Plumbing or piping[edit]

Main articles: plumbing and piping

Surrey flange

A flange can also be a plate or ring to form a rim at the end of a pipe when fastened to the pipe (for
example, a closet flange). A blind flange is a plate for covering or closing the end of a pipe. A flange
joint is a connection of pipes, where the connecting pieces have flanges by which the parts are
bolted together.
Although the word flange generally refers to the actual raised rim or lip of a fitting, many flanged
plumbing fittings are themselves known as 'flanges':
Common flanges used in plumbing are the Surrey flange or Danzey flange, York flange, Sussex
flange and Essex flange. Surrey and York flanges fit to the top of the hot water tank allowing all the
water to be taken without disturbance to the tank. They are often used to ensure an even flow of
water to showers. An Essex flange requires a hole to be drilled in the side of the tank.
There is also a Warix flange which is the same as a York flange but the shower output is on the top
of the flange and the vent on the side. The York and Warix flange have female adapters so that they
fit onto a male tank, whereas the Surrey flange connects to a female tank.
A closet flange provides the mount for a toilet.

Pipe flanges[edit]
There are many different flange standards to be found worldwide. To allow easy functionality and
interchangeability, these are designed to have standardised dimensions. Common world standards
include ASA/ASME (USA), PN/DIN (European), BS10 (British/Australian), and JIS/KS
(Japanese/Korean). In the USA, ANSI stopped publishing B16.5 in 1996, and the standard is ASME
B16.5
In most cases these are interchangeable as most local standards have been aligned to ISO
standards, however some local standards still differ (e.g. an ASME flange will not mate against an
ISO flange). Further, many of the flanges in each standard are divided into "pressure classes",
allowing flanges to be capable of taking different pressure ratings. Again these are not generally
interchangeable (e.g. an ASME 150 will not mate with an ASME 300).[1]
These pressure classes also have differing pressure and temperature ratings for different materials.
Unique pressure classes for piping can also be developed for a process plant or power generating
station; these may be specific to the corporation, engineering procurement and construction (EPC)
contractor, or the process plant owner. The ASME pressure classes for Flat-Face flanges are Class
125 and Class 250. The classes for Ring-Joint, Tongue & Groove, and Raised-Face flanges are
Class 150, Class 300, (Class 400 - unusual), Class 600, Class 900, Class 1500, and Class 2500.[1]
The flange faces are also made to standardized dimensions and are typically "flat face", "raised
face", "tongue and groove", or "ring joint" styles, although other obscure styles are possible.
Flange designs are available as "weld neck", "slip-on", "lap joint", "socket weld", "threaded", and also
"blind".[1]

ASME standards (U.S.)[edit]

ASME type flange on a gas pipeline

Pipe flanges that are made to standards called out by ASME B16.5 or ASME B16.47, and MSS SP-
44. They are typically made from forged materials and have machined surfaces. ASME B16.5 refers
to nominal pipe sizes (NPS) from ½" to 24". B16.47 covers NPSs from 26" to 60". Each specification
further delineates flanges into pressure classes: 150, 300, 400, 600, 900, 1500 and 2500 for B16.5,
and B16.47 delineates its flanges into pressure classes 75, 150, 300, 400, 600, 900. However these
classes do not correspond to maximum pressures in psi. Instead, the maximum pressure depends
on the material of the flange and the temperature. For example, the maximum pressure for a Class
150 flange is 285 psi, and for a Class 300 Flange it is 740 psi (both are for ASTM A105 Carbon Steel
and temperatures below 100F).
The gasket type and bolt type are generally specified by the standard(s); however, sometimes the
standards refer to the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (B&PVC) for details (see ASME
Code Section VIII Division 1 – Appendix 2). These flanges are recognized by ASME Pipe Codes
such as ASME B31.1 Power Piping, and ASME B31.3 Process Piping.
Materials for flanges are usually under ASME designation: SA-105 (Specification for Carbon Steel
Forgings for Piping Applications), SA-266 (Specification for Carbon Steel Forgings for Pressure
Vessel Components), or SA-182 (Specification for Forged or Rolled Alloy-Steel Pipe Flanges,
Forged Fittings, and Valves and Parts for High-Temperature Service). In addition, there are many
"industry standard" flanges that in some circumstance may be used on ASME work.
The product range includes SORF, SOFF, BLRF, BLFF, WNRF (XS, XXS, STD & Schedule 20, 40,
80), WNFF (XS, XXS, STD & Schedule 20, 40, 80), SWRF (XS & STD), SWFF (XS & STD),
Threaded RF, Threaded FF & LJ, with sizes from 1/2" to 16". The bolting material used for flange
connection is stud bolts mated with two nut (washer when required). In Petrochemical industries,
ASTM A193 B7 STUD & ASTM A193 B16 Stud Bolts are used as these have high tensile strength.

