seals are just one of the many silicone rubber profile shapes we manufacture.
Our in-house manufacturing capability includes a wide range of standard and bespoke extrusion profiles designed for sealing, protection and insulation across industrial and regulated sectors.
Why Choose Advanced Materials for Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals?
Choosing the right sealing supplier is about more than simply sourcing a profile. In demanding applications such as autoclaves, pressure vessels, sterilisation equipment and industrial ovens, long-term sealing performance depends on accurate manufacturing, appropriate material selection and consistent product quality.
For more than 30 years, Advanced Materials has worked with engineers, OEMs and industrial manufacturers to develop silicone sealing solutions that perform reliably in challenging operating environments.
Rather than supplying off-the-shelf products, we manufacture every lip and autoclave seal to order, ensuring each profile is matched to its intended application, operating conditions and installation method.
Whether you require a replacement profile for existing equipment or a completely new sealing solution for a product under development, our technical team will work with you to recommend the most appropriate profile geometry and silicone grade.
Customers choose Advanced Materials because we offer:
- Over 30 years’ experience manufacturing silicone rubber extrusions
- An extensive library of existing sealing profile tooling, with over 10,000 tools available
- Bespoke in-house toolmaking for custom sealing profiles
- UK manufacturing with extrusion, joining and post-curing under one roof
- ISO 9001-certified manufacturing processes
- ISO 3302-1 Class E1 cross-sectional tolerances as standard
- Full material traceability and batch identification
- Technical support throughout design and production
- Same-day quotations where possible
- Flexible production from prototypes through to high-volume manufacture
Get in Touch for Silicone Rubber Lip & Autoclave Seals Enquiries
If you have a drawing ready, send it to our team for review.
If you are still at the concept stage, we can help refine the geometry for manufacture.
You can:
Request a Lip & Autoclave seals quote
Speak to our Technical Team
Request a Free Sample
Arrange a meeting to discuss your project
All silicone rubber lip and autoclave seals are manufactured at our West Sussex facility, where quality, traceability and technical accuracy are maintained throughout production.
If you cannot find the exact silicone rubber lip & autoclave seals you require, contact us and we will design and manufacture one to suit your application.