Pipeline technology has evolved in line with improved safety procedures. Although modern flanges and pipe fittings are basically the same design as their predecessors, they are made of far superior alloys, minimising risk of accidents and systems failure.
Today’s pipe flanges and fittings are made to set industry standards. These are the ultimate reference tool for everyone connected to the industry, including managers, contractors and specialist manufacturers. The earliest pipelines and flanges were made from brittle, corrodible cast and wrought iron. These pipe fittings are now museum pieces. By 1900, steel had replaced iron. Then there was stainless steel. Over the years, stainless steel alloys have been continually modified to get where we are today – with pipe fittings manufactured in high-strength, low corrosion alloys such as titanium and super duplex. They are custom designed to meet individual industry standards.
Early pipelines were joined using screwed collars. However, as both pressures and pipe diameters increased so new pipe fittings, such as bolted flanges, were developed. Today, there are literally dozens of different flanges- each designed for a specific task or set of environmental conditions. Weld-neck pipe flanges are widely used in the oil and petroleum industries, but there are also screw-on, lap-joint, swivel-ring, spacer, cross-over and adaptor flanges.
However, advanced the technology, pipe flanges can still fail – modern alloys lengthen their lifespan, they don’t make them totally infallible! We at Chemipetro pride ourselves that we hold practically every industrial fitting in stock, and can ship them out to you at the touch of a button.