Spiral Wound Gasket Weight Calculator
Estimate the mass of the wound sealing element, metal strip, filler, inner ring, outer centering ring, and total batch quantity from gasket geometry and material densities.
Weight Results
| Material | Typical density | Common use | Calculator note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 304 stainless steel | 7.90 g/cm³ | General strip and rings | Default stainless value |
| 316 stainless steel | 8.00 g/cm³ | Chemical service rings | Slightly heavier than 304 |
| Carbon steel | 7.85 g/cm³ | Outer centering rings | Common painted guide ring |
| Inconel alloy | 8.44 g/cm³ | High temperature strip | Use exact grade if known |
| Flexible graphite | 1.10 g/cm³ | High temperature filler | Bulk density varies by grade |
| PTFE filler | 2.20 g/cm³ | Chemical service filler | Heavier filler fraction |
| Gasket style | Included parts | Weight drivers | Input focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winding only | Sealing element | OD, ID, thickness | Set ring thickness to 0 |
| IR style | Winding plus inner ring | Inner ring annulus | Match inner ring OD to winding ID |
| CG style | Winding plus outer ring | Outer guide ring width | Match outer ring ID to winding OD |
| CGI style | Winding, inner ring, outer ring | Both ring annuli | Check all ring thicknesses |
| Strip or filler setting | Typical range | Effect on weight | Use when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metal strip thickness | 0.006-0.012 in | Raises metal share | Changing strip gauge |
| Filler strip thickness | 0.012-0.030 in | Raises filler share | Changing filler band |
| Void allowance | 5-15 percent | Reduces wound mass | Estimating profile gaps |
| Finished thickness | 0.125-0.250 in | Scales volume directly | Comparing gasket thicknesses |
| Formula item | Expression | Unit basis | Result use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annulus area | pi/4 x (OD2 - ID2) | cm2 | Winding and ring area |
| Part volume | area x thickness | cm3 | Mass from density |
| Metal share | metal strip / strip sum | ratio | Metal versus filler split |
| Batch mass | each weight x quantity | kg or lb | Shop and shipment total |
Spiral wound gaskets are component that are used in environments that contain high levels of pressure, temperature, and chemical. In order to accurately calculate the weight of a spiral wound gasket, one must consider how the weight of the gasket will impact the companys cost and logistics. For example, the weight of a spiral wound gasket will impact the company’s shipping costs and the loading rack that will be used to handle the products.
Furthermore, if the weight is too high for a person and several others to move the boxes of spiral wound gaskets, then a forklift will have to be use to move those boxes. Thus, the calculator can be used to avoid guesswork regarding the weight of spiral wound gaskets, and to avoid creating a situation in which the spiral wound gaskets are overweight for shipment on a pallet. Spiral wound gaskets are comprised of metal strip and a filler material that is compressed in the spiral wound gasket.
How to Calculate the Weight of a Spiral Wound Gasket
The metal strips provide the springiness of the spiral wound gasket, while the filler material create the seal of the spiral wound gasket. Because the metal and the filler material have different density, altering the thickness of either component will alter the total weight of the spiral wound gasket. For instance, increasing the thickness of the metal strip will increase the weight of the spiral wound gasket.
Similarly, increasing the thickness of the filler material will also increase the weight of the spiral wound gasket. Thus, by utilizing the calculator, individuals can determine which component of the spiral wound gasket contribute to the total weight of the product. Another consideration in the calculation of the total weight of a spiral wound gasket is the geometry of the ring that surround the spiral wound gasket.
For instance, inner ring are incorporated into the spiral wound gasket to prevent the spiral portion of the spiral wound gasket from buckling, as well as to provide for the compression of the flange of the spiral wound gasket. Outer ring are incorporated to ensure that the spiral wound gasket is centered within the bolt circle of the component into which the spiral wound gasket will be placed, and to prevent the spiral wound gasket from blowing out of the component during installation. The volume of these rings increases with the square of the diameter of the spiral wound gasket.
Thus, the weight difference of the rings becomes more prominent on larger spiral wound gaskets. The calculator allow for the thickness of these rings to be set to zero to account for spiral wound gaskets that do not include these rings. A third consideration in the calculation of the total weight of a spiral wound gasket is the density of the material of the spiral wound gasket.
For instance, stainless 304 spiral wound gaskets have a slightly different density than spiral wound gaskets that contain stainless 316. Additionally, the density of carbon steel outer rings will be less than spiral wound gaskets that have stainless steel outer rings. Furthermore, spiral wound gaskets that use high-temperature alloy, such as Inconel, will have a higher weight than spiral wound gaskets that use other metals.
Additionally, flexible graphite has a different density than PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene). These difference may appear small for a single spiral wound gasket, but are significant for spiral wound gaskets of nominal size 300 (DN300) or larger. The density of spiral wound gaskets should use a value from the mill certificate of the material to be purchased, as this will ensure that any error in the material are eliminated.
