Our manufacturing shop maintains a large inventory of various textiles, vapor barriers, and supplies, has specialized cutting and sewing equipment as well as an experienced staff familiar with working with high temperature fabrics and materials, plain or impregnated. We are the inventor and manufacturer of HOTSEAL® Tube Penetration Seals. HOTSEAL® seals are often integrated with our Z-BLOK™ ceramic fiber modules to optimize furnace performance and reliability.
HOTSEAL® Tube Penetration Seals
Thorpe is the only manufacturer of our proprietary engineered HOTSEAL® Tube Penetration Seals. These seals are engineered and manufactured to accommodate all expected tube movements and temperature exposures. HOTSEAL® seals are further custom designed using composite construction of various materials to specifically minimize air ingress through or around the HOTSEAL® while staying within given material temperature limits. Optimal results are realized when the internal refractory lining adjacent to the penetrations are also considered as an integrated part of the overall seal design. Reducing heat loads to the seals allows for consideration of materials with less permeability and lower cost. HOTSEAL® Tube Penetration Seals can be designed as either ganged or individual boot seals, internal or external, and for static or dynamic tube movement relative to the furnace.
Expansion Joints
Thorpe also designs and manufactures expansion joints for negative pressure enclosure equipment. We utilize various textiles as the exterior joint covering, including treated textiles for weather protection and additional air permeability resistance. We also custom design and manufacture our own concepts for internal joint thermal protection, or manufacture pre-designed systems. These may include materials such as various fibrous materials and textiles in layers, or combined into more durable composite pillows. Thorpe excels at optimizing the reliability of these joints by considering the internal lining with the external expansion joint system, performing the manufacturing and supply of those materials, and executing the installation with skilled field crews.