European Dimensions EN / DIN[edit]

Most countries in Europe mainly install flanges according to standard DIN EN 1092-1 (forged
Stainless or Steel Flanges). Similar to the ASME flange standard, the EN 1092-1 standard has the
basic flange forms, such as weld neck flange, blind flange, lapped flange, threaded Flange (Thread
ISO7-1 instead of NPT), weld on collar, pressed collars, and adapter flange such as flange coupling
GD pressfittings. The different forms of flanges within the EN 1092-1 (European Norm Euronorm) is
indicated within the flange name through the type.

Design According to EN Type According to DIN

Weld Neck Flange Type 11 DIN 2627 - DIN 2638

Blind Flange Type 05 DIN 2527

Threaded Flange Type 12 DIN 2558, DIN 2565 - DIN 2569

Flat Flange Type 01 DIN 2573, DIN 2576

Lapped Flange Type 02 & Type 04 DIN 2641, DIN 2642, DIN 2655, DIN 2656

Similar to ASME flanges, EN1092-1 steel and stainless flanges, have several different versions of
raised or none raised faces. According to the European form the seals are indicated by different
form:

Form: types of Contact Faces DIN EN 1092-1

Without Raised Face Form A

Raised Face (Rz = 160 Mechanical Turned) Form B1

Raised Face ( Rz = 40 Mechanical Turned) Form B1

Raised Face (Rz = 16 Mechanical Turned) Form B2

Tongue According to DIN2512 Form C

Groove According to DIN 2512 Form D

Male According to DIN 2513 Form E

Female According to DIN 2513 Form F

Female According to DIN 2514 Form G

Male According to DIN 2514 Form H

Other countries[edit]
Flanges in the rest of the world are manufactured according to the ISO standards for materials,
pressure ratings, etc. to which local standards including DIN, BS.... have been aligned.

Compact flanges[edit]
As the Compact flange size increase it becomes relatively increasingly heavy and complex resulting
in high procurement, installation and maintenance costs. Large flange diameters in particular are
difficult to work with, and inevitably require more space and have a more challenging handling and
installation procedure, particularly on remote installations such as oil rigs.
The principal design of the flange face includes two independent seals. The first seal is created by
application of seal seating stress at the flange heel, but it is not straight forward to ensure the
function of this seal.
Theoretically, the heel contact will be maintained for pressure values up to 1,8 times the flange
rating at room temperature.
Theoretically, the flange also remains in contact along its outer circumference at the flange faces for
all allowable load levels that it is designed for.
The main seal is the IX seal ring. The seal ring force is provided by the elastic stored energy in the
stressed seal ring. Any heel leakage will give internal pressure acting on the seal ring inside
intensifying the sealing action. This however requires the IX ring to be retained in the theoretical
location in the ring groove which is difficult to ensure and verify during installation.
The design aims at preventing exposure to oxygen and other corrosive agents. Thus, this prevents
corrosion of the flange faces, the stressed length of the bolts and the seal ring. This however
depends on the outer dust rim to remain in satisfactory contact and that the inside fluid is not
corrosive in case of leaking into the bol