Pipes have to be strong. When pipes develop flaws then this can cause a range of problems. In industry, the importance of piping is multiplied, especially when they are carrying chemical substances. In recent years, several advances have been made in terms f the materials used for constructing pipes, for instance Duplex is now used which has high resistance to corrosion.
Pipes are usually constructed segmentally. So, there are always points long a pipeline where the pipe has been attached to other pipes. Unless these connections are made property, a pipeline can have a weak spot at these points, which can have a negative implication in terms of health and safety. Pipe flanges are crucially important here, either for blocking off a pipeline, providing increased strength to a pipeline or facilitating the attachments of more pipes.
It’s obviously very important that flanges are constructed to exact specifications. Many manufacturers of flanges are able to manufacture their product to exact specifications, provided by their customers. Other flanges are sold which are mass produced to fit common sizes of piping.
There are actually numerous kinds of flanges available. Weld neck flanges are designed to be welded to pipes, i.e. the pipe is welded to the neck of the flange, these kinds of flanges are ideal for use in high pressure applications. Blind flanges are used to seal the ending of piping systems, and they are commonly utilised to test pressure, and allow easy access to pipelines.
