Elbow flanges are commonly used for flanged connections or flanged joints, referring to a detachable connection where a combination sealing structure is formed by the interaction of the flange, gasket, and bolts. Pipe flanges are flanges used for piping in pipe installations, and when used on equipment, they refer to the equipment's inlet and outlet flanges.

The production process is mainly divided into four types: forging, casting, cutting, and rolling.

Cast Flanges and Forged Flanges

Forged flanges feature accurate rough shape and size, minimal machining, and low cost; however, they have casting defects (voids, cracks, inclusions). The internal structure of the castings has poor streamline (worse for machinable parts).

Forged flanges typically contain less carbon than cast flanges, making them less prone to rust. The forging has better streamline, a denser structure, and superior mechanical properties compared to cast flanges.

Improper forging processes can result in large or uneven grain size, hardening cracks, and higher forging costs compared to cast flanges.

Forgings can withstand higher shear and tensile forces than castings.

The advantages of castings lie in their ability to produce complex shapes at a relatively low cost.

The advantages of forgings lie in their uniform internal structure, free from harmful defects such as voids and inclusions present in castings.

Distinguishing between cast flanges and forged flanges from the production process, for example, centrifugal flanges are a type of cast flange.

Centrifugal flanges are produced through precise casting methods, which result in a finer grain structure compared to common sand mold casting, significantly improving the quality and reducing the likelihood of issues such as loose structure, air pockets, and sand holes.

Firstly, we need to understand how centrifugal flanges are manufactured and produced, the process method and product of centrifugal casting for welding flanges, which are characterized by being processed through the following steps:

The selected steel materials are melted in a medium-frequency furnace, raising the molten steel temperature to 1600-1700℃.

② Preheat the metal mold to a constant temperature of 800-900°C.

③ Start the centrifugal machine and pour the molten steel from Step 1 into the preheated metal mold from Step 2.

④ Allow the casting to cool naturally to 800-900℃ and hold for 1-10 minutes.

⑤ Cool with water to near room temperature, then remove the casting from the mold.