Japanese Standard Ship Flange

Flange, also known as a flange disc or rim, is a component used for connecting shafts or for joining pipe ends. It is also used at equipment inlets and outlets, such as reducer flanges, for connecting two devices. A flange connection or flange joint refers to a removable connection consisting of a flange, a gasket, and bolts, forming a combined sealing structure. Pipe flanges are the flanges used for piping in pipeline installations, and on equipment, they refer to the equipment's inlet and outlet flanges. Flanges have holes, and bolts secure them tightly together. They are sealed with a gasket. Flanges are available in threaded (screwed) connections, welding flanges, and clamp flanges. Flanges are used in pairs; low-pressure pipelines can use threaded flanges, while those above four kilograms of pressure use welding flanges. Two flange discs are joined with a sealing pad and then bolted together. Flanges of different pressures have different thicknesses and require different bolts. Pumps and valves, when connected to pipelines, have corresponding flange shapes at the local equipment, also known as flange connections. Any connection piece that uses bolts to connect two flat surfaces around the perimeter and is sealed is generally called a "flange," such as the connection of ventilation pipes. These types of components can be referred to as "flange-type components." However, such connections are only a part of a device, like the connection between a flange and a pump, so it's not appropriate to call the pump a "flange-type component." Smaller components like valves can be called "flange-type components."