O-Ring Cross-Reference Guide: ERIKS Equivalents for Parker, Trelleborg & Freudenberg Seals

Why O-ring cross-referencing matters

Every day, engineers and procurement teams open a drawing or a service manual and find an O-ring or seal specified by a competitor's part number — a Parker Hannifin compound code, a Trelleborg material designation, or a Freudenberg/Simrit reference. The part itself is rarely proprietary. An O-ring is defined by international standards: its dimensions follow AS568 or ISO 3601, and its material is a generic elastomer family (NBR, FKM, EPDM, silicone, and so on). What changes from brand to brand is the compound name printed on the bag — not the part you actually need.

This guide gives you a clear, repeatable method for cross-referencing a competitor seal to an equivalent ERIKS elastomer product. It is written for design engineers, MRO buyers, and maintenance teams who need a drop-in equivalent without re-engineering the gland.

The three axes of any O-ring cross-reference

Any seal — regardless of who manufactures it — is fully described by three independent attributes. Match all three and you have a true equivalent.

1. Size (dimensions): Inner diameter (ID) and cross-section (CS), or a standard dash number. This is brand-independent and governed by AS568 / ISO 3601.
2. Material family: The base elastomer — NBR, HNBR, FKM, EPDM, VMQ (silicone), FFKM, CR, AU/EU (polyurethane). This determines chemical and temperature compatibility.
3. Hardness & grade: Shore A durometer (commonly 70 or 75 Shore A) plus any special grade — FDA, explosive-decompression-resistant, low-temperature, peroxide-cured, etc.

Step 1 — Decode the size first (it's brand-neutral)

Before you touch the compound, pin down the dimensions. If you have an AS568 dash number (for example, AS568-214), the size is identical across every manufacturer in the world — Parker, Trelleborg, Freudenberg, and ERIKS all build a -214 to the same ID and CS. If you only have a competitor part number, the first few digits usually encode the dash size; the remaining digits encode the compound. Once you have the ID and CS in millimeters or inches, you can match the dimension directly in the ERIKS catalog.

For metric seals defined by ISO 3601, the same logic applies: the size is a published standard, so a 25 × 3 mm O-ring is a 25 × 3 mm O-ring no matter whose name is on it.

Step 2 — Translate the compound name to a material family

This is where buyers get stuck, because each manufacturer markets its compounds under proprietary names. The trick is to map the brand name back to the generic elastomer family, then match on family + hardness + temperature range. The table below decodes the most common compound naming conventions across the major seal brands.

Material family	Parker Hannifin (typical)	Trelleborg (typical)	Freudenberg / Simrit (typical)	ERIKS equivalent class
NBR (Nitrile, 70 Shore A)	N0674-70 / Nitrile	NBR / N7000-series	72 NBR 872 / Simrit NBR	ERIKS NBR 70 Shore A general-purpose compound
HNBR (Hydrogenated Nitrile)	Parker HNBR compounds	Zerust / HNBR grades	Freudenberg HNBR	ERIKS HNBR compound (high-temp / oil-resistant)
FKM (Fluoroelastomer)	V0747-75 / V0834-70 (Viton® based)	FKM grades	75 FKM 585 / Fluoroprene®	ERIKS FKM 75 Shore A chemical-grade compound
EPDM	E0540-80 / EPDM	EPDM grades	70 EPDM 291 / Simrit EPDM	ERIKS EPDM compound (steam / water / brake fluid)
VMQ (Silicone)	S0455-70 / Silicone	Silicone grades	70 VMQ 117 / Simrit silicone	ERIKS VMQ silicone compound
FFKM (Perfluoroelastomer)	Parker Parofluor®	Isolast®	Simriz®	ERIKS FFKM ultra-chemical-resistant compound

Compound codes shown are representative of each manufacturer's published naming conventions and are provided solely to help identify the equivalent material family. They are not exhaustive and may change; always confirm against the current datasheet.

Step 3 — Match hardness, temperature, and special approvals

Once you know the family, narrow the equivalent by the remaining performance attributes:

• Hardness: Match the Shore A value. A competitor 75 Shore A FKM should map to an ERIKS 75 Shore A FKM, not a 90.
• Temperature range: Confirm the upper and lower service limits. Two compounds in the same family can differ by 20–30 °C depending on cure system and filler package.
• Approvals: If the original carried FDA 21 CFR 177.2600, USP Class VI, WRAS, NSF, EC 1935/2004, or 3-A certification, the equivalent must carry the same approval — this is non-negotiable for food, water, and pharmaceutical service.
• Special grades: Explosive/rapid-gas-decompression (RGD) resistance, low-temperature grades, and peroxide-cured EPDM are distinct sub-classes. Match them explicitly.

Worked example: cross-referencing a Parker FKM O-ring

Suppose a drawing calls out a Parker 2-214 V0747-75:

1. Size: "2-214" is the AS568 dash number 214 → 24.99 mm ID × 3.53 mm CS. This dimension is identical in the ERIKS catalog.
2. Compound: "V0747-75" decodes to a Viton®-based FKM at 75 Shore A — a general-purpose fluoroelastomer.
3. Equivalent: An ERIKS FKM 75 Shore A O-ring in size -214, with a service range of roughly −20 °C to +200 °C, is a functional drop-in equivalent.
4. Verify: Confirm temperature limits and any chemical or approval requirements before ordering.

When an exact equivalent doesn't exist

Occasionally a competitor compound is a specialized proprietary formulation with no one-to-one match. In those cases:

• Identify the governing requirement — is it the chemical it must resist, the temperature, or an approval? Match that requirement, not the brand name.
• Consider stepping up a material family (for example, NBR → HNBR, or FKM → FFKM) when the application is at the edge of the original material's limits.
• Request engineering support for a confirmed equivalent rather than guessing on a critical seal.

Common cross-reference mistakes to avoid

• Matching the brand, not the spec. "Viton" is a trademark, not a specification. The material is FKM; many FKM grades exist.
• Ignoring hardness. A 70 vs 90 Shore A swap changes extrusion behavior and seal squeeze.
• Forgetting approvals. An uncertified equivalent can fail an audit even if it seals perfectly.
• Assuming color means something. Black, brown, and green are cosmetic; they do not reliably indicate the compound family.

Get a confirmed ERIKS cross-reference

If you have a Parker Hannifin, Trelleborg, or Freudenberg part number and need a confirmed ERIKS equivalent, send us the part number, the size, and the application conditions (media, temperature, pressure). Our team will return a matched ERIKS compound and size, with availability and a quote. Cross-referencing the right seal the first time prevents premature failure, downtime, and the cost of a second order.

All third-party trademarks and part numbers referenced in this guide are the property of their respective owners and are used only to identify equivalent products. Tereefek Solutions and ERIKS are not affiliated with Parker Hannifin, Trelleborg, Freudenberg, or Chemours.