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The Thermal Protection System used on the Space Shuttle Orbiter is perhaps the most extreme example of the importance of heat shields. During re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere, the Orbiter’s external surface temperatures reached up to 3000°F/1648°C, making the performance of the system critical to the mission’s success. The heat shields also had to withstand pyrotechnic shock loads as the Orbiter separated from the rocket’s external tank.

Not all high-temperature sealing products are created equal. If your industrial application or process requires a custom solution, McAllister Mills has the expertise, technology and materials to design one specifically for your service environment. Our team has more than 30 years of experience creating specialized textiles for extreme-temperature and heavy-duty applications. Our sealing solutions utilize high-tech, cutting-edge fabrics and specialized coating materials (PTFE, silicone, natural rubber) to achieve your exact performance profile.

To get the best thermal protection for your extreme-temperature applications, you don't just need high-quality fabrics with superior thermal qualities, you also need high-temperature sewing threads to hold it all together.

At McAllister Mills, our high-temperature ropes are engineered to withstand extreme environments and deliver a high-quality, reliable seal in a wide range of industrial uses – from doors, oven, and tadpole seals to general caulking and stuffing applications. Our fiberglass ropes offer an economical solution for applications that reach up to 1000°F/540°C. For even greater thermal protection, ropes made from our Leached Silica and MaxSil^®Tex lines provide continuous service up to 2000°F/1100°C. 

High temperature insulation blankets are used for a wide variety of purposes, from fire protection to heavy-duty industrial processes. But, when it comes down to it, they all do the same thing – protect things from being damaged by extremely high temperatures. That said, not every insulation blanket is made the same. Nor should it be.

If you want performance to be tailored for a specific range of applications at the right service temperatures, it helps to use materials and production processes geared specifically for the intended purpose.

What do you get when you combine superior in-house weaving technology and know-how with a full array of precision-engineered, high-performance fibers? For one, a lineup of some of the strongest, most durable, high-temperature tapes made anywhere. The other thing you get is the ability to customize for the most demanding applications in any industry.

High-temperature fabrics play an important role in our everyday lives. They are used in some of the many common products, such as oven door gaskets and car parts. They’re also essential for some of the most demanding and technical industrial processes and equipment.