All about Flange Facing and Its Advantages
When there is a pipeline or pipework, you will see flanges or welded joints made up of distinctive designs, sizes, and materials. A flange can be described as an internal or external ridge or a lip/rim that is carried out for strength. There can be an iron beam in the form of a T-beam or I-beam. There can also be a flange of an attachment to a different object such as a steam cylinder or on the ends of a pipeline etc. There is a lot of evidence that shows that in various pipeline systems, both flanges and valves can release hydrocarbons, and the piping ends up becoming the biggest contributor. Hence, a good flange-facing process and regular inspection can be a great solution to this problem.
Importance of Flange Protection
When discussing the utility, oil, and gas industry, thread protection and pipe flange are two of the most important things. There is an issue of contamination when we talk about these industries. This contamination not only happens after or during the storage process but there is also a possibility of damage during manufacturing treatments and transport. Moreover, if you don’t offer the right solutions at the right time, it could lead to a high cost in the repair process. The delay might even lead to a replacement of drills and oil-well pipes.
When there is a flange face, it forms a gasket that helps in sealing the surface of the connecting flanges through a welding process. This connection can be created with a valve, vessel, or any other type of mechanical equipment. The surfaces where gaskets seal are typically machined, helps set up the connection of the entire piping system.
Common Reasons of Flange Damage
There can be numerous reasons for flange damage over a period of time. However, it is important to note that each damaged area can be prone to a leak path. Every damage tends to create its own leak path. Some of the many common types of flange surface damages and the reasons for their occurrences are listed discussed in this section.
Gouges: This kind of damage is usually elongated and wide with rounded, blunt bottoms. It is created when dull objects are dragged on the flange face. It can be made by objects such as a flange jack, a chisel, or a screwdriver.
Scratches: This is a type of damage that is elongated and narrow with shallow, sharp bottoms. That said, they can be deep if the force that created them is strong. Usually, it happens when a sharp object goes across the flange face. Such sharp objects can be the bristles of a tool or a brush.
No matter how the damage is caused, you must replace it immediately or get a flange refacing process done.
How To Repair A Flange Or Reduce The Amount Of Damage Caused To It?
Maintaining flange sealing surfaces on a regular basis significantly improves the efficiency of an operation, guarantees production safety, and is good for the environment. As compared to the more conventional solutions of pressure plugging, on-site flange facing can be a great solution as after refacing; a higher standard sealing effect can be achieved in a flange sealing surface.
It is noteworthy that flange facers are capable of cutting through a number of materials such as alloy steel, stainless steel, cast iron, etc. They adopt a modular design and portable concept, allowing flange faces to handle different construction environments like high altitude operations and tight spaces with ease.
What Is Flange Facing & Why Is It Required?
Flange facing services is conducted on flange surfaces as a part of machining maintenance services. The timely repair and maintenance of flanges can help avoid corrosion and leakage in the long run. These services help in ensuring that old flanges maintain joint integrity without giving in to any kind of damage.
In addition to that, flanges experience constant damage because of their turbulent flow, in addition to impacting other components during installation, cuts from gasket leaks, and construction processes. Flange facers essentially cuts flanges so that they can have a more spiraled finish. This, in turn, allows flanges not to be as prone to leakages as liquids or gasses. This is precisely why flange facing is considered to be important in repair jobs during maintenance or plant shutdowns.
Applications of Flange Facing
Flange facing has a lot of applications such as:
Repairing heat exchangers and refacing valve flanges
Refacing main inlet steam flanges
Resurfacing large pump base housings
Repairing the heat exchanger nozzle flanges
Re-machining the bearing surfaces of rotary cranes
Fixing ring grooves or cutting new grooves
For weld prep and sealing, beveling and facing of pipes
For re-machining tube sheets’ gasket seals
For repairing phonographic finish flanges
For boiler feed pump flanges
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