What is a flange?
A flange is a metal disc used to join pipelines. A gasket is fixed in between the two flanges to tighten up the seal. A flange is carbon steel used to link two pipelines or valves or tubes to form a piping network. They provide assistance and strength and prevent leakage.
Frequently welded or screwed into pipelines or valves, bolts connect flanges together. Flanges supply simple access to tidy or examine a piping system.
Made from many metals - Stainless Steel, Cast Iron, Ductile Iron, Carbon Steel, and so on, these flanges vary in 'pressure class'.
Every flange is categorized under a pressure class, depending on the capability of the flange to hold up against a specific amount of temperature. Likewise, the kind of metal used in determine how much pressure it can endure.
So it can be inferred that different flanges can endure different temperature levels (or pressures.) If the temperature level increases, the pressure ranking of the flange decreases and vice versa.
What is an Orifice flange?
Orifice flanges are disc-shaped flanges which include among the 3 flanges namely Slip-on, Threaded and Weld neck.
Main function:
Orifice flange is a gadget having welding ends, which allows it to hold an orifice plate undamaged.
Extensively utilized with orifice meters, they determine the flow rate of either liquid or gases, that flow through the pipeline. The Orifice Flowmeter consists of a thin Orifice plate, clamped into orifice flanges.
An orifice plate, which is the gadget to measure the movement of the inner fluid or gas, is secured between 2 orifice flanges, which are attached to the pipeline. The orifice plate includes a small hole; with two pressure tap holes are drilled in each flange which helps in measuring the pressure built inside the pipe.
A 'jack screw' fitted between the two flanges, it allows to separate the flanges during examination or replacement process.
Usage:
Industries where Orifice flange is used -
Heavy and light chemicals
Steel
Paper
Nuclear
Petrochemicals
Sewage treatment
Water treatment and circulation
Power Generation
Oil production and refining
Gas Processing and transmission
Chemicals
Therefore, these flanges play a necessary role during the maintenance period of the piping system. They are the best suitable for complex pipeline networks.