Leaks that occur in process equipment and machinery due to the failure of gaskets and packing can have a significant cost impact on a facility’s bottom line.
Consider the following costs that can results from failed gaskets and compression packing:
Increased maintenance costs. These costs result from the consumption of maintenance resources to correct leaks resulting from failed gaskets and packing.
Increased ordering and inventory costs. Chronically leaking equipment means that a facility must maintain higher on-hand stocks of gaskets and packing.
Makeup fluid costs. Even slow leaks can result in significant cumulative fluid loss. Over time, this cost can be significant.
Cleanup and disposal costs. Plant resources are consumed to contain and cleanup leaks. Additional costs to dispose of spilled fluids are also incurred.
Contamination. Leaks not only mean that fluids and gases can escape from equipment – it also means that contaminants can get in. Correcting contamination problems can be costly.
Health and Safety. Fluid and gas leaks can pose safety and health hazards. The costs associated with managing safety and health issues arising from leaks can be significant.
Since leaks are costly, facilities should adopt a policy of “zero leaks”. The focus should be on preventing leaks from ever occurring, thus reducing or eliminating the costs noted above. When it comes to leaks, an ounce of prevention is definitely worth a pound of cure!
A key element in a strategy of zero leaks is using gaskets and packing that are manufactured to the highest standards from the best materials. Buying gaskets and packing that are fabricated from cheap materials whose quality and reliability may be suspect is false economy: such materials are unlikely to be either durable or reliable in service, resulting in failures and leaks.
Buying superior quality gaskets and packing does not necessarily mean incurring more expense. One of the many advantages of working with CRGI is the many types of materials we carry in stock and that are available for immediate manufacture and fabrication. Recently, we have added the excellent line of gasket and compression packing manufactured by the Teadit Group to our product range.
Teadit materials are produced in state-of-the art facilities certified to ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. These materials have specifications and performance characteristics that meet or exceed most industry standards, while offering cost-savings over comparable materials from other manufacturers. By choosing Teadit gasket materials and compression packing, customers can lower their purchase costs without compromising quality or performance in any way.
Make zero leaks a key objective in your facility. To help you achieve zero leaks, our sales staff will be pleased to advise on selecting the materials and products that are best for your applications.
To find out more about Teadit materials and specifications, please download our Teadit gasket materials and Teadit compression packing PDF’s.