Kirkhill

Kirkhill makes engineered rubber and elastomer products for aerospace and defence. It is headquartered in Brea, California, in the United States. The company says it has about 100 years of experience. Its products are found on commercial, military and business aircraft, and on missiles, space launchers and satellites.

The product list is long. It includes fireproof seals, aerodynamic seals, door and hatch seals, flexible connectors, low observable materials and inflatable canopy seals. It also lists molded seals for the military, ablative insulation, exterior erosion protection and molded and extruded products. Other lines are Silicone Stretchtape, interiors and hardware, and wire management items.

The about page names radar absorbing material, ablative materials, conductive elastomers and electro static discharge materials. It also names duct and firewall seals for engines and nacelles, window seals and seals for electromagnetic interference conditions. The plant sits on 19 acres in Brea and has about 365,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Processes include mixing, calendering, milling, molding, extruding and autoclave curing.

The company started in 1919 as the Mechanical Rubber Company, founded by Thomas Kirk Hill, and became Kirkhill Rubber Company in 1926. In the 1960s its parts helped on the Moon program and on airframes such as the F104 and DC-9. In the 1970s it added parts for the Space Shuttle. Esterline bought it in 1998, and in 1999 it merged with TA Manufacturing to form Kirkhill-TA.

The site lists 1,000 customers and 50,000 product solutions. A suppliers page gives quality requirements and purchase order terms for the firm's own vendors. A careers page is also provided.