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What Threaded Flanges Are and How Are They Used

A threaded flange is a device that connects a device that you can secure to a pipe length without the need for welding. With tapered thread, the threaded flange can be tightened onto the pipe without any leakage.

However, a seal weld is commonly used when it is appropriate. The nature of the threaded connection makes the threaded flange one of the viable options when welding is not feasible, like in explosives or highly flammable areas. The flange is commonly used only on small-diameter pipes.

threaded flange

In most refineries, manufacturing shipyards, and facilities, the highly explosive nature of the materials moved through the pipeline prohibits welding. A threaded flange is a good option in this environment when you assemble pipelines.

Using a tapered thread inside the flange, the pipe is tapered on the exterior and is threaded into the threaded flange. The flange joint becomes leak-proof and tight as the two tapers become enmeshed.

If the conditions exist that dem to be safe welding, a seal weld is occasionally placed around the junction of the flange and pipe.

Sometimes a seal weld is useful in talking about threaded connections. The special flange is usually used for the high-pressure piping system with smaller diameter applications. The larger the flange is, the harder the ability to machine a thread.

Definition

A threaded flange means the inner bore of the flange is a thread, the shape of the threaded flange is like the slip-on flange, so the threaded flange could be plate shape or with a hub for the longer threads.

Joint

The threaded pipe flange comes with a pipe connected to a pipe with an external thread on the end of the pipe. Thus, the flange thread should have the same thread specifications as the pipe thread.

The threaded flange advantage is that the piping system would be quite easy to assemble as there would not be any welding in the piping joint.

Sealing

The threaded flange is usually supplied with a flat face (FF) or raised face (RF) sealing face. When a raised face is essential for the threaded pipe flanges, the standard height needs to be 1/16” for the face under class 400.

If the threaded pipe flanges are more or the same as class 400, the threaded pipe flange raised face needs the height to be 1/4”.

The threaded pipe flange is commonly useful in small sizes and during high-pressure situations. The threaded flange does not have welding in joints, so the flange could be usable in some situations. This way, it is not possible to arrange welding work.

Uses of Threaded flanges

They are beneficial when male NPT pipe connections are useful with high or explosive reactive media. These flanges are commonly used within the oilfield service.

Variety of threaded flanges

There are many available sizes of the flange variety and many pressure ratings. Though this is the case, they are useful most frequently for small piping systems. These piping systems are usually equal to or less than four inches.

Advantages of flanges

The key advantage of the flanges is that you can connect them to the pipes without the involvement of the welding process. It is an advantage and often a necessity. It is essential in the locations and industries that deal with explosive products.

Uses of flange

The common ways where you could use these flanges are:

  • Useful in highly explosive areas
  • Useful in applications where it is hazardous to do welding
  • Flanges are highly economical and help save time
  • Useful in the piping applications of small diameter
  • Can be fitted to various pipe sizes without the need for welding
  • Useful in situations where extreme pressure is present, and post-weld treatment is not an option.
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What are The Top Reasons of Flange Damage?

Flanges are products that are suitable for heat exchangers. It plays an integral portion and works well in the processing operation. Many things affect the operational capacity of the flanges, including high-pressure equipment like leakages.

Tongue and Groove flanges

Leakage is not acceptable in the process equipment. Based on heat exchangers, usability and application depend, and they also help in decreasing productivity. Further, many procedures contaminate heat transfer fluids. Therefore, it also creates issues of environmental hazards and safety. Leakage in flanges also leads to life-threatening issues like fire. Hence, it is necessary to identify the leakage in flanges right after the detection.

Meaning of flanges

Flanges possess many components, such as bolts, gaskets, and rings. The bolts hold the flanges in one plane and help support the exchanger. Therefore, it is essential to determine the cause and identify the location after the flange leakage.

Possible causes of flange leaks

There are many possibilities for the flanges to leak. These are:

Unequal bolt stress

Cramped working environment surroundings or improper bolting process of the flange makes a few bolts loose. In addition, unequal bolt stress crushes and tightens the gasket. These stress conditions lead to leakages, especially in high temperatures and after the relaxation of heavily loaded bolts.

Improper flange alignment

Improper flange alignment tends to develop local crushing and unequal gasket compression, resulting in subsequent leakage. Unequal flange centerline alignment results in flange leakage and unequal gasket compression.

