There is general confusion about which pipe fitting or a flange should be selected. Before we dive deep into the How-to of socket weld flange welding and the other types, let us first find out the basic difference between various welds.
In a nutshell, this blog will discuss a little about each type of weld. Also, you can expect to read about the reasons socket welding is trending across many industries.
Socket weld- It is a pipe bridging component in which it is installed into a recessed area of a flange or fitting. The socket here can be considered a female member of the joint that harbors the pipe. It is also known as a fillet weld joint as it is secured by only one fillet. Fillet types of joints need no bevel preparation as one of the components directly houses the other one.
This type of weld is regulated under ASME B16.11.
Buttweld- This is the most reliable and widely used across industries. Butt welds are preferable to lock the connecting components when the factory executions are expensive and there is no place for mistakes to happen. Buttweld is virtually the best of its kind as it can withstand very high temperatures and pressures. Although these are the choice for several applications across industries globally, the installation of buttweld fittings requires complex procedures and time. One can check out buttweld flanges at Gautam industries who are the top manufacturers and suppliers of flanges in India.
Lap welding- Such a kind of weld is performed by placing metal pieces to be joined in the overlapping position. It needs a stub end for closure and is employed in piping networks which are often disassembled for one or the other cause. In addition, lap weld flanges are utilized with carbon steel pipes.
Tee welding- While joining two components of the piping system, if both sections are in a different plane and meeting each other at a right angle, the joint is called a tee joint. Tee joint can be used to alter the flow direction or bifurcate it as per the requisite.
Specialized flanges- These are custom-made to cater to extremely high or low pressures. They are used rarely and under tough circumstances. Such flanges are designed by incorporating either large bolting circles or smaller ones for usage in high-pressure flanges or the opposite respectively.
Applications of socket weld flanges–
Socket weld fits and flanges are utilized for non-critical operations. It is an ideal choice for joining smaller diameter pipings that are less than 2 NPS. It is not usually used at daunting temperatures and pressures as it can only resist half the forces than that of buttweld. These have a characteristic where it holds leakage resistance very high along with moderate structural strength. That is why industries carrying toxic, dangerous liquids employ socket weld fittings. Apart from that, it has moderate pressure tolerance which ranks better than lap joint, edge joint or tee joint. Therefore, it is preferably adopted in pressure conditions lesser than 600 psi. Socket weld fits as well as socket weld raised face flange are available under 3 pressure ratings and compliant with ASME B16.11. These 3 pressure ratings are 3000,6000 and 9000.
Reasons socket weld flanges are reliable for several industrial operations-
Good calibration since the fitting is fixed and no additional fastening is needed.In addition, since it does not require exclusive preparation for securing the connection, the costs are cut down to half as compared to butt weld joints. Besides, socket welding offers strength. Hence, it is leakage-proof than virtually any other type of connection(except buttweld ). Socket weld can be either a flat face or a raised face linkage.
What are the downsides of socket weld flange welding?
The bargain here is the gap requirement of 1.6mm towards the pipe portion receiving the joint i.e., at the bottom of the pipe. This is done to compensate for the expansion that happens during the thermal setting at the joint. However, the setting of metal at the joint makes socket weld vulnerable and creates a hotspot for stress at that particular portion. Other than that, there is a creation of internal crevices as a result of expansion as well as load accumulation. This makes it susceptible to rusting as the internal surface of the pipe and fittings get rough. Not just that, it makes the socket weld type inappropriate for carrying radioactive materials.
Out of all the types of welds, buttweld and socket weld are widely relied upon to carry out various functions and transit of different materials. Gautam industries are the leading exporters of a wide range of flanges. They make and export an extensive variety of flanging parts across the globe. All the products are thoroughly inspected and tested keeping in mind the international standards.
