Are you confused over the flange type you should be choosing? And you probably do not want to miss out on the ideal flange. Right? This blog is exactly what you would want to read in such a situation. In this article, you can expect to find details on types of facing as well as the areas where weld neck flanges are applied and why.
You probably know what flanges are but let us brush up on the basics first.
Flanges are one of the components in the piping network. Various industrial undertakings require use of pipes to transport raw materials or other products. The pipes consist of an entire set-up that we acknowledge as a piping system or apparatus.
This accommodates a variety of anchoring parts used to connect different pipes, pumps as well as valves to other components so as to create a system ensuring an uninterrupted flow of contents or raw materials. Flanges are the one integrant that will connect such different pipes and other constituents. They provide an infallible method for integration to an array of industries worldwide. Apart from joining, flanges offer easy dismantling and access to provide hassle-free maintenance of the whole network.
A typical flange linkage is between two flanges bolted together with a gasket in between to provide a hermetic seal. Now let us review How and why weld neck flanges hold a special position among several industries.
What does a typical weld neck flange look like?
Such a flange has a tapering neck that eventually fits over a pipe or fitting wall thickness. The hub or neck is exclusively tapered and thus, easily differentiated. Taper is provided so as to distribute pressure forces evenly from a flange to piping work. Around the neck is a rim that encircles it in a way that the flange gets locked with the connecting pipe. This circumferential rim has punches to accommodate screws or bolts.
Weld neck type is one of the most frequently employed flanges along with a few others such as slip-on, threaded, socket weld as well as lap joint. It is often anchored to the pipe by butt-weld. The taper provides the toughness to bear with extreme loads by transferring pressure equally to pipe and flange. It is thus employed in industries dealing with aggressive pressures and temperatures.
Two sizes of the tapered hub flanges are available- long neck and standard. Long neck ones are compatible with heavy machinery or plants.
Types of facings :
Facing is the surface that faces connection and houses the gasket.
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Flat facing
This means the flange is flat without any elevation or protrusions. In order to create a linkage, it has to completely touch the antagonist’s surface. It must not be connected to any raised facing flange as per the engineering norms.
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Raised surface
It is the most versatile face type adopted across several industrial operations. Here, the surface is elevated from the level of bolting holes. Unlike flat facing, this can be utilized with several other sorts of facings. These are used in the presence of high-pressure applications.
The design of raised flange facing drives pressure on the gasket ring in order to raise the overall pressure tolerance of the connection. Among other varieties, raised face weld neck flange is the most common combination used across factories and different sectors.
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Male and female facing
Two complementary flanges are made to house each other. In such a type of setting, one flange comes with a protrusion on its surface. Another kind of facing has a depression on it at the same region to accommodate male flange.
Such a connection makes the joint stable as both flanges fit into each other.
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Tongue and groove
It is a type of male and female face flanges where tongues resemble a male part and the groove acts as a housing. However, they are not to be applied in extreme pressure conditions. Such flanges are adopted in environments that are not vigorous.
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Ring joint flanges
This one has a groove on its face to lodge a ring gasket. The gasket that closes in the groove creates a seal that has high force tolerance. Therefore, such flange facings can be utilized under extreme temperature as well as pressure.
You can go through various flange types and facings at Gautam industries that have a wide array of fittings and flanging including weld neck pipe flanges.
Factors to consider during the selection of the right flange:
There are few considerations before choosing an ideal flange. First off, the material that you select must be in compliance with the requirements. Wrong material can cause issues like leaks reducing the efficiency of the piping system.
In addition, Flanges manufacturers manage the diameter of the flange, as well as the pipe, must complement each other. It is inevitable to fabricate a flange that correctly fits the inside diameter of the pipe. Other factors that affect the overall strength of the joint are bolt diameter and outer rim thickness.
After basic research, one should consider flanges fulfilling ASME and ANSI standards as well. Several suppliers including Gautam industries manufacture a plethora of flanged products that are compliant with ANSI B16.47.
