Sealants vs. gaskets: the development of an interactive design tool

A design software, based on computer-aided design and finite element analysis (FEA) tools, was set up for the parametric analysis of bolted joint connections with adesive sealants; this software can be used for a low-cost evaluation of joint performances. To this aim, the mechanical properties of two typical anaerobic and silicon-based sealants were experimentally obtained by means of an optimized specimen. Two-dimensional and fully three-dimensional finite element (FE) models of bolted connections were developed to take into acount holt pre-load and position, flange thickness, internal pressure and mechanical properties of sealant material. Non-linear contact analysis was employed for a realistic joint simulation. Results provide the tensile stress distribution in the sealant along the joint middle layer, for any user-specified configuration. A user-friendly software tool was then developed for speedy evaluation of commonly used joint geometries.