What Are The Various Types Of Flanges Used In Piping?
Flange is used to connect valves, pumps, pipes, and many other different types of components and plumbing equipment to form a strong, reliable, and seal-proof piping system.
There are many different types of flanges available in the market with varying flanges prices, and this guide will introduce you to some of the most widely used common and uncommon flanges.
Typically, flanges are either threaded or welded. You can connect two flanges by bolting them with gaskets, ensuring easy access to the piping system.
Flanges come in many different varieties, sizes, and shapes. Finding the right flange for your needs can be a daunting task, but read on, and you’ll learn about commonly used and some not-so-common flanges to make the right choice for your specific task.
Different Types of Flanges And Their Uses
Weld Neck Flange
Weld Neck Flange is also popularly known as the high-hub flange or tapered flange. It distributes tension evenly within the pipe to ensure there’s no accumulation of pressure.
The weld neck flange can be used with both high- and low-pressure pipelines, as these have long and tapered ends running across the length of the pipe.
This type of flange comes with a protruding edge and circular fitting and is capable of withstanding pressure of nearly 5000 psi.
Long Weld Neck Flange
As the name suggested, it is a weld neck flange but with an elongated neck. It helps forge a more robust weld connection to the pipeline or piping system. Long-weld neck flanges are ideally more common in industrial applications.
Slip-On Flange
It is a type of ring placed on the pipe’s end and has its face extended to allow welding across its inner diameter. These types of flanges slip onto the flange and, hence, the name.
The Slip-on flange’s size is larger than the outer diameter of the pipe it will be used on, ensuring a perfect fit when slipped over a pipe. Such flanges are not used for high-pressure flow but are ideal for low-pressure applications.
Threaded Flange
Threaded flanges resemble slip-on flanges in appearance but have a bore of the size of the pipe’s inner diameter. This type of flange have a tapered pipe thread on the flange’s bore.
This type of flange is commonly used for pipes with small diameters used for the high-pressure flow of liquids or gases. Due to its tapered pipe threads, it does not require any welding, which is a huge advantage.
Socket Weld Flanges
Socket Weld Flanges are unique and offer a wide range of advantages over other variants. They don’t require two welds like the slip-on flanges, but one single fillet weld on the flange’s outer perimeter is sufficient for a secure connection.
The pipe should be inserted into the socket weld flange until it reaches the flange’s bottom.
The pipe should be raised by nearly 1.6 mm before welding. Leaving this gap ensures the perfect positioning of the pipe within the socket of the flange after the welding process is over.
Blind Flange
It is a distinctive type of flange as it doesn’t have a central opening. Its primary function is to seal off the valve, pipeline, pumping system, or pressure vessel to block the gas or liquid flow.
Blind flanges are highly useful as they can withstand enormous amounts of mechanical stress, especially from the system pressure and the required bolting forces.
Another advantage of blind flange is that it offers easy access to the pipeline.
They are easy to unbolt, allowing technicians to carry out various tasks at the pipe’s terminal end. The versatility of blind flanges allows operators to use them as manholes on various occasions for pressure vessels.
Lap Joint Flanges
Lap joint flanges are commonly used for pipes made of expensive materials.
They have stub ends, ensuring the flange does not come in direct contact with the substance in the pipe. For example, a carbon steel flange is widely used for a stainless steel pipeline system.
Special Types of Flanges
Having discussed some of the commonly used flange types, let us discuss some of the special flange types. The flange prices for these special flanges types can be more than the commonly used flanges.
Weldo Flange/ Nipo Flange
These types of flanges are made using the combination of welding neck flange and a forged Nipolet for 90-degree branch pipes. They are primarily the mixture of a weld neck flange and branch fitting connector.
Elboflange And Latroflange
They are not commonly used but have their own set of uses and advantages. Elboflange is a combination of a flange and an elbolet, and a Latroflange is a combination of a flange and a Latrolet.
Elboflange is commonly used when branching off a pipe at a 45-degree angle.
Orifice Flange
As the name suggests, they are used on orifice meters to check the volumetric flow of gases and liquids in the pipeline system.
Expanding Flange
They are also called expanders and help increase the bore of a pipeline to various lengths for an aligned connection.
Expanding flanges also help connect pipelines to mechanical equipment with varying inlet sizes, such as valves, compressors, and pumps.
Reducing Flange
Also known as reducers, they do just the opposite of what expanding flanges do. They help reduce the size of the pipe.
Some Other Flange Types
Apart from the types of flanges discussed here, there are several variants of
flanges used for various specific objectives. It includes –
- Spectacle Blind Flange
- Square Flange
- Spade & Ring Spaces Flange
- Loose Flange
- High Hub Bling Flange
- Screwed Flange
- Plate Flange
Flange Classification Methods
Flange types are mostly classified by their shape, but they can also be categorized through different approaches, including by-
- Material Grade
- Flange Face Type
- Flange Finish
- Dimension
Conclusion
Irrespective of the type of flanges you’re looking for, rest assured Bhansali Techno Components can manufacture and supply them.
With a state-of-the-art manufacturing unit, years of experience, compliance capabilities, and an extensive distribution network,
Bhansali Techno Components works hand in hand with clients to offer various flanges and other industrial products, catering to clients’ special requirements.
For more information about the company’s vast product portfolio, do get in touch today!
