What is a Flange?

A flange is a protruding ridge or rim that is used to add strength or distribute the load. Flanges connect valves, pumps, pipes, and other pieces of equipment to form a piping system. It also allows for simple cleaning, inspection, and modification. Welding or screwing is used to join flanges. Bolting two Flanges together and sealing them with a gasket creates a flanged joint.

A flange is a protruding ridge or rim used to increase strength or distribute the load. Flanges are used to join valves, pumps, pipes, and other pieces of equipment together to form a piping system. It also enables simple washing, inspection, and modification. Flanges are joined by welding or screwing. Flanged joints are made by bolting two Flanges together and sealing them with a gasket.

Materials used for Manufacturing Flanges

A flange is a protruding ridge or rim that is used to add strength or distribute the load. Flanges connect valves, pumps, pipes, and other pieces of equipment to form a piping system. It also allows for simple cleaning, inspection, and modification. Welding or screwing is used to join flanges. Bolting two Flanges together and sealing them with a gasket creates a flanged joint.

Types of Flanges

Slip-on Flanges

Because of their low material cost and ease of installation, Stainless Steel Slip-on Flanges are widely used. Additional diameters and low-pressure models are available. Unlike Welding Neck Flanges, this Flange lacks a neck to rest on the Pipe, necessitating double welding.

Socket Weld Flange

Socket-welding Pipe flanges are commonly found on small-diameter, high-pressure pipes. Inserting the Pipe into the socket end and adding a fillet weld around the top is how these Pipe Flanges are attached. This results in a smooth bore and improved flow of the fluid or gas within the Pipe.

Threaded Flanges

Threaded Pipe Flanges are flanges that can be attached to a pipe without using welding. Threaded flanges have an internal thread that connects to the external thread of the pipe. Threaded Pipe Flanges are the same as slip-on Pipe Flanges, which are used with externally threaded pipes.

Blind Flange Flange

Because they are not bored, blind flanges are used to blank off the ends of pipes, valves, and pressure vessel openings. . Blind flanges, particularly those in larger sizes, are the most stressed Flange types in terms of internal pressure and bolt loading.

Lap Joint Flange

A lap-joint ring Flange is a two-part assembly consisting of a stub end and a lap-joint ring Flange positioned over it. The Flange ring can be rotated to align with the mating Flange after butt-welding the stub end to the Pipe. This Flange connection is ideal for large or difficult-to-adjust Flanges.

Weld Neck Flanges

The long tapered hub that gradually extends over the wall thickness of a pipe or fitting identifies Welding Neck Flanges. Weld Neck Flanges are primarily used to reduce the curve from a larger to a smaller size of pipe, resulting in higher pressure than before the run.

Reducing Flange 

Without the use of a reducer, reducing flanges are used to connect large and small pipe sizes. These flanges are suitable for connecting two different sizes of pipe and are available in all pressure classes. This type of Flange should not be used if an abrupt transition, such as at a pump, would cause unwanted turbulence.