There are a lot of tools and equipment pieces that maximise gaskets for sealing purposes. After all, gaskets can easily fill the space between two or more mating objects. Their primary function allows the tools and equipment pieces to maintain their operations and form factors intact and be protected from leakage-related issues and problems. 

But the effectiveness of the gaskets can only be achieved if they are installed properly. Failure to install them properly can cause unwanted downtimes, loss in revenues, and concerns about safety and security. Fortunately, some practices can be followed to ensure the proper installation of gaskets. 

Some of the best practices for gasket installation are the following:

Clean the Sealing Surface

Before the installation of new gaskets, the very first thing that must be done is the clean the surface where they will be installed. After the removal of the old gasket, you must clean and remove any foreign material and debris that can be found from the sealing surface. Cleaning the said surface can be done through a wire brush. You must avoid using a grinder, hammer and chisel, or any other abrasive materials in cleaning the surfaces as they might only cause more damages.

Check the Sealing Face

Once the sealing surface is cleaned, you must now check and examine the condition of your sealing face and the flange. During this step, you can now check and examine if the sealing face has some sort of dents, dings, mars, or pitting. As long as these elements are present, they can easily cause troubles along the way. Even the fasteners like bolts, nuts, and washers must be checked to know if they already have burrs, cracks, and defects. Replacing components that have damages would be the best thing to do.

Align the Flanges Correctly

Another practice that enables the proper installation of gaskets is to align the flanges correctly. The flanges must be parallel when installing the gasket so that the maximum load will stay consistent and uniform. You must not, however, overtighten the bolts to avoid causing damages to the flanges. Pry bars and screwdrivers must likewise be avoided when aligning the flanges. A professional help, ultimately, can be good if the system requires more than normal force in keeping the flanges together.

Check and Install the Gaskets

Once the flanges are aligned, you must now proceed with the installation of the gaskets. But before installing them, you must first check and assess the condition of the gaskets. The gaskets that you should only use must be free of defects and do not contain rips or tears. After assessing your gasket, you must now insert it between the flanges, ensuring that it is precisely centred. Release agents or joint compounds must not be used during difficult or horizontal installations to avoid encountering some problems.

After the gaskets are installed, the load-bearing surfaces must be lubricated effectively. The bolts must also be installed and tightened. If you need some gaskets for your applications, just contact us at Gasketech. We are a manufacturer and supplier of gaskets and sealing washers, extrusions, and mouldings that can be very useful for all industries.

Sealing materials such as gaskets can be very useful in filling up the space between the surfaces of two or more joined components. Once gaskets are installed, fluid and other elements are ensured to not escape or enter the assembly anymore. The assembly, with the integration of reliable and high-quality gaskets, can remain intact throughout its operations and service life.

There are a lot of materials available in producing and manufacturing sealing materials. One of the materials is neoprene. Neoprene is a type of synthetic rubber that is manufactured through the polymerisation of chloroprene. Generally, this specific material has good chemical stability, making it very useful for manufacturing cable jackets, tubing, gasoline hoses, and other similar products.

Properties of Neoprene Sealing Materials

Neoprene sealing materials boast a lot of notable properties.

One of the known properties of neoprene sealing materials is that they are elastic. The elastic property of neoprene sealing materials allows it to stretch and fit comfortably to different materials. They can even conform to a wide array of sizes and shapes, making them very useful in flexible applications. Aside from their elastic property, neoprene sealing materials also have a cushioning property. This property alone enables them to absorb shock and vibration.

Another property of neoprene sealing materials is that they have high tensile strength. Neoprene materials themselves typically have a tensile strength of 900 to 1,000 PSI. And once they are mixed with other materials, they can effectively resist damaging elements such as abrasion, chemicals, combustion, grease, oil, oxidation, sunlight, temperature, weather, and water.

Neoprene sealing materials can withstand extreme temperatures. Their elongation can even range from 350% to 400%, while their hardness ratings ranging between 40 and 80. Lastly, neoprene sealing materials are impermeable, which can prevent the escape and entry of liquids and even gases from and to the involved surfaces of an assembly.

Applications of Neoprene Sealing Materials

Given the properties of neoprene gaskets, industries such as aerospace, automotive, electronics, lighting, HVAC, and medical all utilise them as their main sealing material. Neoprene can be utilised by these industries either for static or dynamic sealing. Static sealing involves the installation of gaskets in stationary applications, while dynamic sealing entails the installation of the gaskets between moving and stationary surfaces. The use of neoprene sealing materials in dynamic sealing can help retain or separate fluids, prevent ingress of particles, and effectively contain pressure.

Some of the most notable applications of neoprene sealing materials include pump impellers, hydraulic systems, doors, and windows.

Neoprene Gaskets Available at Gasketech

If you need neoprene sealing materials for your applications, just give us a call at Gasketech. We are a manufacturer and supplier of gaskets and sealing washers, extrusions, and mouldings for all industries. We can effectively offer economical yet technically advanced sealing materials for tons of applications. We are likewise ready to discuss sealing and leakage problems, as well as the servicing and supply of gaskets for imported and local machinery working in local conditions.