Industrial Tools
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc., through our general products division, MRD Industrial, works across many industries providing a wide range of manufacturing process, site services support, and general product integrity verification tools. Our unique brand of Industrial Tools are designed with human factors, high cycle life durability, safety, and efficiency in mind. We work directly with manufacturing engineers, process engineers, product technicians, and field service operators in industries including: General Manufacturing, Energy Production, Construction, Environmental Services, and more! Feel free to call us today to speak one-on-one with one of our applications engineers to learn more about how our Isolation & Test Tools, Work Assist Tools, and Leak Testers can help you today!
We can provide Work Assist tools used for component lifting, work-holding, and product support on both manual and automated assembly platforms. SEALFAST® Leak Testers are used to verify finished product integrity in applications like: fabricated weldments, hose assemblies, molded parts, and can be used progressively during manufacturing processes to test parts intra-process. Our vast Isolation & Test Tool lines can be used in product or infrastructure validation as well as in general site maintenance or even as long term isolation/containment barrier protection aids.
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. can provide our Industrial Tools with our shop and field-proven SEALFAST® Mechanical and Inflatable Seals to assist in reliable, rapid, and economical solutions. Our fabrication shop works with standard to exotic metals, polymers, and elastomers, allowing us to build products in nearly any shape or size. It all comes together in The Lab at MRD: we assemble, inspect, and function/pressure/load test our products on demand to make sure you get the right tool the first time! We also invite all of our clients to visit and witness products in real-life testing simulations to see them in action before they hit your site or shop floor. Join us today to get the solution you deserve!
Have Specific Requirements?
We specialize in custom solutions! Take a look at a few of our proven custom solutions or let us know your requirements. Our engineers and production staff are equipped to travel around the world at a moment’s notice to assist you with your needs!
Let's Talk!
Contact us today to discuss our rates or to book an appointment with one of our engineers.
INDUSTRIES OF INTEREST
Aerospace Industry
MRD supplies a range of products to the aerospace industry, primarily in automated process equipment, leak testing, and weld verification, as well as end use products including cockpit and door seals. MRD’s emphasis on quality components and short lead times has been the driver of our success in this industry. Our aerospace industry components are highly engineered and tested for guaranteed performance in even the most highly demanding applications.
• Work-positioning and lifting tools for parts production
• Leak testing solutions for part, assembly, weldment QA
• SEALFAST® Inflatable and Mechanical Seals and gaskets for final product use
• General plant & machine maintenance Isolation & Test Tools
Automotive Industry
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. provides work assist and testing equipment that drives process, quality, and safety improvements in the automotive sector. Adding process and inspection equipment to automotive production and assembly lines increases safety and efficiency. At Mechanical Research & Design, Inc., we specialize in production line work assist solutions, unique pressure isolation systems, and leak testing tools of varying complexity and size. We prioritize forward-thinking design to help our customers build efficient, profitable, and productive processes. We’re proud to serve the automotive industry with solutions such as our lifting and positioning work assist products, leak detection equipment, general SEALFAST® inflatable automotive seals and gaskets, and much more.
• Repetitive lifting and placement of fragile components
• Lifting motor stators
• Lifting and testing bricks for catalytic converters
• Parts handling as robotic end effectors, especially for automated production and assembly lines
• Material picking applications to speed up kitting and assembly processes
• Handling heavy or large ceramic molds and pieces
• Multi-position assembly and machining fixturing devices for heavy and complicated components for automated and manual processes.
• Internal and external part support during machining and fabrication processes
Biomedical and Pharmaceutical
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. Work Assist Tools and SEALFAST® Inflatable and Mechanical seals are a popular solution for our pharmaceutical packaging clients. Many standard seal profiles are FDA compliant and in-stock today. Our engineers have worked on several custom automated packaging lines both for powder and chemical control as well as in direct industrial manufacturing aids. Whether your concerns are temperature, chemical compatibility, or cycle life, we have several seals to fit your needs. Contact our engineering team today and we will work with you to design a customized seal or housing to meet your needs specifically.