Improper gasket centering

When the gasket installation is off-centered to the flange faces, it results in uneven gasket compression. Also, it makes the joints quite prone to further leakage. The spiral wound and double jacket gasket come with a centering ring that extends to the bolts’ inner edge. The right cut of the gasket makes it easier for the exterior diameter to meet the bolt’s inner edge.

Damage and dirt to flange faces

Various damage to the flanges is in the form of external and internal scratches, scaling, weld spatters, protrusions, and dirt. Also, the flanges with warped seating surfaces increase the chances of leakage. It may lead to uneven gasket compression and ultimately results in flange leakage.

The additional load on flanges

Huge piping networks tend to create load at the flange locations. Such needing events and forces loosen the bolting portions. These flange distortions may also lead to leakages.

Temperature shock

Random changes in thermal energy fluctuations may result in flange deformation for a limited time. The varied temperature around the flange leads to problems with the flange locations. Sheet metal shields are necessary as it helps in protecting the flanges against snow and rain impingement. These conditions develop heat gradients throughout the flange and lead to flange leakage. Metal shields also protect the flanges at a uniform temperature.

Unsuited flange surface

If the flange comes with deeper serrations in comparison to the specified. It helps in preventing the arrangement of spiral wounds or double-jacketed gaskets. This leads to preventing the space for leakage.

Benefits of immediate leak identification

Many leakage repair and detection methods are available. It helps in saving the entire piping system. With proper flange leakage detection, petroleum refineries help control the emissions from the leaked portions. Further, it helps improve plant workers’ safety levels, reduces emission costs, and supports the environment.

Conclusion

It would help if you kept in mind that there’s no perfect material to fix bad flanges. You can contact Texas Flange anytime for other general procedures or specific applications.

 

 

 

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Define The Various Carbon Steel Flange Grades

The major component in the manufacturing of carbon steel flange is carbon and iron steel. These forged carbon steel flanges help make valve connections, pumps, or other equipment. Grade of steel changes as per the material and its carbon content.

Carbon Steel Flanges

The different grades of carbon steel flanges are ASTM A516, ASTM A694, ASTM A350, ASTM A182, and ASTM A105. The carbon weight in the carbon steel flanges is 1% to 2%. An increase in the carbon content in the elements makes steel stiffer and sturdier, making things less ductile. High carbon may reduce weldability if it is not treated with high temperatures.

Carbon Steel A105 Flanges

Carbon steel A105 flanges are the forged steel piping components useful for fittings, flanges, and valves in pressure systems at high temperatures. You can operate it on the carbon steel flanges between 0 to 550 degrees.

It is suitable for marine and hydrocarbon engineering processes. In addition, it is useful in gas, oil, and nuclear power plant equipment, pump manufacturing plants, petrochemical plants, valve manufacturing, and many other places.

Carbon steel A350 LF2 Low-Temperature Flanges

For low temperatures, carbon steel A350 LF2 flanges are made with forged fittings, low alloy steel forged valves, and ring-rolled carbon flanges. These flanges come in extensive pressure resistance, strength, and extensive durability.

The type of carbon steel flanges provides machinability when it is forged and hardened. It provides moderate strength and usually is high in demand due to its higher hardness.

Carbon Steel Low Alloy A182 Flanges

The carbon steel grade is helpful in stainless steel pipe valves, flanges, and other high-temperature services. The steel type is usually suitable for low-corrosion applications. In addition, these flanges only wear out slowly. These flanges are quite wide and are used mainly in industries that deal with petroleum, paper, and chemical.

The feature of these flange types suits mostly in many industries. The reason is that it stays longer and does not need any repair after the installation. So if you have a paper industry and are considering buying this flange, you make the right choice. You can purchase it from the right place, like Texas Flanges, and you’ll get longer durability than any other company.

Carbon Steel A694 Flanges

It is the most carbon stress-reliant material of the steel flange. It is suitable mostly during the high-pressure transmission of oil and gas piping. In addition, the products made with steel are used in high-yield services.

This steel manufacturer needs to build steel that can easily withstand cryogenic, high temperatures. An increase in carbon content with heat treatment makes it less ductile. A lack of heat treatment may also reduce its ability to weld.

