(73a) Improved Bolted Joint Reliability: Innovative Gasket, Unsurpassed Recovery

Currently, there are two well established and common types of gaskets which cover most critical, high pressure, and high temperature applications in industry. Spiral wound type gaskets have been in use as one of the most versatile types of gaskets since it was invented over 100 years ago by Flexitallic. Grooved metal gaskets with a covering of soft sealing material, also known as kammprofile gaskets, are the other most common type used in critical applications. Each type has specific characteristics making it strong in some areas and less strong in other aspects.

A novel type called "Change Gasket" is a cross between the two types that combines the beneficial features of each into one product. The various test results showing its improved performance over traditional gaskets, as well as engineering features built into this product, will be discussed in this paper.