Gaskets, Seals, O-Rings & Elastomer Components worked example

Material Shrinkage with cured part dimension of 120 mm: a worked example in gaskets, seals, o-rings & elastomer components

Push cured part dimension up to 120 mm and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use it when tooling, quality, or process engineering needs a quick shrinkage percentage for rubber sheets, molded seals, O-rings, grommets, diaphragms, or custom elastomer components.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Cured part dimension: 120 mm (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 49.25)
  • Mold or tool dimension: 50 mm (unchanged)
  • Shrinkage reference dimension: 50 mm (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Material shrinkage = (mold or tool dimension - cured part dimension) ÷ shrinkage reference dimension × 100) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0 % for material shrinkage, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0 value for dimension change from tool to cured part.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 120 value for minimum.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 50 value for maximum.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where cured part dimension sits at 49.25 mm and the headline result is 1.5 %, this scenario comes in 100% below the baseline at 0 %.
  • It computes the percentage a molded part shrinks relative to the mold by comparing cured and tool dimensions against a reference dimension. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.

Results at a glance

  • Material shrinkage: 0 % (headline result)
  • Dimension change from tool to cured part: 0 value
  • Minimum: 120 value
  • Maximum: 50 value

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Material Shrinkage calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.