Forged carbon steel flanges

There are different ways to manufacture the flanges. The most prominent way is to cast and forge. Flanges are plate-like devices that you can add at the end of the pipe, valve fitting, to help put up a piping system altogether.

The manufacturers develop flanges that are useful in the fittings and pipes. Forged steel comes with the great mechanical property that any other product possesses. It also has great use for industrial purposes. You can use it with an attachment of a valve at the pipe end. The functionality of this pipe is for the outlets and inlets.

Different grades of carbon steel flanges are for different industries. If you want to purchase a high-quality flange, Texas Flange is there for you. All you need to do is to contact us, and we will help you get the right flange you need.

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Top Reasons to be Using Flange Fittings

Flange fittings are the components that help in connecting the pipe sections to other fluid control products. These include pumps and valves to create piping. The ordinary meaning of the term fitting relates to the importance of metal and plastic piping that helps carry the fluids.

However, other fittings help to connect handrails and other building components to the piping without providing leak-proof connections. You may be more familiar with those in your everyday life.

Flange Fittings

Meaning of flange fittings

Flange fittings can be connected mechanically, welded, threaded, and even chemically bonded. The terminology for piping, pipe, and tubing is inconsistent. As a result, the term fittings are sometimes referred to as the in-fitting specifications.

Although similar to tubing, you can join the fittings by welding, unlike ordinary welding. Few ways overlap, including the compression fittings, but their use in pipe connections is rare among these standard methods used to connect ducts or pipes.

Top reasons for using flange fittings

Although the flange fittings and flanges are one and the only option in some specific applications, flanges offer advantages to the piping systems that traditional hydraulic fitting pipes do not. For example, it is easier to connect flanges to pipe and component ports in applications with large outside diameters than threaded fittings or adapters.

Most importantly, in most severe service applications where mobile construction equipment is used, flange connections are best suited for the following:

  • Easy assembly in tight spaces where wrenched may not have the clearance to install the traditional flange fittings. It is easy to assemble with medium torque.
  • These are hard-to-reach areas that need flexibility. For example, it needs to eliminate the need for adapters in hose lines or pipes, tubing, etc.
  • Extensive hose connections, tubes, or pipes where pressure shocks, vibrations, and high pressures are present may be more likely to damage the traditional large hydraulic fittings.
  • Maintaining the connections in rigid lines such as tubing and continuous metal pipes is easy.
  • Reduces the chance of components loosening in rigorous hydraulic applications.
  • The fluid power industry is now making a shift to make connections with an elastomeric O-ring seal. It helps minimize the leakage. These fittings include the SAE straight thread, face seal, ISO 6149, SAE J518 (Code 61 and Code 62) flange, and flange fittings. Here the O-ring seal is compatible with the fluid.

A captive flange is often applicable when fitting tube-to-tube (hose or pipe). Captive flange fittings slip over the flared tube and are connected to the mating flange or some other component.

Captive flanges are commonly applicable with MJ-Flange straight fittings (aka flange adapters), where you can see a smooth clearance to slide over the fitting and seat on the flange head. Split flanges are helpful with 45° to 90° flange fittings (i.e., MJFLange 45 or 90). Split flanges come in kits (either for Code 61 or 62). These include:

  • Two halves of the flange that you can fit around the fittings at the flange head
  • The accompanying O-ring face seal
  • Four washers & bolts to secure the fitting and flange to port

Flange fitting connections are easy to assemble and provide the best options in larger-diameter applications, especially when under high pressure. They provide significant advantages over threaded fittings in many severe applications:

  • Single point sealing between hose, pipe, tube, or component port connection.
  • Provides up to 6,000 PSI capability through the size of 2” only for Code 62 and 5,000 PSI for Code 61
  • Less torque is needed to tighten vs. reaching proper torque for comparable large-size flange fittings.
  • Large connections over 7/8 to 5-inch O.D pipe or tube only for Code 61.
  • Easy to disassemble to reconfigure or maintain the system
  • Easier to assemble in tight spaces

Conclusion

Flange fitting connections are much less likely to loosen than standard hydraulic fittings. It has proper clamping load distribution around the flange head. It is no doubt to mention that flange connections are the best choice for hose end connections that have elbows. It is because they are subjected to very high lateral forces that tend to cause the assembly loosening.

