20/8/2015 FlangesGeneralFlangeFacesRaisedFace(RF),FlatFace(FF),RingTypeJoint(RTJ),MaleandFemale(M&F),TongueandGroove(T&G)

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Definition and Details of Flanges Flange Faces

Flange faces
Differenttypesofflangefacesareusedasthecontactsurfacestoseatthesealinggasketmaterial.
ASMEB16.5andB16.47definevarioustypesofflangefacings,includingtheraisedface,thelarge
maleandfemalefacingswhichhaveidenticaldimensionstoprovidearelativelylargecontactarea.
Otherflangefacingscoveredbythesestandardsincludethelargeandsmalltongueandgroove
facings,andtheringjointfacingspecificallyforringjointtypemetalgaskets.

Raised Face (RF)

TheRaisedFaceflangeisthemostcommontypeusedinprocessplantapplications,andiseasilyto
identify.Itisreferredtoasaraisedfacebecausethegasketsurfacesareraisedabovetheboltingcircle
face.Thisfacetypeallowstheuseofawidecombinationofgasketdesigns,includingflatringsheet
typesandmetalliccompositessuchasspiralwoundanddoublejacketedtypes.
ThepurposeofaRFflangeistoconcentratemorepressureonasmallergasketareaandthereby
increasethepressurecontainmentcapabilityofthejoint.DiameterandheightareinASMEB16.5
defined,bypressureclassanddiameter.Pressureratingoftheflangedeterminestheheightofthe
raisedface.
ThetypicalflangefacefinishforASMEB16.5RFflangesis125to250inRa(3to6mRa).

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20/8/2015 FlangesGeneralFlangeFacesRaisedFace(RF),FlatFace(FF),RingTypeJoint(RTJ),MaleandFemale(M&F),TongueandGroove(T&G)

Raised Face height

FortheheightmeasuresHandBofalldescribeddimensionsofflangesonthiswebsite,withexception
oftheLapJointflange,itisimportanttounderstandandrememberthefollowing:
Inpressureclasses150and300,theheightofraisedfaceisapproximately1.6mm(1/16inch).In
thesetwopressureclasses,almostallsuppliersofflanges,showintheircatalogorbrochure,the
HandBdimensionsincludingtheraisedfaceheight.(Fig.1)

Inpressureclasses400,600,900,1500&2500,theheightofraisedfaceisapproximately
6.4mm(1/4inch).Inthesepressureclasses,mostsuppliersshowtheHandBdimensionsexcluding
theraisedfaceheight.(Fig.2)

Flat Face (FF)

TheFlatFaceflangehasagasketsurfaceinthesameplaneastheboltingcircleface.Applications
usingflatfaceflangesarefrequentlythoseinwhichthematingflangeorflangedfittingismadefroma
casting.
Flatfaceflangesarenevertobeboltedtoaraisedfaceflange.ASMEB31.1saysthatwhenconnecting
flatfacecastironflangestocarbonsteelflanges,theraisedfaceonthecarbonsteelflangemustbe
removed,andthatafullfacegasketisrequired.Thisistokeepthethin,bittlecastironflangefrom
beingsprungintothegapcausedbytheraisedfaceofthecarbonsteelflange.

RingType Joint (RTJ)

TheRingTypeJointflangesaretypicallyusedinhighpressure(Class600andhigherrating)and/or

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hightemperatureservicesabove800F(427C).Theyhavegroovescutintotheirfaceswhichsteel
ringgaskets.Theflangessealwhentightenedboltscompressthegasketbetweentheflangesintothe
grooves,deforming(orCoining)thegaskettomakeintimatecontactinsidethegrooves,creatinga
metaltometalseal.
AnRTJflangemayhavearaisedfacewitharinggroovemachinedintoit.Thisraisedfacedoesnot
serveasanypartofthesealingmeans.ForRTJflangesthatsealwithringgaskets,theraisedfacesof
theconnectedandtightenedflangesmaycontacteachother.Inthiscasethecompressedgasketwill
notbearadditionalloadbeyondthebolttension,vibrationandmovementcannotfurthercrushthe
gasketandlessentheconnectingtension.

Ring Type Joint gaskets

RingTypeJointgasketsaremetallicsealingrings,suitableforhighpressureandhightemperature
applications.Theyarealwaysappliedtospecial,accompanyingflangeswhichensuregood,reliable
sealingwiththecorrectchoiceofprofilesandmaterial.
RingTypeJointgasketsaredesignedtosealby"initiallinecontact"orwedgingactionbetweenthe
matingflangeandthegasket.Byapplyingpressureonthesealinterfacethroughboltforce,the
"softer"metalofthegasketflowsintothemicrofinestructureoftheharderflangematerial,and
creatingaverytightandefficientseal.

