Super Fasteners Industries

Reducing flanges, otherwise called reducer flanges, have an opposite function than expander flanges seen above, i.e. they are used to decrease the bore of a pipeline.

The bore of the run pipe can be safely reduced by only 1 or 2 sizes (otherwise a solution based on the combination of a butt weld reducer and a standard flange has to be used).

Reducing flanges are available in most sizes and material grades, and are not generally available from stock.

Reducing flanges follow the same considerations in terms of specifications, sizes and material grades as expander flanges.  

Long weld neck flanges (“LWN”) are similar to weld neck flanges, with the exception that the neck (tapered hub) is extended and acts like a boring extension.

A slip-on flange is connected to the pipe or the fittings by two fillet welds, one executed inside and one outside the cavity of the flange.

The bore size of a slip-on flange is larger than the outside diameter of the connecting pipe, as the pipe has to slide inside the flange to be connected by the execution of a fillet weld.

Slip-on flanges are also defined “Hubbed Flanges” and they are easy to recognize due to their slim and compact shape.

The dimensions and weights of slip-on flanges ANSI/ASME are available on this page.

Contrary to all the flange types seen above, blind flanges do not have a center hole, and are used to blind or seal a pipeline, a valve/pressure vessel and block the flow of the fluid.

Blind flanges have to withstand remarkable mechanical stress due to the system pressure and the required bolting forces.

Blind flanges allow easy access to the pipeline, as they can be easily unbolted to let the operator execute activities inside the terminal end of the pipe (this is also the reason why the blind flange type is used as manhole for pressure vessels, at times).

It is maybe interesting to observe that, while this flanges type is easier to manufacture, they are sold at a premium average cost per kilogram compared to the other flange types.

Refer to this article to learn about the dimensions of blind flanges per ANSI/ASME B16.5.  

Lap joint flanges feature a flat face and are always used in conjunction with a stub end.

Lap joint flanges resemble, in shape, slip-on flanges except for the radius at the crossing of the flange face and the bore to accommodate the flanged portion of the stub end.

A lap joint flange slips over the pipe and seats on the back of the stub end and the two are kept together by the pressure of the bolts.

The use of lap joint flanges in combination with stub ends is a cost-effective solution for stainless steel or nickel alloy pipelines, as the material of the lap joint flange can be of a lower grade (generally carbon steel) than the material of the stub end (which has to match the pipe grade, as in contact with the conveyed fluid).

This arrangement, therefore, has these two advantages:

1. reduces the overall cost of the pipeline’s flanged joints, as the use of higher grade materials is minimized;
2. bolting operations are simplified, as the lap joint flange can be rotated around the pipe to help with bolts alignment.

Threaded flanges are joined to pipes by screwing the pipe (which has a male thread, generally NPT per ASME B1.20.1) onto the flange, without seam welds (in certain cases, though, small welds are applied to increase the strength of the connection).

Threaded flanges are available in sizes up to 4 inches and multiple pressure ratings, however, they are used, mostly, small size piping in low pressure and low-temperature applications, like water and air utility services.

Threaded flanges are also a mandatory requirement in explosive areas, such as gas stations and plants, as the execution of welded connections in such environments would be dangerous.

Consult this article, to find about the dimension of ANSI/ASME threaded flanges.