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Top 3 Advantages of Choosing Custom Pipe Fittings

There are multiple pipelines spread across the US that are used to deliver trillions of cubic feet of natural gas and tons of liquid petroleum all year round. While most of these pipes are joined conventionally, there are instances where there may be a need to use custom pipe fittings to support and join pipes. Usually, custom pipe fittings are created when the required couplets or fittings need to match a custom or unique design.

Custom Pipe Flange Fittings

Meaning of custom flanges

Custom flanges or non-standard flanges mean the flanges do not meet the international standards of flanges; custom flanges are instead designed for a special application.

A flange has many dimensions to design in the flange standards and the dimensions are indicated clearly. When a company designs and produces custom flanges, they do not follow any references or have any standards, but they need to confirm the dimensions. As a company, when you approach a business-like Texas Flange, it is best to show all the requirements and details you require.

The creation of custom pipe fittings is possible with software, allowing the designer to tweak part properties like system definition, shape, and size.

Advantages of custom pipe flanges

There are multiple advantages to using custom couplets or pipe fittings, which will be discussed below in three sections.

Build for the job

In a few instances, when people fail to find a fitting to match the pipe system in place, they usually use wooden props and blocks as alternatives. While it may seem innovative, it provides a quick solution but will not stand the test of time.

It is advisable to use a professional pipe support system when working with pipe systems. Investing in the best products available due to the large quantities in an order will be better suited for the business.

Flexible design

Custom pipe flanges are designed to suit many different applications and for specific purposes, but you will not need to worry about them not fitting in the pipes correctly. Custom pipe fittings allow you to work with any type of piping material but are a test as they hold weights of more than 8,000 pounds.

Despite the situation you are dealing with, they are designed to handle strain to an extent.

Professional advice at your disposal

When you think about using custom pipe flanges and make a plan, you won’t just acquire a perfect product but will obtain a network of experienced professionals who can stand by the quality of the product. Designers who work on custom pipe flanges can address all the concerns and questions you may have when it comes to your project.

The above are three main advantages of using custom pipe flanges which are made to suit the exact piping you are working with but also offer the perfect solutions to all your piping concerns.

If you need help for your next business project and wish to get the best custom pipe flanges, contact Texas Flange. Our knowledgeable team members will be happy to assist you and help you point in the direction.

 

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When and Why Should You Use Flange Fittings?

Flange fittings are the components helpful in joining the pipe sections together with other fluid control products like pumps and valves to create pipelines. The common connotation for the term fittings is associated with the ones which are helpful for plastic and metal pipes carrying fluids.

However, other pipe fittings help connect pipes for handrails and other architectural elements, where providing a leak-proof connection is unnecessary. You may be more familiar with those in your day-to-day life.

Flange Fittings

About Flange Fittings

Flange fittings may be mechanically joined, threaded or welded, and chemically adhered  (to name the most common mechanisms depending on the pipe material).

There’s been an inconsistency in terminology surrounding tubing, tube, and pipe. Therefore, the term pipe fittings will be mentioned sometimes in tubing specs. While similar to tube fittings, pipe fittings are joined by methods like soldering and less like common welds. Few ways tend to overlap, like compression fittings, but where these are commonplace for connecting tubing or tubes, their use in pipe connections is rare.

Use of alternate flange fittings in other industries

The fluid power industry is shifting to connections with an elastomeric O-ring seal. It helps to minimize leakages. These fittings include the threaded face seal, ISO 6149, SAE J518, flange fittings, and flanges (Code 62 and Code 61), where the O-ring seal is compatible with the fluid.

A captive flange is often practical when you fit tube-to-tube (or hose or pipe). Captive flange fittings slip over the flared tubes and have an excellent connection to the mating flange or other components. Captive flanges are commonly used with MJ-Flange Straight fittings. There is a smooth clearance to slide over the fittings and seat on the head of the flange. Split flanges are helpful with 90 or 45 flange fittings.

