The Surprising Answer to the Common Question, “Are Metal Seals Reusable?”
While some product lines have 100% recovery, Senior Design Engineer, Ryan Widejko, said most Technetics’ metal seals are not considered reusable.
This is due to how the product was designed, which involves a plastic deformation of the soft outer layer — whether plating or soft double jacket — and the cross-section itself.
Widejko intricately draws a live, zoomed-in visual aid to demonstrate why we typically don’t recommend reusing metal seals.
This presentation details how the soft outer layer permanently conforms to whatever material it’s pressed into. Additionally, the plastic component conforms to the object it’s sealing, based on the compression. These pieces work together to create the promised quality of a tight seal.
Attempting to reuse the seal will likely cause a leak path that will lead to a loss in performance. However, Widejko notes that the seal isn’t entirely “dead.” He describes how the seal’s design allows it to move axially, which means there is a trace amount of dynamic quality to the seal. While this allows the seal to remain just flexible enough to conform to the product properly, it’s not enough that Technetics would recommend removing and reusing the seal in another sealing system.
Run time: 3:57min
The Surprising Answer to the Common Question, “Are Metal Seals Reusable?”
Video Credit: Technetics Group