• Filling and packing modules
• Chemical, powder, and dust control sealing systems
• Process equipment maintenance Isolation and Test Tools
• Environmentally-controlled lab and clean room door seals
• Packaging container and glove leak test modules
General Manufacturing and Industrial Automation
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. can provide many solutions for industrial fabrication and production facilities. Our core focus is sealing, structural, and functional solutions focusing on work environment safety. We offer Work Assist tools, Leak Testing packages, Isolation and Test solutions, and more. MRD provides standard and custom interface options for our tools which makes it easy for you to use most tools manually or in automated processes.
• Robotic end effectors – seal housings for gripping, picking, placing operations
• Packaging and filling solutions
• Facility and process equipment maintenance Isolation and Test Tools
• Environmentally-controlled labs, clean rooms, doors and door seals
• Pressure test and leak decay Leak Testers
• Human factors lifting and assembly work-hold tools
• General part lifting and pulling tools
• Work positioning tools and seal housings for assembly lines
• Turnkey control systems and utility equipment
Hydroelectric Power
MRD has a long and successful track record of providing plugs, bulkheads and other isolation equipment towards the restoration and repair of critical process pipe, fittings, intakes, penstocks, and other dam infrastructure components. Our qualified and proven engineering team performs feasibility studies and offers reliable solutions based on our extensive track record with these projects. We have also worked hand-in-hand with many diving contractors and ROV-operators to develop the safest, most cost effective, and most successful application-specific installation processes for our products.
• Isolation of tunnels / tailpipes for valve and fitting repairs
• Diver and ROV-install bulkheads for outfalls and inlets
• Penstock isolation
• General gaskets and inflatable seals for existing gates and bulkheads
• Isolation of aqueducts and channels for downstream repairs and flood barriers
• Positive seal gates
• Coffer dam construction
Marine Construction & ROV Tools
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. designs and manufactures a large number of products for: underwater construction; salvage operations; dry dock repair; subsea oil & gas; ROV isolation tools, plugs, and clamps; and much more! To learn more, please visit our Underwater Tools page.
Municipal Construction
We support construction contractors, engineers, and workers from bid design, product design, fabrication, and functional testing, through site installation services. MRD supplies products like: bulkheads & large isolation barriers; pipe plugs; pipeline joint testers; grout packers & annular seals; to general lifting & handling aids for construction site products. To learn more on general construction tools, please visit our Construction Tools page. To learn more about tunnel specific tools, please visit our Mining and Tunnel Tools page.
Nuclear Power
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. has many solutions that aid nuclear power generating stations, national laboratories, spent fuel storage and containment, as well as the defense industry. A few of our common solutions include: outage equipment hatches (OEH); PWR and BWR isolation plugs; spent fuel storage containment barriers; process pipeline maintenance plugs; remote installation isolation products; and pipe crawlers for NDE and inspection activities. To learn more, please visit our Nuclear Tools page.
Oil & Gas
MRD is a key partner to the oil and gas industry, from upstream through downstream activities including: offshore drilling operations; rail and ship transport; piping and vessel maintenance at refineries; and pipeline & well decommissioning. MRD supplies a wide range of mud containment products for drilling contractors including: bell nipple seal housings, reducer housings, slip-on joint seal housings, and diverter seal housings. MRD also provides full drilling packages including drilling risers, mandrels, overshot spools, flow lines, and structural support frames. We also supply both diver and ROV-installation plugs for subsea repairs and long-term pipeline abandonment to special-application pipeline fittings. To learn more, please visit our Oil & Gas Tools page.
Petrochemical and Refining
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. tools can be found all over the world in petrochemical processing plants and refineries. Our tools have been used for decades primarily for process pipeline or pressure vessel weld testing, isolation, and repair. SEALFAST® Inflatable and Mechanical Seals have also been utilized in chemical packaging lines to provide a reliable barrier for production staff as well as for quick-acting emergency spill isolation.
