When and Why Should You Use Flange Fittings?
Flange fittings are a component that helps you to join pipe sections together by using products like pumps and valves to create pipelines. The ordinary meaning of the term fitting relates to the importance of metal and plastic piping that helps carry the fluids.
Flange fittings can be connected mechanically, welded, threaded, and even chemically bonded. It is helpful in day-to-day life. Flange fitting is a growing industry.
ABOUT FLANGE FITTINGS
Flange fittings may be mechanically joined, threaded or welded, and chemically adhered (to name the most common mechanisms depending on the pipe material).
There’s been an inconsistency in terminology surrounding tubing, tube, and pipe. Therefore, the term pipe fittings will be mentioned sometimes in tubing specs. While similar to tube fittings, pipe fittings are joined by methods like soldering and less like common welds. Few ways tend to overlap, like compression fittings, but where these are commonplace for connecting tubing or tubes, their use in pipe connections is rare.
USE OF ALTERNATE FLANGE FITTINGS IN OTHER INDUSTRIES
The fluid power industry is shifting to connections with an elastomeric O-ring seal. It helps to minimize leakages. These fittings include the threaded face seal, ISO 6149, SAE J518, flange fittings, and flanges (Code 62 and Code 61), where the O-ring seal is compatible with the fluid.
A captive flange is often practical when you fit tube-to-tube (or hose or pipe). Captive flange fittings slip over the flared tubes and have an excellent connection to the mating flange or other components. Captive flanges are commonly used with MJ-Flange Straight fittings. There is a smooth clearance to slide over the fittings and seat on the head of the flange. Split flanges are helpful with 90 or 45-flange fittings.
BENEFITS OF FLANGE FITTINGS
Even though there are specific applications where flange fittings and flanges are the only choices, flanges provide benefits to the piping system that traditional hydraulic fitting types do not give. For example, in the ones with larger OD applications, flanges can connect to the pipe and components ports more easily than adapters or threaded fittings. Most importantly, in most of the severe service applications on mobile construction equipment, flanged connections are best for:
- Easy assembly in tight spaces where wrenches might not have clearance to install the traditional flange fittings. They are more easily assembled with moderate torque.
- These are hard-to-reach areas that require flexibility. For example, it needs to eliminate the need for pipe or hose lines, adapters in the tube, etc.
- Pipe, tube, or extensive hose connections where high pressure, vibration, shock, and pressure surges are present could damage the traditional large hydraulic fitting more easily.
- It makes connections that allow easy maintenance in rigid lines like continuous metal tubes and pipes.
- Reduce the chances of components becoming loose in rigorous hydraulic applications.
WHEN TO USE FLANGE FITTING
With flange connections in this larger size, high-pressure circumstances allow for easier assembly than overusing the large fittings. In addition, the flange fittings have a zero-clearance assembly, easy disconnecting, and reconnecting to maintain manifold, tube, and hose connections. As a result, it can be much faster and can provide for more accurate torque of the bolts instead of achieving the proper torque of a large fitting.
CONCLUSION
Flange fittings are used mostly in day-to-day life. On the other hand, flange connections are the best option for hose-end connections with bends. This is because they are subjected to very high lateral forces inclined to cause assembly loosening. If you are interested in flange fittings, contact Texas Flange today!
Source: https://www.texasflange.com/blog/when-and-why-should-you-use-flange-fittings/.
