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T he Flange Rescue Gasket (FRG), developed by UK-based Flexitallic Ltd, has won a Materials Performance Readers’ Choice Corrosion Innovation of the Year Award. The award, for ‘‘Integrity Assessment” in the Corrosion Control Category, was presented to Russ Currie, Head of Engineering, Flexitallic, and the inventor of the FRG, by Kevin Garrity, President, NACE International, at CORROSION 2013 which was held recently in Orlando, Florida, USA. The FRG (see Sealing Technology, December 2009, page 16) provides a way of sealing damaged flanges without the need to replace parts or carry out machining. According to Flexitallic, it was created in direct response to an industry-wide customer issue, and its use reduces the lengthy and costly process of flange maintenance in corrosive offshore environments. Commenting on the award, Currie said: ‘It is a privilege to receive the award for the FRG. It is great recognition for an innovation which truly addresses a major corrosion issue for the industry – it limits the amount of initial corro- sion and vastly reduces the lengthy and costly processes involved, which are carried out in extreme environments.’ The gasket is made from highly compress- ible Sigma polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to ensure that its conforms to damaged flange sur- faces – creating an effective seal and preventing further deterioration. The bright, easily identifiable, FRG has a fluoropolymer-coated body that is corrosion resistant. It also features integral bolt holes which make it easy to install the gasket and ensure that it is correctly placed. Its high mechanical integrity enables the full torque range to be used – reducing the risk of operator error and meeting stringent standards set by the Health and Safety Executive. Contacts: Flexitallic Ltd, Scandinavia Mill, Hunsworth Lane, Cleckheaton BD19 4LN, UK. Tel: +44 1274 851273, Fax: +44 1274 851386, Web: www.flexitallic.eu The Flexitallic Group, 250 bis rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 Paris, France. Tel: +33 1 4888 8887, Web: www.fdsgroup.net NACE International, 1440 South Creek Drive, Houston, TX 77084-4906, USA. Tel: +1 281 228 6223, Fax: +1 281 228 6300, Web: www.nace.org 10–12 June 2013 Silicone Elastomers 2013 Munich, Germany Contact: Bill Allen, Conference Department, Smithers Rapra, Shawbury, Shropshire SY4 4NR, UK Tel: +44 1372 802086 Email: [email protected] Web: www.siliconeelastomersevent.com Web: www.polymerconferences.com 11 & 13 June 2013 Elastomer technology and seal design (training courses) Singapore and Beijing, China, respectively Contact: Precision Polymer Engineering Ltd, Greenbank Road, Blackburn BB1 3EA, UK Tel: +44 1254 295400, Fax: +44 1254 680182 Web: www.prepol.com/services/ppe-training or Contact: Precision Polymer Engineering Llc, 1754 Technology Drive, Suite 244, San Jose, CA 95110, USA Tel: +1 408 441 2043, Fax: +1 408 441 1042 Email: [email protected] 12–13 June 2013 O-Ring Prüflabor Richter GmbH’s seminar: ‘Elastomer Parts in Automotive Applications’ Oberstenfeld, Germany Contact: Waltraut Mergenthaler, O-Ring Prüflabor Richter GmbH, Kleinbottwarer Str. 1, 71723 Grossbottwar, Germany Tel: +49 7148 922037, Fax: +49 7148 922038 Email: [email protected] Web: www.o-ring-prueflabor.de/de/seminare 2–3 July 2013 Aesseal customer training 2013 Rotherham, UK Contact: Aesseal Plc, Mill Close, Bradmarsh Business Park, Rotherham S60 1BZ, UK Tel: +44 1709 369966, Fax: +44 1709 720788 Email: [email protected] Web: www.aesseal.com/uploads/file/en/ docs/CustomerTraining-2013.pdf 4 July 2013 ‘The 1 x 1 of the Purchase Contracts’ (seminar) Mannheim, Germany Contact: Stefanie Wüst – Project Management Academy, International Sealing and Gasket Technology (ISGATEC), On the Parade Ground 1A, 68167 Mannheim, Germany Tel: +49 621 717 68882, Fax: +49 621 717 68888 Email: [email protected] Web: www.isgatec.com 14–18 July 2013 2013 ASME Pressure Vessels & Piping Conference Paris, France Contact: Melissa Torres, Meetings Coordinator, ASME International, Three Park Avenue, MS 22E5, New York, NY 10016, USA Tel: +1 212 591 8257, Fax: +1 212 591 7856 Email: [email protected] Web: www.asmeconferences.org/PVP2013 13–15 August 2013 FLMUG / VTUG Summer Meeting ‘Fluid Sealing & Valve Team Best Practices & OE’ Oak Brook, Illinois, USA Contact: Karen Miller, Coordinator, Fluid Leak Management Users Group, 306 Coves End Point, Seneca, SC 29678, USA Tel: +1 864 882 7406, Fax: +1 866 882 8890 Email: [email protected] Web: www.fluidleak.com 30 September to 3 October 2013 42nd Turbomachinery & 29th International Pump User Symposia Houston, Texas, USA Contact: LaDonna O’Hara, Registrar, Turbomachinery Laboratory, Texas A&M University, 3254 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-3254, USA Tel: +1 979 862 1012 Email: [email protected] Web: http://turbolab.tamu.edu/articles/ pump_turbomachinery_symposia EVENTS CALENDAR EVENTS / NEWS 16 Sealing Technology May 2013 Flexitallic wins NACE award for Flange Rescue Gasket Russ Currie (left), Head of Engineering, Flexitallic Ltd, receiving the award from Kevin Garrity, President, NACE International.
