BOXING UP OF HIGH PRESSURE FLANGE JOINTS

WHAT IS FLANGE JOINT ?

FLANGE JOINT IS A FLEXIBLE JOINT USED TO JOIN PIPES OR VALVES OR VESSELS WITH IN A FLUID HANDLING SYSTEM IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESSIBILITY & FLEXIBILITY. A FLANGE JOINT MUST FULFILL THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA : IT IS TO BE LEAK FREE. IT MUST BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND THE SYSTEM PRESSURE & TEMPERATURE.

WHAT IS FLANGE JOINT ?

IT IS A FLEXIBLE JOINT WHICH CAN BE OPENED & BOXED UP AS & WHEN REQUIRED.
FLANGE JOINT IS A STATIC SEAL IN THE FLUID HANDLING SYSTEM.

CLASSIFICATION OF JOINTS
FLANGE JOINT IS CLASSIFIED BASED ON THE SYSTEM PRESSURE. THE MOST COMMON TERMINOLOGY USED IS THE POUND REFERENCE WHICH WE NORMALLY CALL AS CLASS.

DIMENSIONS OF THE CLASS RATING IS FURTHER DEPENDENT ON DESIGN STANDARDS I.E. ANSI OR API. FLANGE JOINTS ARE ASLO CLASSIFIED BASED ON THE TYPE OF GASKET USED I.E. RTJ AND NON-RTJ.

DESIGN STANDARDS
ANSI STANDARD (ANSI B16.5) CLASS 150#, 300#, 600#, 900#, 1500# & 2500#. API STANDARD (API 6A, 6B & 6BX) MAINLY MORE OR ABOVE CLASS 2000#.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN API & ANSI FLANGES IS THE MATERIAL FROM WHICH THEY ARE FABRCATED AND THE HIGHER WORKING PRESSURE AT WHICH API FLANGES MAY BE OPERATED. THESE ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. WE HAVE ONLY ANSI FLANGE & THEREFORE OUR DISCUSSION WILL BE LIMITED TO ANSI FLANGES ONLY.

SEALING PRINCIPLE
NON-RTJ JOINT
IN CASE OF NON-RTJ JOINT SEALING IS ESTABLISHED DUE TO SURFACE CONTACT BETWEEN GASKET FACE & FLANGE FACE.

RTJ JOINT
FOR RTJ JOINT SEALING IS ESTABLISHED DUE TO LINE CONTACT BETWEEN GASKET (RING) FACE & FLANGE FACE.

INTEGRITY OF THE JOINT

INTEGRITY OF THE FLANGE JOINT DEPENDENT ON THE FOLLOWING : IS

CLEANLINESS OF THE FLANGE SURFACE. NO DAMAGE ON THE FLANGE FACES. NO DAMAGE ON RING GASKET FACES. EQUAL TIGHTENING ON EACH STUDS / NUTS. STAGE WISE APPLICATION OF TORQUE. COMPATIBLE METALLURGY OF FLANGES / STUDS / NUTS.

SHAPE OF RTJ GASKETS

OVAL TYPE (ANSI B 16.20)
THIS TYPE IS THE ORIGINAL JOINT DESIGN. CONTACTS FLANE FACE AT THE CURVED SURFACE AND PROVIDES A HIGH RELIABILITY SEAL.

OCTAGONAL TYPE (ANSI B 16.20)

MORE ACURATE IN DIMENSIONS AND SURFACE FINISH THAN OVAL SHAPE TYPE BECAUSE IT CONSISTS OF STRAIGHT SURFACES ONLY. MORE TORQUE LOAD IS REQUIRED TO FLOW THE GASKET MATERIAL INTO IMPERFECTIONS ON THE FLANGE FACINGS.

OTHER TYPES (BX & RX) ARE FOR API DESIGN FLANGES AND NOT IN USE IN OUR REFINERY.

IDENTIFICATION OF RINGS
MATERIALS
SOFT IRON LOW CARBON STEEL Cr. STEEL TYPE 304 TYPE 316 TYPE 347 TYPE 410

IDENTIFICATION
D S F5 S 304 S 316 S 347 S 410

SIZE OF RING GASKETS

RINGS ARE IDENTIFIED WITH UNIQUE NO. ACCORDING TO FLANGE / PIPE SIZE & PRESSURE RATING ALONG WITH METALLURGY OF THE SAME.
FOR EXAMPLE R51 D INDICATES RING FOR 8 X 2500 # CARBON STEEL FLANGE. FOR EXAMPLE R51 S316 INDICATES RING FOR 8 X 2500 # SS 316 FLANGE.

