What is a forged flange?

What is a forged flange?

Forged flange is a flange connector that is processed and formed during the forging process. It has the advantages of high strength, good sealing and long service life. Forged flanges are widely used in pipeline connections in the chemical, petrochemical, papermaking, food and other industries.

Forged flange is a product with the best mechanical properties among flange pipe fittings. Its raw material is generally a tube blank, which is then cut and hammered continuously to eliminate defects such as segregation and looseness in the steel ingot. The price and mechanical properties are one level higher than ordinary cast flanges.

Features of forged flanges:

Forged flanges are connectors made by forging technology and have the following characteristics:
1. High strength: The internal crystal structure of the forged flange is dense, the material properties are excellent, and it can withstand high-intensity pressure and tension.
2. Durability: Due to the uniformity of the material and the uniformity of the internal crystal structure, the forged flange has high durability and can be used for a long time.
3. Reliability: Forged flanges go through multiple processes during the manufacturing process, and each process has strict quality control to ensure the reliability of its connection.
4. Wide applicability: Forged flanges can connect pipes and equipment of various shapes and are suitable for a variety of industries and fields, such as aviation, ships, heavy machinery, etc.

Manufacturing process of forged flanges:

The forging process generally consists of the following steps, namely, selecting high-quality steel billets for blanking, heating, forming, and cooling after forging. The forging process methods include free forging, die forging, and membrane forging. During production, different forging methods are selected according to the quality of the forgings and the number of production batches.

Free forging has low productivity and large machining allowances, but the tools are simple and versatile, so it is widely used to forge single pieces and small batches of forgings with simpler shapes. Free forging equipment includes air hammers, steam-air hammers, and hydraulic presses, which are suitable for the production of small, medium, and large forgings, respectively. Die forging has high productivity, simple operation, and is easy to mechanize and automate. Die forgings have high dimensional accuracy, small machining allowances, and more reasonable fiber structure distribution of forgings, which can further improve the service life of parts.

The manufacturing process of forged flanges includes the following steps:
1. Material preparation: Select high-quality steel for processing to ensure the uniformity of the material and the quality of the internal structure.
2. Forging process: Heat the steel to a certain temperature and then forge it. Through multiple hammering and extrusion, the steel is deformed into a forging.
3. Forming process: Put the forging into the forming mold for forming process to obtain the finished forged flange.

4. Heat treatment: Heat treat the finished forged flange to make the internal structure more uniform and improve the strength and durability of the material.

Application of forged flanges:

Forged flanges are widely used in various industries and fields, such as:
1. Aviation: In the aviation field, forged flanges are widely used in the connection parts of aircraft engines and fuselages, and have the characteristics of withstanding high temperature and high pressure.
2. Shipbuilding: In the shipbuilding field, forged flanges are used to connect the hull and ship equipment, and have the characteristics of withstanding seawater erosion and high strength.
3. Heavy machinery: In the field of heavy machinery, forged flanges are used to connect various equipment and pipelines, and have the characteristics of withstanding high pressure and high load.

Classification of forged flanges:

1. Plate forged flange
The plate forged flange consists of two flanges and several bolts. It is suitable for pipeline connection under general pressure and temperature conditions and is a commonly used forged flange type.

2. Butt-welded forged flange
The butt-welded forged flange consists of flange, butt-welded pipe and welding components. It is suitable for high temperature, high pressure and corrosive medium pipeline connection. It is a forged flange type with good sealing performance.

3. Socket forged flange
The socket forged flange is a flange connector with bidirectional sealing performance. It consists of flange, sealing gasket and socket. It is suitable for low pressure and small diameter pipeline connection.

4. Ring-shaped forged flange
The ring-shaped forged flange consists of a flange and evenly distributed holes. When used, the flanges are assembled at both ends of the pipe and fastened by bolts. It is suitable for low-pressure and small-diameter pipe connections.

5. Flat-welded forged flange
The flat-welded forged flange consists of a flat-welded flange and a flat-welded gasket. It is suitable for pipe connections under high temperature and high pressure conditions that do not require frequent disassembly.

The above are common forged flange classifications. Different types of forged flanges are suitable for different use conditions and should be selected according to actual conditions.

Read more: Standard sizes of pipe flanges or Pipe and flange connection