Work of Flanges

 

To create a piping system, flanges are used to join valves, pipes, pumps, and other pieces of machinery. Flanges are often threaded or welded, and two flanges are joined by bolting them together with gaskets to create a seal that allows simple access to the pipe system. These flanges come in a number of different varieties, including socket weld, slip-on, and weld neck flanges. According to their diameters and other features, the many types of flanges used in plumbing systems are detailed below.

Stanley Alloy is one of the renowned manufacturers and Supplier of Stainless Steel 304 Flanges in huge quantities. We have various ranges of flanges as per application requirements. 

There are many Types of Flanges like:

Slip On Flanges

Sliding Flange consists essentially of a ring fitted over the pipe's end with a flange face that extends far enough to apply a welded bead to the inner diameter. These flanges are known as Slip On Flanges because, as their name implies, they slip over a pipe. SO flange is another name for a slip-on flange. It is a type of flange with an internal design that slides over the pipe and is only a little bit larger than the pipe. The top and bottom of the flange may be immediately linked to machinery or pipe by fillet welding the SO flange since the inner diameter of the flange is slightly larger than the exterior dimension of the pipe. It is utilised to place the pipe within the inner hole of the flange. With a raised or flat face, slip-on pipe flanges are utilised. For low-pressure applications, slip-on flanges are a good option. In many fluid pipelines, slip on flange is too used.

Weld Neck Flanges

Weld Neck Flange is sometimes referred to as a high-hub flange or a tapered hub flange. A WN flange, or weld neck flange, features a neck that may adjust the pipe tension, which lowers the pressure that has built up in the flange's bottom. It works well with tubes that endure high pressure and operate at high or low temperatures. The long tapered end of a welding neck flange, which slowly goes through the wall thickness of a pipe or fitting, is an easy way to recognise one. The long tapered hub offers substantial shielding for use in a variety of applications involving high pressure, extremely low temperatures, and/or extremely high temperatures. A fitting with a circular circumference and a projecting edge is what makes up a weld neck flange. Up to 5,000 psi of pressure have been utilised effectively with Weld Neck Flange.

Socket Weld Flanges

It is frequently not recommended to use socket weld flanges for important services since they are only externally joined by a single fillet weld. These are often employed with small-bore lines. Their fatigue strength is 50% more than double-welded Slip On flanges, but their static strength is the same as Slip On flanges. To guarantee adequate bore length for this type of flanges, the thickness of the connected pipe should be specified. Before welding, a space must be created between the pipe and the flange or fit in the socket weld flange. The goal of a socket weld's bottom clearance is typically to reduce any potential residual pressure at the weld root during the metal solidification process. The correct space needs to be produced, which is a disadvantage of the socket weld flange. Corrosive substances can enter the breach between the pipe and the flange and create corrosion issues, most commonly in stainless steel pipe systems. In several procedures, this flange is not permitted. The same rule applies for this flange: a pipe must always be welded first, followed by a fitting.

Blind Flanges

Blind flanges are made without a bore and used to cover up gaps in pressure vessels, valves, and pipe ends. The most overstressed flange types from the perspectives of internal pressure and bolt loading are blind flanges, especially in larger diameters. However, because the majority of these pressures are bending kinds around the centre and the inner diameter is not standardised, these flanges are perfect for systems with higher pressures and temperatures. These flanges have the purpose of blocking a pipe or nozzle on a vessel while it is not in use. For pressure checks at a plant or simply because the customer does not use all of the nozzles that were given on the tank, the nozzle is frequently blocked off using a blind flange.

Lap Joint Flanges

Stub ends are utilised with lap joint flanges when the pipe is constructed of pricey material. For instance, since the carbon steel flange won't come into touch with the material in the pipe, it can be added to the stainless steel pipe system. The flanges won't be butt-welded to the pipe; just the stub ends will. These flanges have a bevelled edge on the inner radius to allow for the stub end radius. With the exception of the radius at the point where the flange face meets the bore to accommodate the flanged part of the Stub End, lap joint flanges are nearly identical to slip on flanges. They are not much, if at all, more capable of holding pressure than Slip On flanges, and their assembly's fatigue life is just one-tenth that of Weld Neck flanges. Therefore, lap joint flange is utilised in non-critical, low-pressure applications.

Threaded Flanges

The main distinction between threaded and slip-on flanges is that the threaded flange has been bored out to match the internal diameter of a certain pipe. The ASME B1.20.1-compliant threaded flange is a type of flange that can be used in piping systems when it is not feasible to weld the flange to the pipe, such as in extremely explosive environments where welding may pose a risk. A pipe with extra threads than the taper pipe is attached to the threaded flange. Cast iron and galvanised pipework are frequently utilised with threaded flanges. Threaded flanges may be utilised for tiny diameters and systems with extremely high pressures, and their fundamental advantage is that they can be placed without welding.