• Home
  • How are Forged Flanges Made?
Forged Flanges Manufacturing for Oil and Gas Piping
By: admin March 21, 2022
Forged Flanges Manufacturing for Oil and Gas Piping

How are Forged Flanges Made?

Flanges are an integral part of the gas and oil industry in combining two or more machinery parts. The production of forged flanges includes three main techniques: forging, casting, and cutting. All flange production involves processing the raw materials and shaping them according to specifications.

What is Forging?

Forging is a technique in which a metal is shaped through pressing, hammering, or rolling. It is categorized based on the temperature in which it’s performed – warm, cold, or hot. Most metals can be forged. However, the most commonly forged metals include carbon, steel, stainless steel, and alloy steel.

Other metals such as brass, aluminum, and copper are forged for various purposes. Forging produces very minimal waste while giving the end product excellent mechanical properties. The process is also economically viable for mass production.

What are Flanges Made of?

Pipe flanges involve using carbon steel, alloy steel, duplex, super duplex, stainless steel, and nickel alloy grades like Incoloy, Monel, or Hastelloy. Many industries employ stainless steel flanges manufacturers due to the highly versatile nature of stainless steel in producing flanges.

Types of Flanges

  • Weld Neck Flanges

The beveled hub makes it easy to recognize weld neck flanges. These flanges apply to high-pressure environments and applications that involve repeat bending. The flanges are made of stainless steel grades and attached to the piping system by welding the pipe to the neck of the flange.

  • Slip-On Flanges

Unlike weld neck flanges, slip-on flanges apply in lower temperature and lower pressure environments. They are very economical to manufacture and high in demand due to their versatile nature. The flange forms a protective shield when it’s slipped over the pipe and welded on the inside and outside.

  • Lap Joint Flanges

A lap joint flange consists of two parts and is used preferably with space constraints or frequent dismantling. The lap joint stub end is the part that is welded to the pipe while the loose backing flange slips over the stub end. Since the backing flange doesn’t come in contact with the product, a less expensive or moderate corrosion resistance material like carbon steel is used. On the other hand, the stub end uses high corrosion-resistant material for manufacturing.

  • Threaded Flanges

Threaded or screwed flanges contain threaded bores that are fast and easy to attach to the pipe system. Since the flange includes pre-existing threads, there is no need for welding. Threaded flanges are primarily used in low-temperature and low-pressure environments.

  • Blind Flanges

Blind flanges do not contain bore at the center. Their primary purpose is to close the end of the piping system or valves. We can use them to isolate a piping system. They can also function as maintenance holes to terminate the flow of gas or oil.

  • Socket Weld

Just like slip-on flanges, socket weld flanges have a static strength. And they are more suitable for low-pressure and low-temperature environments.

Contact Western of Texas today at (877) 246-2429 to get a consultation with our sales team. We are the leading flange manufacturers and have a strong reputation for providing a superior level of service to our customers. You can also see our brochure to learn more about slip-on flanges and our manufacturing capabilities.

Leave Comment