Heat Exchanger Sealing Challenges
Shell and tube heat exchangers represent one of the toughest sealing duties in industrial facilities due to differential thermal expansion between the shell, tubesheet, and channel head.
Why Facilities are Upgrading to Kammprofile
While metal jacketed gaskets have historically been popular for heat exchanger pass partitions, they require very high bolt loads (high seating factor m and y values). In contrast, serrated metallic Kammprofile gaskets with soft facing layers seal at a fraction of the seating stress and offer superior elastic recovery during thermal cycles.
- Lower required bolt torque prevents flange rotation and bowing.
- Solid metal core eliminates radial blowout risks.
- Metallic cores can be cleaned and refaced for multiple turnaround cycles.
