Kammprofile gaskets (also known as grooved metal gaskets or spelled camprofile gaskets) are our best friend in the heat exchanger world due to their durability. We'll take a deeper look at them and answer: "What are Kammprofile shims and why should we care?"
kammprofile gaskets are made from a solid metal core and can be made from conventional gasket materials. These materials are carbon steel, 304 stainless steel, 316 stainless steel (if you need to go to higher temperatures), and other high temperature materials such as Hastelloy and Inconel.
The shim manufacturer will machine serrations into the shim material that look like grooves; this is where we get the term grooved metal shims. These serrations are used to place the facing material on the sealing surface.
The facing material (filler material) is usually a soft facing material such as graphite facing (manufacturers call it flexible graphite). Other non-asbestos fillers include mica (high temperature applications), PTFE and other sealing materials.
While they don't require guide rings (like the outer ring of a spiral wound gasket), we would like to see them on the gasket as it helps the assembler center the gasket during assembly. This can accommodate this gasket, but we only see graphite faces in petrochemical applications.
NOTE: The guide ring will come loose, which is a good thing! It allows the solid metal core of the gasket to grow during thermal expansion!
Advantages of Kammprofile Gaskets
Kammprofile gaskets (or camprofile gaskets) are our best friends for heat exchangers and other custom flanges. Kammprofiles are strong and difficult to break during assembly, they work at high temperatures, work under high pressure, and can withstand large bolt loads.
They are much better than double jacketed gaskets, corrugated metal gaskets and large diameter (B16.47 pipe or flanges larger than 24") spiral wound gaskets.
NOTE: Large diameter spiral wound gaskets will bend and pop out. In contrast, a small amount of graphite appears on the Kammprofile gasket.
Probably the best part about these gaskets is how easy it is to adjust the area of the gasket to create a better seal.
Kammprofiles can be put into flanges in many different configurations, such as flat flanges or even muffler joints in vehicles!
Some manufacturers even offer conversion washers for ring joint washers for raised face flanges.
Disadvantages of Kammprofile Gaskets
One disadvantage of these gaskets is that they are hard and more susceptible to flange face defects.
I have two favorite types of gaskets: Kammprofile and spiral wound gaskets. So, where do you put them?
Kammprofile is incredible for an exchanger, but we wouldn't want to put these gaskets in a smaller raised face flange (ASME B16.5 flange)! While Kammprofiles are technically listed as a B16.20 size, they have significant weaknesses in other applications as they rely on near-perfect flange faces and cannot be recovered.
Spiral wound gaskets are more flexible and forgiving on the flange surface of pipe flanges.
Then, the question has to be asked, "Why do we have some manufacturers put them in critical pipe flanges?"
The answer is because when you have a critical system (often with excellent QA/QC and procedures), without heat or thermal cycling, we put them in gasket heaven! So they should work because we've got all the bad stuff out of the way. If you want a solid, suitable pipe flange gasket, use spiral wound gaskets! ! Besides that, if you have metal jacketed gaskets, buy a kammprofile gasket, it will help you get a high quality seal!
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