Background
Before working with Garlock, the customer used virgin PTFE sanitary gaskets in all of their hygienic couplings. However, due to high content of saturated steam used in these systems, the gaskets were undergoing physical deformation and increased porosity. The result was rapid seal degradation with average performance life falling well shorter than their typical 18 months recommended replacement periods.
Challenges faced
As a global supplier it was vital for the customer to ensure that all of their construction materials met the full suite of compliance standards, including FDA and EN1935. Additionally the challenge was to ensure that the gaskets would perform well under the constant and difficult conditions presented by steam and high temperatures, so that the warranty period could be supported to meet customers’ expectations.
Operating conditions
- Media: Saturated Steam
- Size: 12.7 mm to 63.5 mm
- Temperature: 152 °C
- Pressure: Full vacuum 0.0 to 4 bar
Solution and benefits
Garlock’s global credibility was combined with local sales expertise in Italy to enable in-depth discussion and collaboration directly with the customer’s engineering team. By understanding the challenging application as well as the critical end-use customers, it was determined that the best solution was to implement GYLON BIO-PRO® sanitary gaskets for Tri-Clamp connections.
The GYLON® Style 3504 material of construction delivers the required level of compliance to industry standards, and the modi- fied PTFE structure ensures compatibility to the temperature, pressure and mechanical demands of sterilization and autoclave processes. As a result, the company and their customers have experienced significant increase in seal life time from <18 months to more than 5 years, and GYLON BIO-PRO® is now specified as the standard solution in all of their hygienic cou- plings.
Garlock is a multinational manufacturer of high-performance fluid sealing and pipeline solutions with an emphasis on safety, longevity, and productivity. We work in partnership with our customers, industry associations, and governmental entities to understand their unique sealing challenges and respond with innovative solutions that keep people safe ...