Benefits of flange fittings

Even though there are specific applications where flange fittings and flanges are the only choices, flanges provide benefits to the piping system that traditional hydraulic fitting types do not give. For example, in the ones with larger OD applications, flanges can connect to the pipe and components ports more easily than adapters or threaded fittings. Most importantly, in most of the severe service applications on mobile construction equipment, flanged connections are best for:

  • Easy assembly in tight spaces where wrenches might not have clearance to install the traditional flange fittings. They are more easily assembled with moderate torque.
  • These are hard-to-reach areas that require flexibility. For example, it needs to eliminate the need for pipe or hose lines, adapters in the tube, etc.
  • Pipe, tube, or extensive hose connections where high pressure, vibration, shock, and pressure surges are present could damage the traditional large hydraulic fitting more easily.
  • It makes connections that allow easy maintenance in rigid lines like continuous metal tubes and pipes.
  • Reduce the chances of components becoming loose in rigorous hydraulic applications.

When to use flange fitting

With flange connections in this larger size, high-pressure circumstances allow for easier assembly than overusing the large fittings. In addition, the flange fittings have a zero-clearance assembly, easy disconnecting, and reconnecting to maintain manifold, tube, and hose connections. As a result, it can be much faster and can provide for more accurate torque of the bolts instead of achieving the proper torque of a large fitting.

Conclusion

Flange fittings connections are much less likely to be loosened than the standard hydraulic fitting with the proper load distribution of clamping around the flange head. On the other hand, flange connections are the best option for hose-end connections with bends. This is because they are subjected to very high lateral forces inclined to cause assembly loosening.

If you are interested in flange fittings, contact Texas Flange today!

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How To Prevent Corrosion On Flanges

Shutdowns in the industries cost millions… even when planned properly. Shutdowns are significantly impacted by the operating costs due to damaged parts, including flange face imperfections, gasket failure, or general corrosion. A leak may occur when corrosive media meets the sealing surfaces of facing flanges. It is why flange maintenance is a crucial step that helps to prevent leakage.

corrosion flange

Types of corrosion

Flanges may go through two types of corrosion in their lifetime. These include aperture and pitting.

Pitting corrosion

Pitting occurs on the flange face and often appears in groups or clusters. The type of corrosion may result in small cavities or pits that form at the material’s surface. Proper alloy selection is one of the best-recommended ways to prevent pitting corrosion.

Crevice corrosion

Crevice creep occurs when there is a buildup in the concentrated substance between the two adjoining flanges. It is the type of corrosion that can be very damaging because it is not easy to inspect the area of its occurrence.

Currently, monitoring the flange damage is to disassemble the joint and visually inspect the surfaces. It is not ideal due to the down cost and time. There has been some development using some non-destructive techniques to examine the amount of corrosion to the flanges.

Prevention methods

Maintenance of paints is one of the most common methods that help to prevent corrosion. Maintenance paints are commonly urethane or epoxy-based coatings. Most maintenance paints bond directly to the substrate as a hard coating. With the use of maintenance paints, a perfect amount must be applied. If the paint is too thin, the area will be ineffective; however, if the paint is too thick, it will lead to seizing the fastenings.

There have been a lot of different flange shapes and angles, and you may not be able to coat the whole area. After the flange inspection, another layer of coating needs to be applied. A benefit of using maintenance paints is that they do not require specialist equipment or hot work.

Mechanical solutions are usually clamp encapsulated or rigid, covering the flange or the void between the flanges. These clamps or covers are made from plastic or stainless steel and incorporate a rubber seal.

The next solution is the usage of tapes, be it semi-solid or full. Tapes can be composed of viscoelastic polymers, wax, petrolatum embedded into the fabric for wrapping. These are useful specifically for their water-repellent nature of semi-solid polymers, although they may be less common in high-pressure applications.

All the preventative methods have some pros and cons—no solution can help prevent the corrosion from happening entirely. However, regular inspections and maintenance can help to prevent rapid corrosion and general upkeep is encouraged.

Ways to repair corroded flanges

There are three main ways you can use to repair the corroded flanges:

. Adding a polymer composite to rebuild the flange face.
. Add material to ring grove or sealing face and then machine within flange tolerance.
. Remove the damaged flange and weld a new one (safest choice).

Factors that influence flange corrosion resistance during the operating conditions

Three prominent factors influence flange corrosion resistance during the operation conditions. These are:

. The temperature of the corrosive agent
. Purity of corrosive agent
. Corrosive agent concentration

Conclusion

Few flange materials are subject to stress corrosion cracking given the general volume of applications that do not operate under heavy media stress. However, it is a fact that needs consideration while selecting the material and gasket type. When you choose a proper gasket, it can help prevent corrosion from aggressive chemicals.