• Process piping weld testing and repair tooling
• Pipe crawlers for inspection and testing
• Flange testing and repair
• Weld isolation and test tools, vapor blocks for hot-work
• Pipe lifting and pulling tools
• Vessel nozzle pressure tester
INDUSTRIAL TOOLS
Work Assist Tools are one of our most popular Industrial Tool products. These tools can provide work-holding, placing, supporting, sealing, gripping, positioning, lifting, and pulling process operations. Some of the product lines we support are: Lifting and Pulling Tools; Work Placement & Positioning Seal Housings; Product Support or Fluid Block Tools; and Packaging & Filling Tools. Most tools can be designed for manual or automated use or manipulation; some tools are used as robotic end effectors in automation process work. SEALFAST® Inflatable or Mechanical Seals are often used as the part contact medium and are adjustable for contact pressure based on input pressure. We have designed tools to bear against fragile, delicate surfaces and have also designed tools for safety-critical corroded, heavy lift operations.
COMMON TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS:
• Pipe, Tubing, and Cylinder Lifting and Pulling Tools
• General Machine and Automation Work-Support and Positioning Tools
• Packaging and Filling – Fluid or Powder Control Seals
• Manual Assembly Work – Product Support and Orientation With Human Factors
• Stator Lifters
• Hazardous Components, Fuels, and Contaminants Handling and Containment
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. has designed and fabricated a large number of standard and custom Leak Testers for almost every application. From simple, manual, application-specific Leak Testers to fully-automated, turnkey test systems, we do it all! MRD can design economical solutions for one-off testing to tools for high volume, high frequency pressure testing, and/or leak decay verification. We also provide add-ons like: stamping, engraving, scanning, as well as enhanced safety features like alarms, light curtains, and barriers. Have a tricky application to seal or restrain to? Call us today, our applications engineers have likely seen it before and have the solution for you!
COMMON TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS:
• Standard & Customized Pressure and Leak Test Tools
• Water Cooler Pressure Testers
• Exhaust System Pressure Testers
• Weldment Progressive Manufacture Leak Testers
• Turnkey Test Kits and Modules
• Fully Automated Pressure Testers
• Consumer Product Leak Verification Tools
• Utility Leak Testers: Washers, Dryers, Sinks, Tubs, Etc.
• Hose Manifold and Assembly Leak Testers
Many of our standard Isolation and Test Tools are also used in Industrial applications for: general facility & plant maintenance, product pressure & pneumatic testing, and more! We have test plugs and isolation barriers for tub and hose assemblies, general formed or welded components, injection molded parts, and pipes to name a few. If you have an opening, protrusion, nozzle, or any other difficult feature to seal, grip, or latch onto, call us today. We are the Solutions Experts!
COMMON TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS:
• General Pipe, Weldment, Hose or Tube Assembly Pressure Test Plugs and Barriers
• Double Containment Piping or Wall Penetration Annular Seals and Test Tools
• Factory Maintenance Containment Barriers
• Production Weldment or Modular Assembly Pressure and Joint Test Tools
Need a seal for your own seal housing, track, door, clean room, or component system? Our SEALFAST® Elastomers division has just what you need! We vulcanize, mold, and form seals in-house with standard and custom profiles to meet nearly any shape, size, or material need. Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. can supply Inflatable Seals, Mechanical Seals, and nearly any Engineered Seal you can imagine. From air bladders, pneumatic actuators, inflatable gripping & support tools, to gaskets, j-bulb seals, o-rings, and more, we have what you need, usually in rapid lead times! Also, take advantage of our product, validation, and functional testing services. We can verify your turnkey tooling solutions at our facility before they are needed on your shop floor. MRD also manufactures automotive and aerospace seals, call us today to find out more.
