Assembly Features (continued)

A D VA N TA G E S O F S U P E R I O R TA P E R- LO K S E A L I N G T E C H N O LO G Y

A Technical Guide to
Taper-lok Sealing Technology
PEAK PERFORMANCEUNDER PEAK PRESSURE

Lower Torque Requirements

Connections leak due to a variety of reasons right from improper bolt preloads to
gasket relaxation. There are approximately 75 factors that affect the tension in a
bolt when torque is applied. Due to the self-energizing affect, Taper-Lok connections do not have to consider gasket factor or design seating stress, in accordance
with ASME Section VIII Division 1 and 2, Mandatory Appendix 2, which enables a
significantly lower bolt pre-load needed to overcome the hydrostatic end load.
Smaller bolts and less bolt load translate to ease in maintenance and assembly over
a standard connection. Because of the self-energized and pressure energized
characteristics of the Taper-Lok connection, the allowance for the margin of area is
much larger and more forgiving during the installation as compared to standard
connections.
Taper-Lok connections are of suitable extra length for 100% tensioning with Integra
or Hydratight Sea Serpent subsea bolt tensioner systems where all nuts, or just
half, are provided with Tommy bar holes as a standard.

External Loads
The Taper-Lok flange design withstands high external loads during service. Typical
connections that crush, plastically deform, and yield the gasket material require high
pre bolt-loads to be applied in order to create a seal in the connection. This yielded
gasket does not offer flexibility to take up in the dynamic loading and cycles
experienced by the connection, resulting in leaks. Since the Taper-Lok seal is seated
into place and not crushed, the material is not yielded and lower bolt pre-load allow
for safe stress growth in the bolts during applications with induced external loads.

Field Repairable
Taper-Lok connections are very robust and forgiving along the sealing surfaces. Due
to the wide sealing area, the Taper-Lok connection offers much more sealing area to
maintain a seal should a surface become scratched or damaged. Should sealing
surfaces become scratched in the field, it is typical to buff out the damage with an
emory cloth.

Resistance to Corrosion

Seal Features
Zero Fugitive Emmissions

Wide Area Seal

Pressure / Self Energized

Misalignment Capable

Unique Tapered Design

Corrosion Resistant

Metal-to-Metal Connection

Field Reparable

Taper-Lok seal rings are loaded strictly in compression and offer very low susceptibility to a connection usually plagued by Stress Corrosion Cracking. Even in a highly
corrosive environment, the sealing surface of a Taper-Lok Seal ring is longer than
the wall thickness of the pipe, essentially the pipe wall will allow penetration before
the entire length of our sealing surface is sacrificed.

an AMER

IFORGE

13770 Industrial Rd. Houston, TX 77015 Phone: 713-467-3333 www.taper-lok.com

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713.467.3333

Innovative Engineered Connection Solutions

The patented Taper-Lok seal is a metal-to-metal seal ring with dual converging tapered contact

surfaces. This unique tapered seal ring geometry design ensures a significant length of the sealing
surfaces as contact forces are generated between both the male and female
components; this geometry is what gives all Taper-Lok flanges a self-energizing and pressureenergizing seal. Taper-Lok provides the most innovative-engineered connection solutions utilizing
basic design principles.

Reusable Seal
Taper-Lok high integrity seal rings experience only a slight plastic deformation and
are seated into place during installation, not crushed and plastically deformed like
typical conventional seals. Taper-Lok seal rings frequently are reused ten to twelve
times, depending on service conditions and handling techniques.

Misalignment Capabilities
The tapered design of standard Taper-Lok connectors are engineered to accept up
to 2 of axial pipe misalignment and still deliver a full, high integrity seal. The
flange faces do not need to be exactly parallel prior to installing the bolts with a
Taper-Lok connection. The frequent warpage of heavy wall pipe, a result of high
heat generated during welding, makes this an important advantage. Taper-Lok has
engineered products that offer various solutions for offset and misaligned pipe.

Seal Ring Features

Converging Angle Seal Geometry
The Taper-Lok seal ring has unique converging double-tapered angle geometry. The
converging 10 & 20 angle design is driven by the basic wedge principle. The seal
ring essentially wedges itself between the male nose and the female pocket due to
the tapered angles, the bolts push the surfaces against each other thus creating the
wedge effect. This door stop affect is enhanced as internal pressure builds up
behind the seal ring and drives the wedge in tighter, eliminating any leak possibility
in the operating condition.

High Integrity, Wide Area-Type Metal Seal

Assembly Features
Compact Design
CONVERGING-TAPERED GEOMETRY

This unique design insures a significant sealing surface contact area between the
seal ring and the male and female components, constituting a wide area-type seal.
At bolt up condition, the Taper-Lok seal achieves high contact forces over this wide
area while the load distribution decreases stress at the seal contact interface. Wide
area-type seals provide considerably greater sealing contact, and significantly
longer leak paths than a line-or-point contact seals, characteristic of conventional
ANSI, API (RTJ) and clamp-type designs. These features are critical to applications
involving lethal services, fugitive emission control, and other critical fluids in high
temperatures and/or high-pressure applications.

Load Energizing
One of the benefits of the Taper-Lok seal ring is the self-energizing effect. As the
bolts are tightened to the recommended pre boltload, the seal ring is placed in
hoop compression and slides into the female flange. This causes the seal ring to
compress tangentially as the diameter decreases. A restoring force exists in the seal
ring, much like that of a compressed spring or bevel washer. The reaction of this
compressive force, trying to push the seal ring out of the female seal pocket and
tighter into the converging tapered surfaces of the male nose and female pocket, is
what creates the self-energized seal. (continued on back)

Seal Ring Material

Taper-Lok offers a metal-to-metal connection where the seal ring and flange
components are made of the same material specified by the customer, from carbon
steel, stainless steel, inconel, monel, to platinum. For high cost materials, it may be
suggested to overlay the sealing area for cost concerns. The similar metal connection eliminates concerns related to galvanic corrosion and varying rates of thermal
expansion and contraction between the gasket and hub ends. The seal ring is
manufactured with a baked-on molybdenum coating to prevent gauling during
installation. If a seal ring is reused, it is recommended to add a thin layer of
anti-seize along the seal ring and sealing areas for lubrication during reinstallation.
Taper-Lok also offers various materials in transition joints.

The wedge creates a mechanical advantage and requires a smaller bolt load to seat
the seal ring while achieving a higher resultant load. In addition, smaller bolts are
required and the overall flange size is decreased, thereby enhancing a compact
flange design. This geometry is what gives all Taper-Lok flanges a self-energizing
and pressure-energizing seal. The Taper-Lok compact flange offers a significant
overall size weight savings as compared to ANSI or API flanges, in addition to ease
in assembly and maintenance.

Pressure / Self Energized

MISALIGNED

The working pressure of the system benefits the sealing integrity of the Taper-Lok
seal. Internal pressure acting on the bottom of the seal ring attempts to force the
fully confined seal ring out, wedging it further into place against the converging
male and female seal surfaces forming an even tighter seal as pressure increases or
bolts relax. Because of this wedging action, the higher the working pressure, the
tighter the seal.

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UNSEATED SEAL RING

SEATED SEAL RING