There are also different flange faces, and gaskets must adhere to the proper type of flange face. When dealing with chemical oxidizers/HF acid, it is crucial to select a robust gasket that can help to prevent corrosion.

If you want to learn more about flange corrosion, visit our website today!

 

 

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Why Is Flange Face Protection Important?

Pipework and pipelines incorporate welded joints and flanges of varying materials, designs, and sizes. Evidence suggests that piping systems, including valves and flanges, collectively continue to be a source of unnecessary hydrocarbon releases, with piping being one of the largest contributors. Proper flange face sealing and inspection is an excellent solution to this issue.

Purpose of flange protectors

Flange protectors protect the entire pipe flange surface. If you close the pipe assembly completely, you can eliminate the risk of contamination. These protectors help to ensure these structures are in fact completely sealed off from their surroundings.

Why flange protection is essential

When we talk about the gas, oil, and utility industry, pipe flange and thread protection are two essential things. It is not just contamination during and after storage you need to worry about, but damage during transport and manufacturing treatments. Lack of the right solutions could result in high-cost repairs. You may even have to replace oil-well pipes and drills.

The flange face is the gasket that seals the surface of the flange connection. The connection can be a vessel, valve, and a multitude of other mechanical equipment. The surface is typically machined where the gasket seals and sets the connection of the piping system.

Types of face flange protectors

Below are few types of flanges that you can find out:

Raised face flange protectors

Raised machine face on your flange is the critical area that requires protection. The flange protectors help you maintain the optimum condition and prevent leakage in storage or before the installation.

Features : Available in 3 key profiles: Adhesive, Plug, and Studded. All are easy and quick to install and stand up to sandblasting.

Material: Petroleum or weather-resistant commercially available grades

Specification: Protects ANSI and DIN flanges. Solutions are available in different sizes.

Suitable for: Easy fitting face protection

Full Face Flange protectors

Keep your flanges in top condition for a perfect fit while guarding against dirt and corrosion ingress during transport around the factories and shipyards.

Features: Protects the entire surface of the flange or leaves bolt holes/bolt accessible. It is available in 5 key profiles: Bolthole, Push-in, Adhesive, Plug, and Studded.

Material: PE gives protection during transit, storage, and finishing. Bolt hole flange protectors’ PP material is cost-effective and offers good chemical and fatigue resistance.

Specification: Available in a range of sizes to support DIN and ANSI  flanges.

Types of Caps and Pipe Plugs – Benefits

When you store or transport the pipes, it is vulnerable to contact and possible damage with other pipes and corrosion can occur on specially machined threads. The pipe caps and plugs are vital to seal pipe ends and provide drill pipe protection.

Pipe Plugs

Eliminate costly downtime by preventing debris from entering the pipe and damaging the vital threads.

Features: Ribbed pipe plugs are available in two styles with flexible ribs of different diameters to fit multiple schedules of drill pipe and NPT.

Material: Tough LDPE offers chemical and weather resistance.

Specification: The straight wall on the plug’s O.D. helps to provide a secure friction fit with the mating pipe’s Inside Diameter for good protection against contaminants. Compatible nominal pipe diameters range from .217in – 24.606in (5.5mm – 625mm)

Suitable for: Drill pipe and NPT line pipe

Pipe Caps

You must minimize the threat of pollution and rust to the pipe and its contents by preventing the entry of foreign objects and contaminants with a pipe end cap.

Features: Flexible pipe caps offer a tight fit while recessed caps that protect coatings, internal walls, and bevels from damage during clamping by crane hooks.

Material: Flexible pipe caps made of PE material are lightweight, durable, and strong. Recessed pipe caps are made of LDPE for excellent chemical resistance to esters, bases, alcohols, and acids.

Specification: Flexible pipe caps fit nominal pipe diameters. It ranges from 64in – 2.374in. Recessed Caps are usually compatible with nominal pipe diameters that range from 48in – ½in.

Suitable for: Pipes transported by crane hooks.

