American
Insert Flange Company, Inc.
649 Lebanon Avenue
Williamstown, NJ, 08094
Phone: (856) 629-4555 ● Fax: (856) 728-1304
Email:
sales@AmericanInsertFlange.com
"American Pride"
Frequently Asked Questions
(click the question to see the answer...)
-
What is an insert flange?
-
What is the difference between your ASME Conforming (ASME Rated)
and Conventional (Standard Thickness) lines of insert flanges?
- I
have always thought only one company makes insert flanges, is
there a patent or single company rights on this product?
-
Why should I use an insert flange over the standard flanges that
I am more familiar with?
- Do
insert flanges conform to the requirements of ASME B31.3?
-
What types of material can I order an insert flange in?
- Is
all of your material domestic?
-
Does American Insert Flange do any other type of custom flanges
or machining?
-
What is the best way to reference your flanges when I request a
quotation?
-
What is meant by the terminology, Reducing (or Oversize) and
Non-Reducing (or Line-Size)?
- Do
you sell your products outside of the United States?
-
How many years has American Insert Flange Company, Inc. been in
business?
- Do
you provide Material Test Reports (MTR's) with your shipments?
-
What is the largest size insert flange you make? Do you
make custom sizes not listed in your cut sheets?
-
What is the average lead time on your product?
-
What is a T/D or Speedline flange?
- Do
you provide engineering services on jacketed piping systems?
-
How do you determine the flange thickness on your ASME
Conforming insert flange line?
- Do
you make all of your own products?
- Do you only sell to distributors?
1. What is an
insert flange?
An insert flange is a two-piece flange, similar in concept to a
lap-joint and stub-end flange, but of superior quality. It
consists of an insert (usually made out of 316/316L
or 304/304L), and a flange, or bolting ring
(usually made out of A-105 or 515/516 Grade 70 carbon steel). These types
of flanges have been used successfully in the PVF industry for over
75 years. American Insert Flange (AIF) makes a line of insert
flanges for single piping applications as well a line for jacketed
piping applications. See our
Product Page to learn more about insert
flanges and for more illustrations.
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2.
What is the difference between your
ASME Conforming (ASME Rated) and Conventional (Standard Thickness)
lines of insert flanges?
ASME B16.5 and flange code is written for one-piece
flanges. Obviously, an insert flange is a two-piece flange.
AIF's ASME Conforming line have thicknesses that
are slightly more than that of the Conventional Line. The
Conventional Line simply uses the standard flange
thicknesses that a standard one-piece flange would use. The
Conventional Line has existed much longer than the ASME Conforming
one. However, we recommend now using our ASME Conforming Line
unless you are replacing an old Conventional insert flange off of a
pipeline.
Therefore, for our ASME Conforming Line, engineering calculations
were performed by American Insert Flange conforming to the ASME
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Division 1 to
determine the minimum thickness of an insert flange so that they
meet or exceed all pressure temperature ratings of the respective
size and weight class, or ASME B16.5 MAWP. These calculations
are based on using carbon steel (grades A-105 or SA515/516 Grade 70)
for the flange and stainless steel (grades 304/304L and 316/316L)
for the insert. The bolting is to SA-193-B7 and a spiral wound
gasket material. If the material, bolting, or gasket is
changed, the required dimensions of the insert flange could change.
However, usually the thicknesses on our cut sheets will remain, and
they change only in rare circumstances. This is how we make
our ASME Conforming (sometimes called ASME Rated) Line.
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3. I have always
thought only one company makes insert flanges, is there a patent or
single company rights on this product?
You have probably thought that only one company makes insert
flanges, because your particular company only used one supplier.
However, there has never been a time in the history of insert
flanges, where only one company has sold the product. There
were always a few companies actively selling insert flanges on the
market. An insert flange is a simple derivative of standard
flanges. Therefore, in the same manner that a company cannot
go and patent a standard socket weld or slip-on flange, an insert
flange is non-patentable. This means that any company with the
engineering knowledge and a firm grasp on flanges can manufacture
insert flanges. Although insert flanges are stocked at
American Insert Flange, they certainly are not a commodity item.
You will not find Chinese or Indian imports of this product.
This is in part, caused by the extreme nature of customization and
detail that must go into manufacturing insert flanges. AIF
knows how to stock insert flanges so that we can quickly turnaround
your order. For example, we may stock insert flanges for
jacketed piping only with a schedule 10 jacket, because we know that
we can turn the insert into a schedule 40 jacket with a simple and
quick machining operation. American Insert Flange is the new
leader in insert flange technology. So if you are one of the
companies out there who only buy from one supplier, please try our
insert flange product today! We are an American company with
"American Pride," in everything we do.
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4. Why should I
use an insert flange over the standard flanges that I am more
familiar with?
There are many reasons why you
should consider using insert flanges on some of your piping
projects:
- The two-piece make-up allows for the flange to rotate for easy alignment of the bolting holes. This allows our flanges to be fabricated faster.
- The two-piece make-up also relieves joint stress that a single flange would have.
- As stated above, insert flanges are not a commodity product. Therefore, they are made with tighter tolerances, and a more efficient quality system with little or no defects. Insert flanges also drastically reduce lead times when exotic alloy material is being used for a flange.
- Insert flanges for jacketed piping are a unique flange to the industry. They are customized to meet the specific requirements of your core and jacket pipe schedules. This makes for a much cleaner and efficient assembly process. They also give you a better heat transfer through the flange. This can be huge in volatile piping environments and helps to decrease maintenance costs on piping lines.
