Asbestos Gland Packings

Pumps-Slacken the gland nuts back and re-tighten to finger tight, to such an extent that the shaft still rotates freely.

Valves-pressurise the stuffing box and if necessary re-adjust the gland nuts evenly until a leak-free seal is obtained.

Tighten gland nuts evenly with spanner until the package "drags" when turning the  shaft by hand.

Fit gland follower and check that the shaft rotates freely

Stagger joints in consecutive packing rings

Fit each packing individually by tamping or with split sleeves

Wrap packing on the shaft and cut into rings of correct size

Select correct size of packing to fit the stuffing box dimensions

Always re-pack with new packing

Ensure that all the old packing is removed and the stuffing box is clean and free from foreign matter.

Packing the GLAND

Pump Bearings--wear can induce shaft "whip" which can be harmful to packings.

Condition of shaft surface in packing area-no excessive grooves, scores or pitting

Straightness of shaft (run-out)- not to exceed 0.5mm. Clock gauge reading

Concentricity of shaft with stuffing box bore.

The clearance between shaft and neck-bush at the bottom end of the stuffing box. The maximum normal clearance is 0.25mm.

To ensure long and trouble free sealing, check the following periodically:

Condition of Plant:

Gland packing is not an exact science as its performance depends upon many variables. The filling of a packing is an art and results depend largely on manual skills. The 'Man with a Wrench' therefore, can sometimes. be a dangerous person in your plant, responsible for scored rods, excessive downtime and wasted packing.

Should not contaminate the fluid being contained

Should not effect the  shaft

Should retain the self lubricants

Should be reasonably compressible and have a good resilience

Should not get effected by the temperature of application

Good chemical resistance to fluid contained

Good Anti-Friction Properties

Properties the Gland packing must possess

To achieve zero leakage between a moving member and a relatively stationery part, a wide range of seals and rings are employed. However, the most common, least expensive and versatile in nature is the Gland Packing. It provides a dynamic seal for a rod, shaft or stem via a housing or gland which is packed with resilient or semi-resilient material, thus providing a localised contact area which offers a physical barrier to leakage

Asbestos Gland Packings