Flange damage prevention

Excessive rust, ding, dent, or scratch in this area can cause a failure of the flanged connection if not corrected before the final bolting. It is not uncommon for a high quantity of improperly inspected flanges to resurface with issues on a project and cost hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars. The greatest impact of flange damage on these projects is the delay in the construction schedule that costs the owner-operator weeks, months, and years of lost revenue opportunity.

Conclusion

Protection of your flange faces is essential to the success of your project. It is where the magic happens. Get it right, and you’ll be the hero that delivers the project on schedule. If you get it wrong, you may end up looking at more cost overruns, project delays, and sometimes unhappy clients.

If you have any further inquiries related to the importance of flange face protection, contact Texas Flange today!

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Main Causes For Flange Leaks and How to Fix Them?

Piping systems play an essential role in worldwide infrastructure. These systems have been around for decades. Installing a piping system is not an easy task. If components like flanges are not properly selected and lack the right flange connection, corrosion and leaks could occur. When corrosion and leaks occur, a breakdown in the assembly can happen and cause a monstrous mess.

Below are few possible causes of corrosion and how to avoid it.

Bolt Stress

There are a lot of things that may put stress on the bolts. Vibrations that occur during the normal operating conditions tend to bolt movement leading to corrosion and leakage. Although the vibrations happen by normal operations, it is still something that you can avoid to a degree. Tightening the bolts seems to be an obvious solution, but you need to consider how often you need to check them.

Main Causes For Flange Leaks and How to Fix Them

Temperature also plays a part in how well bolts connect and whether they are successful in preventing leaks. Temperature fluctuations happen during an increase in temperature and cause bolts to become loose and not seal properly. Minimizing temperature fluctuation when possible is ideal.

Due to the usual operating procedures for high-stress environments, you can expect to tighten and check bolts due to temperature fluctuations. When bolts are tightened and checked, and the issue does not seem to be remedied, you may be dealing with another issue besides expected wear from normal operating procedures.

Thermal Stress

The temperature of the product (inside a tube heat exchanger and shell for example) can vary. However, the distortion caused by the rapid change from cool to hot solutions is inevitable in few cases. If this is the case, it is essential to ensure all parts of the exchanger are designed to account for temperature distortion. Alloys are considered carefully by engineers for this very reason.

If you want to determine your requirements, special considerations need to be made regarding the flange dimensions. Next, determine the temperature of a high load area within the tube and a random area on the shell side. Calculate the difference between the tube side outlet and inlet and the difference between the random area on the tube side and the shell side.

Other Stresses

Many things can produce stress on the bolts of the flange connections, but one, in particular, is the stress on both sides of the flange assembly point. When circumstances happen to cause one side to be tightened more than the other, the gasket becomes damaged, resulting in leakage. It can happen by improper bolting procedures during the initial installation.

Sometimes these pipes are assembled in small spaces, making it hard to reach specific bold to tighten them. It can lead to some bolts being properly tightened while the others are not as tight. The same amount of pressure needs to be applied to all bolts. It helps to hold the gasket securely in place due to corrosion and leakage.

Imperfections

It may not be easy to spot imperfections. Sometimes warped surfaces can lead to improper installation. If the flange face is warped or has other deformities, improper seals tend to occur. While the issue may not cause direct interruptions in the flow, it can cause corrosion and leaks. Just like other pipe fittings, flanges usually need to work in conditions free from any defects to work properly. Some of the defects are easier to notice than others. A welded face may be harder to recognize, and it could easily get overlooked. Flange face re-machining is a common remedy in these cases.

Need Of Additional Hardware

A recurring problem in a tube and shell heat exchanger, bolts need to stay secure, despite efforts to tighten them using the proven techniques. Even after hydraulic tensioning and hot torquing, the bolts would loosen and cause problematic leaking in the plant.

Researchers identified two problems: gasket scuffing and excessive bolt load. The excessive bolt load happens due to temperature differentials. If you want to combat this issue, install disc spring washers before you replace the bolts. They found that these were more capable of handling the load to the bolts without allowing flange deformation in most cases.

The second issue of gasket scuffing was likely due to movement during operation and caused enough damage to the gasket, that even with adequate bolt tightness, it would continue to leak. The gasket needs replacement, but the problem also needs to be addressed so the new gasket would not also fall into disrepair. If you want to avoid this, a weld ring consists of two separate halves of the gasket ring welded together to contain the gasket material and prevent any deformation.

