There should not be a problem because of the gasket, but in the installation of them. Do the flanges have a proper face on the flange, there should be a groves to cause the gasket to "grip and bind to the surface" Are you using the gaskets more than once (I've used the same gaskets twice if it was in good shape and not in a criticle service, like water. Are the flanges sqaure? You can overtighten a flex gasket and squish it so it will not seal. Similarly, not tightening the flange evenly will cause it to slip and misalign and not seal.

Spiral Wound Gaskets are what you reach for when a regular gasket won’t do the job. Regular flat gaskets seal parallel flanges with good surface finish. Over time though, those properties deteriorate and the joint becomes harder to seal. That’s when it’s time to go spiral-wound.

Spiral wound gaskets also work well in high-temperature and high pressure conditions and with corrosive media. That’s why they’re the gasket of choice in many petrochemical plants where their long life helps reduce downtime.

Most gaskets are cut from sheet material and that means they seal on their flat surfaces. When flanges are out of parallel the gap between them varies, forcing the use of thicker material. Where the gap is smaller the material must compress more. Pretty quickly the material reaches the limits of what it can do.

In contrast, the spiral wound gasket seals on its edges rather than a flat surface. To do this a long thin strip of gasket material is coiled up to create a ring. Placed between flanges, it's the sides of the strip that make the seal.

To add elastic recovery, ensuring that a seal is maintained regardless of how the joint moves, the gasket material is interleaved with a metal strip. The combined materials are then formed into an approximate 'V' section during the coiling process. That metal 'V' acts like a spring, pushing outwards against the flanges.

The choice of gasket material is critical. Usually a spiral-wound gasket is made from PTFE or graphite, both of which come in various grades. In addition, the metal is also selected for the appropriate degree of springiness combined with corrosion resistance and durability.

Spiral-wound gaskets usually come with both an inner metal core and an outer metal ring. These are thinner than the coiled gasket material, so limiting how much the gasket can compress. The inner core also increases blowout resistance; one reason this design works well with high pressures.

The spiral-wound gasket was invented by Flexitallic back in 1912 but today there are a number of manufacturers. The gaskets follow ASME standards but are not all the same as each company has their own materials and designs.

If you have a challenging joint to seal, ask if a spiral-wound gasket would be a good option. If you’re replacing an existing spiral-wound gasket, check the color-code and order the new part before taking the joint apart.  As a spiral wound gasket supplier, Hennig Gasket stocks a large variety of spiral wound gaskets ready to ship.  Contact us today.

A spiral wound gasket can be considered a heavy duty spring in series with the bolts, nuts, washers, and flange. Its spring like structure enables the gasket to recover under variable loads. Seating stress forces the filler into the flange imperfections, creating a seal. Flexible metallic windings maintain seal integrity when flange movement occurs.

As a professional gasket supplier, we produce gaskets that have a wide application, including in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, food & beverage, power generation, mining, military, aerospace, pharmaceutical, filtration, sanitary process industries, and nuclear installations, etc. Ginseal spiral wound gasket are all manufactured from Ginseal gasket maker accordingly to ASME B16.20 and API or EN1514 or JIS standard. We also provide custom gaskets service with free samples. As of the best China gasket manufacturers, our gasket and sealing products have been exported to the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, and other more than 40 countries，obtained the trust and recognition of local customers.