HARDNESS
MATERIAL
SOFT IRON LOW CS TYPE 304 L, 316 L 1Cr TO 5Cr TYPE 304, 316, 347

FLANGE RING (MIN BHN) (MAX BHN)

110 140 140 150 160 90 120 120 130 140

BOLTING MATERIALS
FLANGE STUDS NUTS
A194 GR. 2H A194 GR. 2HM A194 GR. 4 A194 GR. 2H A 307 GR. B GALV. A 453 GR. 660 CL. A A 453 GR. 660 CL. A

A105 A193 GR. B7 A105 (NACE) A193 GR. B7M A182 GR. F5 / F9 / A193 GR. B16 F11 / F22 A182 GR. F 304 / 316L A193 GR. B7 / 321 / 321H A 515 GR. 6D A 307 GR. B GALV. A182 GR. F 304H / A 453 GR. 660 CL. A 321 (H2) A182 GR. F 321H A 453 GR. 660 CL. A (HOT CATALYST)

TIGHTENING DEVICE
NON-RTJ JOINT
HAMMERING.

RTJ JOINT
HAMMERING. HYDRAULIC TORQUE WRENCH. BOLT TENSIONER.

(ELECTRICALLY / PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED)

CORRECT TORQUE
APPLYING CORRECT TORQUE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR TO ENSURE LEAK PROOF & SAFE JOINT BECAUSE OF THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
OVER TORQUE MAY DAMGE THE GASKET FACE / FLANGE GROOVE FACE. UNDER TORQUE MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO HOLD SYSTEM PRESSURE AT REQUIRED TEMPERATURE.

THEREFORE CORRECT TORQUE APPLIED WITH CORRECT PROCEDURE CAN ONLY ENSURE LEAK PROOF JOINT.

CARE OF RING GASKETS

STORE RING GASKET ON FLAT SURFACE WITH CARDBOARD OR HEAVY PAPERS TO SEPARATE EACH GASKET FOR SURFACE PROTECTION DO NOT HANG RING GASKETS ON PEGS OR NAILS. DO NOT STORE GASKETS ON THEIR EDGES. NEVER SHIP RING GASKETS LOOSE OR IN SACKS. PROTECT THE GASKETS DURING SHIPMENT BY WRAPPING EACH IN PAPER, FOIL OR IN BOXES IN ORDER TO PREVENT DAMAGE TO THE GASKET SURFACE.

PRECAUTIONS FOR RTJ JOINTS

ENSURE PROPER CLEARANCE. CHECK FOR HYDRO-CARBON PRESENCE. OPEN CROSS - BOLTS / NUTS. RTJ RING TO BE TAKEN OUT CAREFULLY. ENSURE PROPER MATCHING OF THE JOINING SURFACE. ENSURE NO LAPPING COMPOUND IS LEFT OUT. ENSURE SAFETY (PROPER HANDLING) OF RTJ RING WHILE BOXING UP.

PRECAUTIONS FOR RTJ JOINTS

USE SOFT MATERIALS (ROPE/CLOTH) FOR TEMPORARY HANGING OF RINGS. ENSURE SURFACE CLEANLINESS OF GROOVES & RINGS BY USING DIESAL/KEROSENE. BEFORE BOXING UP RE-CHECK THAT RING IS NOT DAMAGED. TIGHTENING OF CROSS BOLTS / NUTS SLOWLY. ENSURE UNIFORM GAPS ALL AROUND THE FLANGE FACES. USE PROPER TORQUE AS DIRECTED BY UNIT ENGINEER.

PRECAUTIONS FOR RTJ JOINTS

APPLY TORUE VALUE IN STAGES. MAINTAIN RECORDS AS PER INSTRUCTION OF UNIT ENGINEER FOR FUTURE REFERENCE. ENSURE THAT TWO THREADS ARE PROJECTED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE NUTS. ENSURE PROPER SIZE & TYPE OF STUDS & NUTS HAVE BEEN USED. ENSURE PROPER METALLURGY OF RING, STUDS & NUTS W.R.T. FLANGE.

EXPERIENCE SHARING
DAMAGE RING. METALLURGY MIX. SHORT BOLTING. GREASING OF RINGS. UNDER SIZE GASKET (NON-RTJ). UNDERSIZE BOLTS.