Flanges take the form of external rims or ridges and may be used in piping, valves, equipment, and specialties for interconnection or closure purposes. When a pipeline requires regular maintenance, it is essential to provide it multiple breakout flanges at certain requisite intervals. A flange typically consists of three components, viz. gasket, flanges, and the bolting, which are all interrelated yet independent.
Flanges offer many benefits. These forged rings connect the different equipment as they are available in many different sizes and shapes nowadays. Leakproof joints can only be created through the use of special controls and flanges. The equipment can also provide more strength and prominent fixture to equipment or part, as in the flange wheels that contain a flange on their sides. Flanges also provide for smooth operations as piping can be disassembled and installed quickly through the use of flanges.
Use of Carbon Steel for Flanges
The nature of the industrial and manufacturing processes and the environmental constraints ensure that the carbon steel flanges are preferred over their molten counterparts. The carbon steel flanges at Chw contain carbon to a greater extent and hence do not oxidize quickly. The carbon steel alloy may have a carbon content that goes up to 2.1 %. Also, there are no other alloy elements required for the material and steel, including Mo, Cr, and Ti. With an increase in carbon content, the steel also becomes harder after it is treated with heat. That is why the forged flanges can resist impacts better and have a long life. Carbon steel flanges are used for pipes and have a comparatively low carbon strength to ensure that tempering is not easy. Reduced carbon content also ensures lesser costs. While the carbon content of low carbon steel may not go beyond 0.3 %, it may be up to 2% for the ultra-high carbon steel.
Manufacturing Variations
Carbon steel flanges can be manufactured by processes including carbon steel forging and casting, and both of these variations have their benefits. Forging is a more costly procedure compared to casting, but only the forged flanges can be used for pressure pipelines. There are also other benefits, including better performance, associated with the use of forged flanges.
Types of Carbon Steel Flanges
Some of the common and most popular varieties of carbon steel flanges are listed and described briefly below.
Weld Neck Flange
The flange has a long conical-shaped collar and is often attached to bottoms. In instances where this variety of flange is used, there is no apparent friction caused by substances, including water or air. The flange is often used in applications where extreme stress is involved.
Slip-On Flange
The name sliding flange also knows a slip-on flange. These flanges make the points where a tube penetrates another tube, and the welding seams form the internal and external connections. While a slipping or slip-on flange may not be as strong as the neck flanges, it still offers a considerable resistance level.
Blind Flange
Blind flanges are used to cover the end portions of the tubes and valves. Such flanges may be required to bear the brunt of the extreme working and temperature conditions. The coupling may also be used along with a blind flange to ensure the reliability of the job.
Threaded Flange
This flange does not include many different characteristics of welding and hence can be used readily, thereby providing for fast assemblies. A threaded flange has a specific application, as piping is exposed to elevated temperature and pressure conditions. However, the flanges may not be used in areas where there is a massive difference between the different temperature points, as in the ducting case.
The difficult to oxidize and lightweight carbon steel flanges are available at quite an affordable cost when you reach out to a reputed forging company in India, manufacturer, or supplier of industrial equipment, including carbon steel forgings and flanges.
