Power October 2022 140th Anniversary Supplement - 33

■ Closed-cell sponge rubber materials.
■ Compressed non-asbestos.
■ Cork.
■ Electrical insulation.
■ Electromagnetic interference (EMI)
and radio-frequency interference
(RFI) shielding.
■ Felt.
■ Fiber.
■ Flexible graphite.
■ Foam.
■ High-temperature materials.
■ Metal alloy.
■ Open-cell sponge rubber materials.
■ Plastics.
■ Rubber molding compounds.
■ Rubber.
■ Semi-metallic (Figure 3).
Among the common materials and
names of products used in some of
the gasket types listed above are:
Butyl, Cellulose, Chomerics, Cloth-Inserted,
Elastomers, EPDM (Ethylene
Propylene Diene Monomer), Flexible
graphite, Formex, HDPE (High-Density
Polyethylene),
Hitex,
Hypalon,
Latex, LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene),
Mylar,
Neoprene, Nitrile,
Nomex, Nylon, Phenolic, Polyester,
Polyurethane, PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene),
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride),
Silicone, UHMW (Ultra High Molecular
Weight), Urethane, Vinyl, Viton,
Wool Felt, and others.
According to Latte, the most important
properties for sealing materials are:
■ Loading capacity.
■ Sealability.
■ Elastic behavior of a sealing material.
■ Capacity for chemical resistance
against media.
Latte noted that tensile strength of a
material " is not of particular importance
for quality consideration, because no
tensile forces are usually exerted on a
gasket, only pressure forces. " Nonetheless,
he suggested the determination
of tensile strength is important for production
purposes because " it is a simple
and rapid method for demonstrating
production stability and reproducibility.
Other methods, apart from the determination
of compressibility and recovery,
are too time-consuming and expensive
to be used to control production quality, "
Latte wrote.
When it comes to choosing the best
gasket material to use in a given application,
it's often best to consult with an
expert. Several factors must be evaluated
to ensure the material chosen is
appropriate for the intended purpose.
Some of the key considerations are:
■ Temperature. What temperature
range must it withstand?
■ Pressure. What pressure range must
it withstand?
■ Media. What fluids or materials will it
be exposed to? Are they abrasive or
corrosive?
■ Ultraviolet and ozone exposure. Will
it be exposed to sunlight and ozone?
■ Product standards. Is it subject to
any industry-specific product requirements?
Does it need EMI shielding
properties?
■ Industry standards. Is it subject to any
other industry-specific standards?
Material Suppliers
3. Assorted metallic and semi-metallic gaskets
are shown here. Semi-metallic gaskets
feature soft, pliable sealing materials that
enhance the tightness of the assembly with
lower overall load requirements compared to
fully metallic gaskets. Courtesy: Lamons
October 2022 | POWER Supplement
While there are multiple reasons a gasket
might need to be replaced, the most
common is after a system or component
has been disassembled for maintenance.
That's when having a reliable
supplier that can provide the gasket you
need, when you need it, is critical. One
company that's been providing gaskets
to the energy industry for 75 years is
Lamons. The company was founded
in 1947 by W.A. Lamons and has been
distributing quality gaskets to the oil
and gas, and petrochemical industries,
ever since. Lamons has also supported
customers in the U.S. military, pulp
and paper, food and beverage, water
and wastewater, power generation, and
pharmaceutical sectors.
www.powermag.com
4.
Lamons'
recently
constructed
a
64,000-square-foot addition at its Houston,
Texas, manufacturing plant, which will allow
the company to more than double its top line
performance by 2026. Courtesy: Lamons
Headquartered in Houston, Texas,
Lamons has grown into one of the
largest privately held gasket, seal, bolt,
and hose assembly manufacturers in
the world. Its growth has been partly
fueled by acquisition. In 1985, Lamons
acquired Richard Gasket Company, and
a few years later, in 1988, it took over
Packing and Gasket Engineering. The
company purchased Industrial Bolt and
Gasket, a Beaumont, Texas-based company
in 1997. In 2010, Lamons acquired
South Texas Bolt and Fitting, which
made the company one of the most capable
specialty fastener manufacturers
in the world.
IsoTek was purchased in 2012, which
added isolation gaskets, sleeves, and
washers to the company's product
portfolio. With the addition of hoses
in 2016, Lamons fulfilled its vision of
leading global markets in safety sealing
and attachment solutions. In 2019,
Lamons became part for the First Reserve
family, a leading global private
equity investment firm exclusively focused
on energy.
Lamons has a manufacturing facility
in Houston totaling 300,000 square feet,
which includes a 64,000-square-foot
addition (Figure 4) constructed during
the COVID pandemic, and it has another
30,000-square-foot facility in Denver,
Colorado, specifically dedicated to the
company's IsoTek sealing and isolation
product line.
" A pivotal point in our success came
when we decided to create a one-stop
experience for our customers, " said Kris
Beezley, senior vice president of Strategic
Business Development with Lamons.
" Rather than only producing gaskets, we
expanded our product offerings to include
standard and specialty fasteners, and
hose assembly, which enabled us to provide
total solutions for our customers. "
PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE 33
http://www.powermag.com
Power October 2022 140th Anniversary Supplement

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