Sunoco has over 3,000 tank cars in our fleet carrying various hazardous commodities. We were pleased to learn through testing by our laboratory that GRI’s Durlon® 9000 material is acceptable for use in all commodities we ship. Simplifying to one gasket material has helped Sunoco with compatibility, performance and standardization. We have confidence in the suitability and traceability of the branded Durlon® 9000 gasket material and have received excellent technical support, training and customer service. ~ Maureen Boyle, Sunoco Inc.
We implemented a standardization program designed by Gasket Resources technical services team for our fleet of paste cars and we have been pleased with the benefits. We have 100 paste cars that make over 800 shipments over a three month period. Gaskets were changed from an elastomer that was damaged after several uses to the Durlon® 9000 which proved to seal after repeated usage. Written bolted joint procedures were also recommended. Following a trial period, the Durlon® 9000 filled PTFE gasket became our standard on paste cars. After nine months of implementation, the fleet had a 900% reduction in bolt replacement and 3100% reduction in gasket usage. After this corrective action was implemented, we have also been given an award from Norfolk Southern Railroad for ZERO incidents on shipments during the time period after the corrective action was implemented. ~ A Railroad Customer
Although our customers select gasket materials, we think that gasket standardization has advantages. It not only reduces car turnaround time, but it enhances process safety and reliability. The more you can eliminate variables when servicing a car, the more you reduce the possibility of error. ~ G. A. Cieslak, UTLX General Manager
