The design integrity of Taper-Lok® pressure-energized
connectors is engineered to provide the safest seal of any
bolted connection. The
converging angle design of the Taper-Lok® seal ring creates
a wedge effect when internal pressure acting of the backside
of the seal drives the sealing wedge tighter.
The Taper-Lok® seal ring has a unique converging-taper
geometry. This converging-taper geometry is what makes the
Taper-Lok® bolted connection a self-aligning, self-energizing
and a pressure energized seal. The tapered geometry
of the male and female flange generally aligns all the mating
components as they are assembled.
Taper-Lok® products utilize an “area type” seal
as compared to a “line or point” contact seal
exhibited by ANSI, API flanges, and clamp style products. The “area
type” seal of a Taper-Lok® product provides the safest
sealing arrangement of any mechanical connection in the industry. In
contrast to line-or-point contact seals, Taper-Lok® seal rings
remain in an elastic state and are “seated” during
installation, not crushed like conventional seals. The
durability of the area-type seal combined with its lighter
bolt load requirements allows Taper-Lok® seal rings to be
reusable up to ten times, depending on service conditions
and handling techniques. Since the seal ring is generally
made of the same material as the mating flanges, thermal
expansion/contraction concerns are practically eliminated.
