Kammprofile Gaskets for Heat Exchangers

A kammprofile gasket, also written camprofile or cam profile, is a solid metal ring with concentric serrations machined into both faces and a thin layer of graphite, PTFE or mica bonded over them. On a shell and tube exchanger it is the usual replacement for a double-jacketed gasket: it seals at a lower bolt load, tolerates the thermal cycling that opens jacketed gaskets, and the core can be refaced and used again after a turnaround.

There is no standard size table for exchanger gaskets. Each one is made to the exchanger drawing, so the figures on this page are the section dimensions, materials and factors that are fixed by the design, followed by the list of what to send so that a quotation can be prepared from your drawing. All figures are transcribed from our kammprofile technical datasheet (PDF).

Section dimensions and gasket factors

Millimetres unless stated. Inside and outside diameters follow the drawing; the section is the same for every diameter.

The serrations give the gasket its behaviour. Each peak carries a high local stress that pushes the facing into the flange surface, while the grooves hold the displaced facing, so the seal forms at a seating stress well below that of a plain metal gasket. The m and y values are used in the ASME Appendix 2 bolt-load calculation, and they are the same for every core and facing combination.

Pass-partition ribs

Multi-pass exchangers need ribs across the gasket to seal the partition plates in the channel and the floating head. Aerolite^® ribs are machined from the same plate as the ring, so the rib and ring are one piece with a continuous serrated face and a continuous facing layer. Single ribs, parallel double ribs, cross ribs and offset layouts are all cut to the drawing. Rib width normally matches the partition plate and its gasket groove; state it on the drawing or leave it to be matched to the plate thickness you give.

Which style for an exchanger

✓ marks the styles used on exchanger flanges. KP1 is the default. KC1 is chosen when the bolting cannot reach the seating stress of a parallel core, for example on older exchangers with low-strength studs or on flanges that have been refaced thin.

Core materials and temperature limits

The core is normally the same material as the flange, or SS316L where the flange is carbon steel and the fluid allows it. The limits below are the datasheet's guideline maximum temperatures for the core in air. They do not hold in every fluid, and the facing limit usually governs before the core limit does.

Facing materials

What to send for a quotation

Refacing used cores

A core that comes out of an exchanger undamaged can be stripped, inspected, and refaced with new graphite or PTFE. Cores with corrosion pitting, scored serrations or distortion are replaced. Send the used gaskets with the enquiry, or a photograph of the sealing faces, and the quotation will say which can be refaced.

Replacing another manufacturer's gasket

An exchanger gasket is defined by its drawing, not by a brand. A kammprofile gasket from any manufacturer that was made to the same drawing has the same diameters, rib layout and thickness, so an Aerolite^® gasket can be substituted on dimensions from that drawing, or from the used gasket itself. Core material, facing and service conditions should be confirmed by your engineer before substitution.

Request a quotation

Product overview and certification are on the kammprofile gasket page. Related: metal jacketed gaskets, spiral wound gaskets and the RTJ dimension chart.