Gasket, Packing, and Sealing Device Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in this manufacturing sector are dedicated to producing essential components that prevent fluid and gas leaks across various industries. These facilities fabricate gaskets, packing elements, and sealing devices utilizing an extensive range of materials including metal, rubber, plastic, fiberglass, and composite substances. Typical business activities involve raw material procurement, mixing and molding processes, heat treatment, machining, assembly, and rigorous quality control testing to meet strict industry standards. The output ranges from simple static seals for general machinery to complex dynamic seals designed for high-pressure environments or extreme temperatures found in aerospace, oil and gas, petrochemical, and power generation applications. Operators in this field vary widely in their structure and operational complexity. Small family-owned workshops often focus on custom designs and niche applications for specific equipment manufacturers, while large corporations manage mass production facilities capable of handling high-volume orders for global markets. Many firms integrate their manufacturing capabilities with research and development teams to create proprietary sealing technologies that offer superior durability or resistance to specific corrosive agents. The scale of operations can extend from independent contractors serving local contractors to multinational entities with manufacturing plants worldwide. Consequently, the sector encompasses a diverse array of businesses that supply critical infrastructure for industrial processes, automotive systems, and industrial equipment by ensuring containment integrity and operational efficiency.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 33 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 339 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Miscellaneous Manufacturing subsector make a wide range of products that cannot readily be classified in specific NAICS subsectors in manufacturing. Processes used by these establishments vary significantly, both among and within industries. For example, a variety of manufacturing processes are used in manufacturing sporting and athletic goods that include products such as tennis rackets and golf balls. The processes for these products differ from each other, and the processes differ significantly from the fabrication processes used in making dolls or toys, the melting and shaping of precious metals to make jewelry, and the bending, forming, and assembly used in making medical products. The industries in this subsector are defined by what is made rather than how it is made. Although individual establishments might be appropriately classified elsewhere in the NAICS structure, for historical continuity, these product-based industries were maintained. In most cases, no one process or material predominates for an industry. Establishments in this subsector manufacture products as diverse as medical equipment and supplies, jewelry, sporting goods, toys, and office supplies. |
| 3399 | Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in miscellaneous manufacturing, such as jewelry and silverware manufacturing, sporting and athletic goods manufacturing, doll, toy, and game manufacturing, office supplies (except paper) manufacturing, sign manufacturing, and all other miscellaneous manufacturing. |
| 33999 | All Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in miscellaneous manufacturing (except medical equipment and supplies, jewelry and silverware, sporting and athletic goods, dolls, toys, games, office supplies, and signs). Illustrative Examples: Artificial Christmas trees manufacturing Burial caskets and cases manufacturing Candles manufacturing Coin- or card-operated amusement machines (except jukebox) manufacturing Electronic cigarettes manufacturing Floor and dust mops manufacturing Musical instruments (except toy) manufacturing Fasteners, buttons, needles, and pins (except precious metals or precious and semiprecious stones and gems) manufacturing Gasket, packing, and sealing devices manufacturing Portable fire extinguishers manufacturing Umbrellas manufacturing |
| 339991 | Gasket, Packing, and Sealing Device Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in this manufacturing sector are dedicated to producing essential components that prevent fluid and gas leaks across various industries. These facilities fabricate gaskets, packing elements, and sealing devices utilizing an extensive range of materials including metal, rubber, plastic, fiberglass, and composite substances. Typical business activities involve raw material procurement, mixing and molding processes, heat treatment, machining, assembly, and rigorous quality control testing to meet strict industry standards. The output ranges from simple static seals for general machinery to complex dynamic seals designed for high-pressure environments or extreme temperatures found in aerospace, oil and gas, petrochemical, and power generation applications. Operators in this field vary widely in their structure and operational complexity. Small family-owned workshops often focus on custom designs and niche applications for specific equipment manufacturers, while large corporations manage mass production facilities capable of handling high-volume orders for global markets. Many firms integrate their manufacturing capabilities with research and development teams to create proprietary sealing technologies that offer superior durability or resistance to specific corrosive agents. The scale of operations can extend from independent contractors serving local contractors to multinational entities with manufacturing plants worldwide. Consequently, the sector encompasses a diverse array of businesses that supply critical infrastructure for industrial processes, automotive systems, and industrial equipment by ensuring containment integrity and operational efficiency. |
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Index Items
Coaxial mechanical face seals manufacturing
Compression packings manufacturing
Gasket, packing, and sealing devices manufacturing
Gaskets manufacturing
Grease seals manufacturing
Molded packings and seals manufacturing
Oil seals manufacturing
Seals, grease or oil, manufacturing
How Item Can Help
Manages the complex inventory of diverse raw materials and finished gasket/packing devices with precise lot tracking to prevent mix-ups in critical sealing applications.
Optimizes order-to-delivery cycles by streamlining routing for high-volume, low-value parts that often require specialized packaging or custom sizing for industrial equipment.
Predicts demand fluctuations for seasonal industrial projects and identifies supplier lead-time risks to maintain just-in-time inventory levels for manufacturing lines.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 339991.
Association of Gasket and Packing Manufacturers (AGPM)
A leading trade association for manufacturers in the gasket, packing, and sealing device industry providing technical resources and market data.
National Association of Manufacturers
The official U.S. government-backed resource featuring NAICS code details, industry statistics, and manufacturing guidance for this sector.
ThomasNet Manufacturing Directory
An industry directory connecting businesses in gasket and packing manufacturing with suppliers and customers through verified contact information.
