Springs Under Pressure: Ensuring Seal Integrity in Extreme Environments

At the heart of many industrial systems, you’ll find valves.  And many of those valves rely on springs to energise the seals that maintain that contact between the seal and valve components, even in extreme operating environments.

Whether the operating environment is an extreme one such as cryogenic storage or subsea oil extraction, or a standard manufacturing plant, valves can be subjected to all sorts of conditions.  From changes in pressure and temperatures to aggressive chemicals the reliability of the seal is challenged, making the spring’s job even harder.

Maintaining that seal reliability and integrity is important to avoid leakage, downtime and potentially costly consequences. 

Understanding spring types and materials goes a long way towards maximising that reliability and integrity. 

Exotic alloys such as Inconel® or Hastelloy® are potential solutions to counter higher temperature conditions, whilst 302 or 316 Stainless Steel or Phynox® / Elgiloy® are ideal for cryogenic environments as they won’t be become brittle at these temperatures.  And in chemically aggressive environments, choosing from the various exotic alloys or PEEK ™ increases longevity.

When it comes to creating springs for valves, Clifford Springs has decades of working closely with valve and seal designers to manufacture energising springs of the highest standard and specification.

Springs might be small, but they are vital to system reliability.  Choosing the right spring from the outset contributes massively to extended seal life, extended maintenance schedules and enhanced system performance.

If your valves are operating under pressure – literally - we’re here to advise and deliver.  Get in touch today.

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