Prevent Sudden Gasket Issues and Failures through Proper Gasket Installation
06 January 2022Gaskets are mechanical seals that can fill up the space between surfaces, ensuring that any irregularities between machine parts are resolved. Once these seals are installed, the chances of encountering leakage between the joined surfaces will drop significantly.
Different types and makes of gaskets can be purchased and acquired by different industries. However, they typically share similar properties that make them beneficial to a lot of sealing applications. Gaskets, for one, are known to effectively resist high compressive loads. They can likewise withstand corrosion, extreme temperatures, varying pressure levels, and harsh elements or chemicals.
But before industries can attain these benefits, they should ensure that the gaskets are installed properly. Failure to install them properly may result in unwanted downtimes, loss in revenues, and safety issues. To prevent these things from happening, here are some things that must be done when installing them.
Conduct Initial Assessments
The installation of the gaskets should always start by cleaning the surfaces where the old gaskets are placed. The sealing surfaces of the objects may contain some gasket debris or foreign materials due to their long hours of operation, which must be cleaned and removed to preserve the effectiveness of the new gaskets. Once the sealing surfaces are free from these materials, the installer should check if the flange faces have dents, dings, mars, or pitting and conduct necessary repairs or servicing. Fasteners must also be checked for burrs, cracks, and defects to know if they must be replaced or not.
Ensure Proper Flange Alignment
Another thing that must be done to install gaskets properly is to ensure the proper alignment of the flanges. The installer of the flanges must make sure that they are parallel as possible, giving them the chance to apply a constant and uniform maximum gasket load. This type of gasket load can make sure that the gaskets can provide the best sealing for the joined surfaces. The installer must likewise avoid overtightening the bolts and maximising a pry bar or screwdriver as it will only make the gaskets ineffective, damage the flanges, and generate safety risks to the surroundings.
Check and Install the Gaskets
Just like the sealing surfaces of the objects, the installer must check the gaskets first before installing them. The new gaskets must not possess any defects, tears, or rips that will only affect their sealing performance. Once the gaskets are free of issues, the installer can now insert them between the flanges. The gaskets should be centred between the flanges to make the installation successful. The application of release agents or joint compounds, however, must not be done during horizontal installation to prevent chemical attacks on the gaskets as well as the extrusion of the gaskets.
Lubricate and Install the Bolts
The last steps to conduct when installing the gaskets are to lubricate their load bearing surfaces and install the bolts. The installer should apply the right type of lubricant to the load-bearing surfaces so that the whole assembly and disassembly of the objects can be done effectively. After the application of the lubricant, the installer should install and tighten the bolts in a cross-bolt pattern.
To know more about gasket installation, you can call us at Gasketech.
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