When maintenance engineers encounter leaking process
equipment, the simple gasket or seal all too often takes the blame. In the
majority of cases however, traditional installation practices produce errors
which lessen the reliability of the bolt and seal combination on the joint
concerned.

In his seminar presentation at Maintec 2014, Adrian Jefferies, a Senior Project Engineer at
sealing engineering specialist James Walker, will illustrate the best
practice in bolted joint assembly by using measurement of the installed bolt
loads. The factors affecting the reliability of bolted joints will be
explained, along with examples of how leaks on critical equipment in refineries
and nuclear plant have been eliminated using this approach. Both reliability
and speed of installation are improved by the use of tension measurement
control, not only providing cost savings but also enhancing safety and
environmental performance.

Bolted joint integrity is one of the cornerstones of the
James Walker Total Cost of Ownership Reduction Programme through which the
company is helping its customers to reduce maintenance costs and improve plant
performance. By carrying out detailed investigation and root cause analysis of
leakage and seal or joint failures, James Walker engineers are able to
prescribe a detailed solution complete with product specifications, fitting and
maintenance regimes and, where necessary, any re-engineering of the components
concerned.

James Walker will be exhibiting a comprehensive range of
products and services at Maintec on stand M4F.