Do you technicians need Gasket installation training?
When your technician leaves the shop to change a gasket, do you have the confidence that the job will be done properly using installation methods like those outlined in industry accepted standards like PCC-1?

What is PCC-1?
ASME PCC-1 is a standard developed and published in 2000 by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) that provides bolted flange joint assembly (BFJA) guidelines for pressure-boundary flanged joints with ring-type gaskets that are entirely within the circle enclosed by the bolt holes and with no contact outside the circle. This standard is also included in the ASME's most recent 4th Edition released in 2019.

ASME PCC-1 gives directions for the training and qualification of bolted joint assembly personnel which is provided by Stallings Industries, Inc.

Here are some Gasket facts to consider:

1. The gasket is the weakest part of the bolted joint.
2. Several steps are critical to creating and maintaining a seal.
3. Fastener specifications should not be an afterthought.
4. Torque wrench… Torque wrench… Torque wrench.

Choosing the proper material should not be left up to the technician. This is an engineering function that should have been decided on before installation. The condition of the flange should be a large part of the gasket selection. Our industries have some age on them, and compromised flanges are the result. Pitted, steam cut, corroded, chemically attacked, and rusted flange faces require a solution that flat gaskets typically can’t handle.

Garlock’s EPIX is the game changer for compromised flanges. Our patented surface profiling on the material concentrates the compressive force, allows the raised profiling to flow into imperfections and effect and maintain a seal.

How to decide if you need Gasket Installation Training in 5 Steps:

1. Do your technicians ALWAYS have a torque wrench with them to properly install the gasket? It cannot be stressed enough the requirement for torque, properly applied according to the flange type, size, pound class and gasket material.
2. Are your technicians aware of, and always use a crossing pattern to apply torque, so that the load is evenly distributed?
3. Are the words “square and tight” in their vocabulary and do they understand what that means?
4. Have you carefully considered your fastener specification and how it affects the ability to seal a gasket?
5. Are your technicians aware that safety, not speed is their number one priority?

At Stallings Industries Inc., our Gasket Installation Training is in-depth and hands-on. Everything we teach is either ASME or API best practices. Our net result is ALWAYS a safer work environment when these practices are applied. Let’s make your facility a safer place to work. Contact us for more details.