COMMON TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS:
• Manufactured Product Leak Tester Seals
• Clean Room or Pressurized Environment Door and Hatch Seals
• Industrial Automation Lift, Pick, Place, and Support Seals
• Pressure Isolation Barrier, Containment, and Test Seals
• Robotic End Effector Seals
• Pneumatic Actuators or Lifters
Use our Seal Housings and Connectors to integrate directly into your work-holding, pressure testing, and part support manufacturing processes. Need a little help? Work directly with one of our design engineers to interface with one of our standard or custom seal housings to get increased efficiency and life. We provide economical seal housings in nearly any shape and size and our products can be designed to mount to nearly any existing structure. Available in most metal, polymer, and elastomer combinations to meet your application needs!
COMMON TOOLS AND APPLICATIONS:
• General Seal Housings to Adapt to Your Work-Positioning or Support Processes
• Modular Leak Test Seal Housings to Mount to New and Existing Machines
• Seal Housings to Support Automation and Robotic End Effectors
• Easy to Adjust Gripping and Clamping Mechanisms
• Facility Maintenance Pipeline Leak Repair and General Pipe Connectors
In addition to our extensive product offerings, we also specialize in Hydraulic, Pneumatic, and Electronic Control and Test Systems. From permanent offshore or industrial use to utility pumps, gauges, manifolds, and hose assemblies for your testing needs, we have it all; we design stand-alone control systems and provide equipment to operate seamlessly with our own test tools. Throughout the years, we have provided operational equipment for our tools in many hazardous and remote applications as well as to support our own, in-house product validation needs. We provide control panels, hose management systems, hose bundles, full turnkey test systems for industries including: Offshore Oil & Gas; Nuclear Power; Subsea Diver and ROV; General Industrial; and many more! Whether you are looking for something simple and economical or you can’t find it anywhere else, give us a call, today! We build custom fluid control systems from the ground up and can meet many design standards and specifications.
COMMON CONTROLS AND UTILITIES APPLICATIONS:
• Turnkey Pump, Gauge, Valve Manifold, and Hose Systems for Pressure Testing
• Control Pendants for Lifting Tools
• Offshore Control Panels, Hose Bundles, and Hose Reels
• Mobile Shop Test Carts
• Fully Integrated Camera and NDE Test Systems
• Hydraulic HPUs and Control Circuits
• Safety Alarm and Pressure Detection Systems
TESTING AND VALIDATION - WHAT WE DO
At Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. we excel at product development, validation, and optimization. We test for longevity, durability, and repeatability so you don’t have to! Over the decades, we have assembled and fabricated some of the most complicated, real-life functional tests in our industry, including: actual underwater installation of products using divers and ROVs, buoyancy verification of tools in water, frequency testing of seals and products into the millions of cycles, weather and storm surge testing, corrosion testing, fabricated tunnels and drifts for leak verification, production weldment and assembly testing — the list goes on. If you’d like to see our tool work with your parts or in your simulated environment, just ask, we’d love to show you. Our Lab is filled with state-of-the-art test, measurement, and recording equipment and is supported by our full-scale fabrication & elastomers vulcanization & molding department. We have industry-experienced engineers and technicians ready to walk our solutions through any functional, pressure, and structural testing you can imagine!
WHY MECHANICAL RESEARCH & DESIGN, INC.?
Mechanical Research & Design, Inc. is your center for Mechanical Innovation, Research, and Development. When you call us for a solution, you speak with one of our experienced project engineers from day one all of the way through to onsite product commissioning and / or support. We do not take product application support lightly -it’s what we do. Our engineers have travelled the world and and have worked in many of the same industries our products are used in, meaning it’s very unlikely you have a problem we haven’t seen before. We are known industry-wide as the solutions experts! We test our products and ideas daily in our Lab, striving to continually improve, validate, and optimize our past successes. Give us a call today and experience all that we have to offer for yourself!