MostappliedtypeisstyleRringthatismanufacturedinaccordancewithASMEB16.20usedwith
ASMEB16.5flanges,class150to2500.Style"R"ringtypejointsaremanufacturedinbothovaland
octagonalconfigurations.
Theoctagonalcrosssectionhasahighersealingefficiencythantheovalandwouldbethepreferred
gasket.However,onlytheovalcrosssectioncanbeusedintheoldtyperoundbottomgroove.The
newerflatbottomgroovedesignwillaccepteithertheovalortheoctagonalcrosssection.
Thesealingsurfacesontheringjointgroovesmustbesmoothlyfinishedto63Microinchesandbefree
ofobjectionableridges,toolorchattermarks.Theysealbyaninitiallinecontactorawedgingactionas
thecompressiveforcesareapplied.Thehardnessoftheringshouldalwaysbelessthanthehardnessof
theflanges.
StyleRringtypejointsaredesignedtosealpressureupto6,250psiinaccordancewithASMEB16.5
pressureratingsandupto5,000psi.

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20/8/2015 FlangesGeneralFlangeFacesRaisedFace(RF),FlatFace(FF),RingTypeJoint(RTJ),MaleandFemale(M&F),TongueandGroove(T&G)

TongueandGroove (T&G)
TheTongueandGroovefacesofthisflangesmustbematched.Oneflangefacehasaraisedring
(Tongue)machinedontotheflangefacewhilethematingflangehasamatchingdepression(Groove)
machinedintoit'sface.
Tongueandgroovefacingsarestandardizedinbothlargeandsmalltypes.Theydifferfrommaleand
femaleinthattheinsidediametersofthetongueandgroovedonotextendintotheflangebase,thus
retainingthegasketonitsinnerandouterdiameter.Thesearecommonlyfoundonpumpcoversand
ValveBonnets.
Tongueandgroovejointsalsohaveanadvantageinthattheyareselfaligningandactasareservoir
fortheadhesive.Thescarfjointkeepstheaxisofloadinginlinewiththejointanddoesnotrequirea
majormachiningoperation.
GeneralflangefacessuchastheRTJ,T&GandtheF&Mshallneverbeboltedtogether.Thereasonfor
thisisthatthecontactsurfacesdonotmatchandthereisnogasketthathasonetypeononesideand
anothertypeontheotherside.

MaleandFemale (M&F)
Withthistypetheflangesalsomustbematched.Oneflangefacehasanareathatextendsbeyondthe
normalflangeface(Male).Theotherflangeormatingflangehasamatchingdepression(Female)
machinedintoit'sface.
Thefemalefaceis3/16inchdeep,themalefaceis1/4inchhigh,andbotharesmoothfinished.The
outerdiameterofthefemalefaceactstolocateandretainthegasket.Custommaleandfemalefacings
arecommonlyfoundontheHeatExchangershelltochannelandcoverflanges.

Advantages and disadvantages of T&G and M&F flange faces

Advantages:
Bettersealingproperties,morepreciselocationandexactcompressionafsealingmaterial,utilizationof
other,moresuitablesealingandspezializedsealingmaterial(Orings).

Disadvantages:
Commercialavailabillityandcost.Normalraisedfacedisfarmorecommonandreadyavailableboth
regardingValves,flangesandsealingmaterial.Anothercomplexityisthatsomerigidrulesmustbe
appliedtothepipingdesign.DoyouorderValvestobefemaleendbothsides,orononesidemaybe,
inwhichcasedoyoupointallmaleendsintheflowdirection,orwhat.Sameappliestoanyflanged
joint/vesselconnectionofcourse.

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20/8/2015 FlangesGeneralFlangeFacesRaisedFace(RF),FlatFace(FF),RingTypeJoint(RTJ),MaleandFemale(M&F),TongueandGroove(T&G)

Remark(s) of the Author...

Join or match an RTJ flange with a RF flange
SeveraltimesIhavebeenasked:mayIjoinormatchanRTJflangewithaRFflange?.My
answerofcourse:thatisnotallowed.TodayApril29,2012,thequestionwasaskedagain.I
willtrytoexplainwhyaconnectionbetweenanRFandRTJflangeisnotacceptable.
RTJflangeshavegroovesintheirsealingfaces,whileRFflangesdonot.Ifyouwanttomake
aconnectionbetweenthetwoflanges,youcanonlyapplyaflatgasket.Thisflatgasketwil
bemakefullcontactwithdesealingsurfaceoftheRFflange,butnotwiththesealingsurface
oftheRTJflange.DuetothegrooveintheflangeRTJacertainportionofthegasketisnot
utilized,andthereforeitisnotpossibletomakeaproperlysealedflangeconnection.Further,
theRTJflangewillbedamagethegasket,especiallyifaspiralwoundormetaljacketed
gasketisapplied.
Myadviceis:nevermakeanRFRTJflangeconnection.Maybedoyouhavenotdirectaspill,
butwhenanaccidenthappens,theinsuranceexpertsknowwheretheycanfindyou.
Considerinjuriesorfatalities,awrongflangeconnectionis'tworthit.

WernerSlken20082015.Allrightsreserved.
DonotworryaboutyourdifficultiesinMathematics.Icanassureyouminearestillgreater.AlbertEinstein

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