Forged Flanges Vs Plate Flanges ?

Flange can either be forged or cast. Depending on the application for your flange, both manufacturing methods have their advantages and disadvantages. 

Advantages and disadvantages of Forged flanges:

Flanges made of forged steel are more precise and perform better than cast flanges, especially in high temperature and high pressure environments where they are used to connect equipment or pipelines.

To facilitate the assembly and dis-assembly of the piping system, forged flanges are plate-type devices, usually circular in appearance, which can attach to the ends of pipes, fittings, valves or other objects. As a connecting part, it offers impressive mechanical performance.

 While forged flanges have a higher production cost, they have a lower carbon content, higher rust resistance, better seamlines, intensive inner textures, and stronger mechanical properties.There will not be any coarse or uneven-sized grains in the forged flange due to the forging craft, so the crack caused by solidification will not occur on the forged flange as a result of the forging procedure.

It is very important that you ensure that the forging process is done properly, as incorrect forging can lead to large grains and uneven hardening cracks. Fine grain steel is more expensive than cast steel because of the high cost of forging.

It is possible for forgings to withstand greater tensile and shear forces than castings.

It is worth mentioning that the internal structure of the forging is uniform, and there are no harmful defects of the forging such as pores or inclusions that might appear during the casting process.

Advantages and disadvantages of Plate flanges:

Plate flanges are most widely used in fuel and water pipelines, where two flange plates are bolted together with a gasket in between them. The flange plate will have bolt holes all around the perimeter and will be used to create junctions, tees and joints.

In addition to being referred to as plate flanges or flat faced flanges, these components are also known as flat flanges. Plate flanges are designed so that the gasket has a plane parallel to the bolting surface. Usually, ASME B16.5 Plain Flanges are used when the counter flange is flat, particularly when the connections are made to cast iron equipment, pump suctions, specialties, or valves.

Most of the time, they are used in less demanding applications. As a result, they are not suitable for high pressure or high temperature environments, which cause stress. Plate flanges are usually recommended for low pressure applications due to their simplistic design.

As it has poor rigidity, it should not be used in chemical process piping systems that are prone to fluctuations in supply or demand, flammability, explosions, and high vacuums, as well as in situations where there are hazards of high and extreme magnitude. The type of seal has a plane and a protruding surface. 

Forged Flanges uses

Forged flanges are used in a variety of industrial applications, including:

1. Oil and gas pipelines:
   As a common practice in oil and gas pipelines, forged flanges are used to connect different sections of pipe together and provide access for maintenance and repair of these pipelines as well.
2. Chemical processing:
   Flanges made of forged steel are used in chemical processing applications to connect pipes to vessels and to provide a means of accessing the interior of a vessel for the purpose of maintenance and repair.
3. Power generation:
   During the process of power generation, forged flanges are commonly used to connect pipes to vessels and to provide a means to gain access to the interior of vessels for purposes of maintenance and repair.
4. Water treatment:
   During water treatment, forged flanges are used to connect pipes and vessels, as well as to provide access for maintenance and repair of pipes and vessels.
5. Petrochemical processing:
   Petrochemical processing applications often use forged flanges, which are used to connect pipes and vessels as well as provide a means of accessing the interior of the vessels for maintenance and repair purposes.
6. Mining and mineral processing:
   It is common practice to use forged flanges in mining and mineral processing applications to connect pipes and vessels and to provide a means to access the interior of the vessel so that maintenance and repair can be conducted.

Plate Flanges uses

It is known that plate flanges are used in a variety of industrial applications, including:

1. Piping systems:
   It is common to use plate flanges in piping systems to connect pipes, provide support for the system, and to connect pipes together.
2. Pressure vessels:
   Plate flanges are used to connect sections of pressure vessels and provide a means of accessing the interior of the vessel for the purpose of performing maintenance and repairs.
3. Heat exchangers:
   In heat exchanger applications, plate flanges are used to connect sections of the heat exchanger together and to provide a means of accessing the internal workings of the exchanger during maintenance or repair.
4. Water treatment:
   A plate flange is a type of flange that provides access for maintenance and repair of pipes and vessels used in water treatment applications.
5. Petrochemical processing:
   In the petrochemical processing industry, plate flanges are used to connect pipes and vessels as well as provide a means of accessing the interior of the vessels for maintenance and repairs as they are used in the connection of pipes and vessels.
6. Mining and mineral processing:
   For mining and mineral processing applications, plate flanges are used to connect pipes and vessels, and also provide a means of accessing the interior of the vessel for maintenance and repairs.