The selection of gland packing is a very important part of the marine engineer’s job. An incorrectly selected gland packing would soon fail in service and lead to leakages. As a number of packings are available, the field of selection is very wide. There is no single gland packing that can handle all kinds of fluid or which is suitable for all types of valves and applications. A valve is only good if its sealing is good and a leaking sealing arrangement amounts to a leaking valve with all its associated faults. Not only is it displeasure to the eyes it is also a work, health, and fire hazard. Gland packings are made of the combination of the materials discussed earlier and are manufactured in plaited, braided, twisted, jacketed, corrugated foil, foil wrapped deformable core, and full foil form. It is prudent to consult the manufacturer’s manual about the type of gland packing to be used. The gland manufacturers also give a list of applications where their gland packing can be used; these should be consulted before use.