Conclusion

If you are experiencing gasket leaks in your tube and shell heat exchangers, it could indicate that something is amiss in your equipment. The staff at Texas Flange are happy to help point you in the right direction and recommend the right sourcing for your assembly hardware needs along with the usual flange and fitting products we provide our customers every day.

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5 Key benefits of Flanges

Flanges are helpful to connect pumps, valves, pipes, and other parts to form a piping system. Flanges are typically welded or thread screwed to connect. The use of flanges allows a person for maintenance and easy repair of the pipe system. Instead of taking out the whole pipe for inspection, the smaller section of the pipe can be inspected to find the fault with the help of a flange. The flange connection point allows for reinforcement of the system, as well as pipe cleaning and easy inspection.

You can join the two flanges together by bolts using a gasket between them for seal. Most steel flanges are used in the gas industry, oil industry, petroleum industry, and chemical industry. The essential types of flanges are threaded flange, lap joint flange, blind flange, socket flange, weld neck flange, and slip-on flange. Some special types of flanges are special bevel neck flanges, long welding flanges, nipoflange, reducing flanges, expander flanges, and orifice flanges.

Materials used in flange

High performance yield strength steel: ASTM/ASME A694 F42 , F52, F56, F60, F65, F70

Low temperature steel: ASTM/ASME A350 LF2.

Stainless steel: ASTM/ASME A182 F321-321H, F347-347H

Stainless steel: ASTM/ASME A182 F316-316L-316H-316LN-316N-316Ti

Stainless steel: ASTM/ASME A182 F304-304L-304H-304LN-304N

Chrome alloy steel: ASTM/ASME A182 F1-F12-F11-F22- F5-F9- F91

Carbon steel: ASTM A105, ASTM A105N, GB 20, C22.8.

Flange dimensions

5 Key benefits of Flanges

The flange dimensions vary by style, and each flange type comes with a standard dimension definition. The dimension of the flanges is the same worldwide for repair and maintenance work and smooth operations. The dimensions are usually published in both inches and millimeters.

The basic dimensions of the flange consist of outside diameter, number of bolts, thickness, and hub detail. The bolts are usually located on the front outside the flange. The gasket used between the two flanges has the same bolt holes and size as that of the flange facing.

Benefits of the flanges

Even though you can find a specified application where the flanges and fittings are the only practical choice, flanges also provide benefits to the piping system that traditional hydraulic fitting types do not. For example, in the larger OD applications, flanges are often unable to connect to the pipe and component ports more easily compared to the adapters or threaded fittings. Most importantly, in most severe service applications on mobile construction equipment flange connections are suitable for:

1. Easy assembly at tight spaces where wrenches might not have clearance if you install traditional flange fittings. They are more easily assembled with moderate torque.

2. Hard-to-reach areas where you need flexibility, you can eliminate the need for adapters in the hose line, pipe, or tube.

3. Pipe connections, tubes, or large hose connections where you find high pressure, vibration, or shock pressures are present, that could more easily damage the traditional large hydraulic fittings.

4. Making connections allows for easy maintenance in rigid lines like metal tubes or continuous pipes.

5. Reduce the chance of components becoming loose in rigorous hydraulic applications.

The use of flange connections at high-pressure circumstances and larger size allows easy assembly of overusing the larger fittings. The flanges come with zero-clearance assembly, easy reconnecting and disconnecting for maintenance of hose, manifold, and tube connections could be much faster and provide the ability for more accurate torque of the bolts as opposed try achieve the proper torque of a large fitting. Flange fittings and flange connections are less likely to loosen compared to a standard hydraulic fitting when there is a proper load distribution of clamping around the flange head. You may think of it as bolting the wheel of your car onto the brake or hub drum disk. If you do not tighten the lug nuts, the star pattern wheel will not tighten and maintain a connection. It may cause warping of the brake drum, rotor, or brake disc.

Conclusion

Flange connections are one of the best options for pipe end connections that have bends that are subjected to very high lateral forces inclined to cause the loosening of the assembly. The five benefits mentioned above clearly define the key benefits of the flanges.

If you need assistance to know more about the flange bolt tightening or choosing the right type of flange, contact Texas Flange today!