TT Gaskets is developing a smart solution for ensuring gasket installing

Can’t get a good night’s sleep because you installed a gasket earlier today? Are you having nightmares of leaky flanges? Don’t worry, we have a solution under way.

Installing is the most critical part of gasket’s lifetime, but currently there are no viable options to ensure the success of it. Except to put the medium to flow and check whether it leaks or not. Training and consulting of gasket selection and installing is of course available, also from us, but eventually the responsibility of successful installing is on the mechanic. Off the top of your head, you could easily think that even a trained chimpanzee can turn a wrench. But in reality, installing a gasket requires thorough preparation and execution with correct tools.

Friction tames even the strongest mechanic

Sealing is based on mechanics where the torque applied to the bolts is transferred to the gasket through the flange surfaces. This force seals the flange to withstand the pressure and temperature stress from the piping and prevents leakages.

The force transferred from the bolts to the gasket depends significantly on friction, so using a proper torque on the bolts does not necessarily mean sufficient surface stress on the gasket. Even though a calibrated torque wrench is an essential tool for installing, the numbers on the wrench are not an absolute truth. If the lubrication and other preparations are not done correctly, applying correct torque on the bolts may still cause a leak.

Once again, we harness technology to help people

In co-operation with top-of-the-class experts, TT Gaskets has started to develop a technological solution for ensuring successful installing of gaskets. The first step we took was a remotely readable tag for gaskets that removes the simplest mistakes. By identifying the gasket in between the flanges, a wrong or missing gasket is much easier to notice.

The second step currently under development is a remotely readable sensor that measures the surface stress of a gasket. The sensor gives immediate feedback of the success after installing. We are currently searching for potential field test partners as we are soon making functional prototypes.

The future goal for this innovation project known as TTG Smart Gasket is to connect gaskets to the IoT network of a facility – to create an IoG (Internet of Gaskets). We are gradually moving towards that goal, as gasket manufacturing is not well-known for acting rashly. All in all, sensors measuring the surface stress of gaskets both during installing and use will have a large role as we create smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow.

Read more >> Smarter sealing for a safer tomorrow – Obtaining information of a gasket