All vacuum seals, regardless of the shape of the seal or the materials
used, have a common configuration - two flanges facing each other with
a gasket in-between and held together by a clamp or bolts. The shape
of the flanges is the primary definition of the type of flange. The
type of material used for a gasket is the primary limitation in
temperature extremes. The clamping method is dependent on the shape of
the flanges.
The Kwik-Flange™ family is specifically intended to utilize an
O-ring with a circular cross-section. The O-ring is held in place by a
centering ring. The O-ring seal is made on the flat surface of the
flange outside the O-ring groove. The O-ring does not sit inside the
groove itself. The centering ring is necessary, otherwise the flexible
O-ring would be distorted by external air pressure and the seal would
fail.
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