Another variable of consideration for the total weight of spiral wound gaskets is the void allowance for the spiral wound gasket. The winding portion of spiral wound gaskets do not contain any material within the gaps of the spiral winding or the corrugations of the spiral winding. Thus, the total weight is less than the weight of each of the components of the spiral wound gaskets when calculated as a solid object.
The allowance for this void space can be adjusted in the calculator to ensure that the weight of the spiral wound gasket is accurately calculated to reflect the actual handling of the spiral wound gaskets. The weight of spiral wound gaskets can also be adjusted in regard to the batch quantity of spiral wound gaskets to be shipped. The weight calculation provided by the calculator can be multiplied by the number of spiral wound gaskets that are to be shipped to determine the total weight of the shipment.
This total weight is used to determine the cost of the freight in which the spiral wound gaskets will be shipped, and to determine if the shop rack can hold the weight of the spiral wound gaskets being shipped. Due to the nature of spiral wound gaskets, it is possible that the measurements provided for the spiral wound gaskets may not be the same as the specification provided on the drawing of those spiral wound gaskets. For instance, the inside and outside diameter of the spiral wound gasket may not match the specification of the nominal size of the pipe to which the spiral wound gasket will be attached.
Therefore, it is recommended that the actual measurements of the spiral wound gaskets are measured direct, and entered into the calculator. The same rule applies to the thickness of the rings. For instance, the inner ring may be of a slightly smaller diameter than the spiral portion of the spiral wound gasket, to allow the spiral portion of the spiral wound gasket to be insert into the component into which the spiral wound gasket will be placed.
Thus, the mass that is calculated by the spiral wound gasket calculator will be based upon the specific measurements of the spiral wound gaskets to be manufactured. Because spiral wound gaskets are exposed to high levels of pressure and temperature, the material of the spiral wound gasket may differ from those that are utilized in general. These difference will impact the weight of the spiral wound gasket.
For instance, high levels of pressure may impact the thickness of spiral portion of the spiral wound gasket, which will impact the total weight of the spiral wound gasket. High levels of temperature may impact the metal of the spiral portion of the spiral wound gasket, which will alter the total weight of that component. These factor may be tested in the calculator to allow for spiral wound gaskets to be order without having to place a purchase order.
The density of the filler material is one of the more difficult factor of spiral wound gaskets to accurately calculate. For instance, the densities of the graphite material can vary according to the purity of the graphite, as well as the type of binder that is use in the manufacturing of the spiral wound gasket. Similarly, PTFE material can be filled with another material, or can be manufactured as unfilled PTFE.
Thus, there may be a significant difference in the weights of spiral wound gaskets that use two brand of flexible graphite, for instance. Therefore, the open field for the input of the density of the flexible graphite or the PTFE is provided to allow for the specific density of the material to be purchased to be entered into the calculator. For critical order of spiral wound gaskets, it is recommended to weigh a sample spiral wound gasket to determine the density of the material of that spiral wound gasket, which will allow for the calibration of the batch of spiral wound gaskets that will contain the same material.
Beyond the calculation of the weight of spiral wound gaskets alone, there are other way in which the weight can be utilized by spiral wound gasket manufacturer and users. For instance, spiral wound gaskets may be extremely heavy in single unit; >30 lbs, for instance. Therefore, two individual may be able to move those spiral wound gaskets.
However, the weight of a crate of twelve spiral wound gaskets will be extremely heavy. Thus, the total weight of spiral wound gaskets that will be manufactured may have to be considered for the use of a forklift to move those crates of spiral wound gaskets. Thus, the total weight that is calculated for spiral wound gaskets will be the weight that is used in creating the shipping and lift plan for those spiral wound gaskets.
Thus, while the calculator is not a substitute for a scale, it will help to ensure that the weight of spiral wound gaskets is understood and accounted for in the planning of spiral wound gasket manufacturing and shipping. The weight of spiral wound gaskets will also impact some of the decision regarding packaging of the spiral wound gaskets. For instance, the size of the foam insert in which spiral wound gaskets will be shipped must be calculated according to the weight of the spiral wound gaskets.
Additionally, the tension at which the spiral wound gaskets are strapping may also be adjusted according to the weight of the spiral wound gaskets. Thus, each of these decision will be based upon the weight of spiral wound gaskets that are calculated by the calculator. Finally, the calculator can be used to determine which size of spiral wound gaskets are the heaviest relative to others that may be manufactured.
For instance, each of the dimension of each order of spiral wound gaskets can be entered into the calculator. Then, the dimension of the next order may be entered. Thus, the weight of spiral wound gaskets of each size can be compared to each other.
Thus, this calculator can help establish a habit of determining the weight that will be imparted upon spiral wound gaskets before ordering the metal to manufacture those spiral wound gaskets.