- Certain major chemical and plastics companies have used
insert flanges for over 75 years. They have proven success
in all types of piping systems. The companies who do not
use them often do so because they simply do not know of the
product. It only takes giving insert flanges a try on one
project to convince many engineers and customers of this great
product.
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5. Do insert
flanges conform to the requirements of ASME B31.3?
The answer to this question is YES. Process Piping, ASME
B31.3, provides guidelines for the design of flanges which are
not included as standards in Table 326.1 of this specification.
These requirements are found in paragraph 304.5.1 of the code. This
specifically says, "flanges may be designed in accordance with
the Boiler Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Div 1, Appendix 2 or
Appendix Y, depending on whether the gasket OD is inside or outside
the bolt circle. Flanges may be qualified by the requirements of
paragraph 304.7.2. This paragraph applies when Appendix 2 or
Appendix Y are not applicable and states that the design is to be
based on calculations consistent with the design criteria on B31.3
and substantiated by one or more of the following:
- a) Extensive & successful service experience under comparable conditions with similarly proportioned components.
- b) Experimental stress analysis similar to that described in BPV Code, Section VIII, Div 2, Appendix 6.
- c) Proof testing in accordance with ASME B16.9, MSS SP-97, or BPV Code Section VIII, Div 1, UG-101.
- d) Detailed stress analysis such as finite element." (passage taken from the ASME Code)
Insert flanges are based on ASME/ANSI B16.5 flanges, and contain
the same ring-type elements. Insert flanges can be reliably
designed to Appendix 2 of the BPV Code, Section VIII, Div 1. Insert
flanges have passed the test of successful years of service
since they have been used for over 75 years.
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6. What types of
material can I order an insert flange in?
Almost any metal material that can be machined
can be made into insert flanges. The most common material for
an insert is domestic dual certified 304/304L and 316/316L, and for
a flange it is domestic A-105 and 515/516 Grade 70 carbon steel.
However, we also regularly make insert flanges out of Alloy 20,
Duplex Alloys, Nickel Alloys such as various grades of Hastelloy
(C276, C22), and Aluminum.
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7. Is all of your
material domestic?
There was a time when all of the material that came through our
flange shop was domestic to the United States. However, in
today's competitive marketplace, we would almost be doing you a
disservice not to give you an option of finding less expensive
alternatives to some domestic material. Insert flanges are one
of the few flanges left where most of them are still made from
domestic material. However, on occasion, we do manufacture
insert flanges out of foreign material. If you require that
all material must be domestic, simply state this at the time of
quotation. American Insert Flange prides ourselves in
flexibility and doing our best to meet your pricing and quality
needs.
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8. Does American
Insert Flange do any other type of custom flanges or machining?
Customization is our business at
American Insert Flange. So besides our solid product line of
insert flanges, we also thrive in being able to manufacture your
custom flange design. Our sister companies,
Tubecraft
of America and
Specialty
Flange and Fitting also can provide you with standard and
customized flange options. Call anyone of the three companies
and you will get the same high quality and successful result.
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9.
What is the best way to reference your flanges when I
request a quotation?
First, you must determine if the flange is for a single or jacketed
piping application. If you need an insert flange for single
piping, either go to our
Product Page for Single Piping and specify the size and series
needed, or you can also reference the size, style, weight class, and
material needed. For example, 2", slip-on insert flange, for
150lbs., for a 316L pipe (which determines the insert material), and
a carbon steel flange. If the insert flange is for jacketed
piping, you can specify the series needed by going to our
Product
Page for Jacketed Pipe. Or you can specify the weight
class, the flange size you will need x the core pipe
size x the jacket pipe size you need; if you don't
know the series number you must state the style, either slip-on
or buttweld for the core pipe, if it is slip-on we only
need the jacket pipe schedule, if it is buttweld we will need the
core and jacket pipe schedules; then just specify the material of
your core pipe (which determines the insert material) and the
material you need for your flange, which unless it is a special
system would usually be carbon steel. If you have any
questions, you can call us at (856)629-4555 and we can walk you
though what you may need, or email us at
sales@americaninsertflange.com with any related questions.
It is well worth taking the short amount of time it takes to learn
how to request a quote or how to order insert flanges! It is
simple once you do it a few times and familiarize yourself with some
of the terminology.
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10. What is meant by
the terminology, Reducing (or Oversize) and Non-Reducing (or
Line-Size)?
Reducing and Non-Reducing is old terminology, in
this case, used for types of jacketed piping insert flanges.
You do not even really need to use them if you know the flange
size x core size x jacket size. However, for history's
sake, and for those who are familiar with the terms; they can be
defined as follows: Reducing and Non-Reducing
refer to the nominal flange size relating to the core pipe size.
For example, is you need an insert flange for a 3" flange x 2" core
pipe x 3" jacket pipe, the 3" flange reduces to the 2"
core, therefore, this insert flange is Reducing.
However, if you need an insert flange for a 2" flange x 2" core x 3"
jacket, the 2" flange does not reduce to the 2" core since
it is the same size, thus, it would be considered Non-Reducing.
You can see from this example how, if you know the nominal
flange size x core pipe size x jacket pipe size, there is no
need to refer to the insert flange as reducing or non-reducing.
We also have specific product series that help to relieve this
confusion. When in doubt, just use the series number.
The benefit of our company being so experienced in insert flanges,
also means we can sell equivalents if you have another company'
series number.
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11.
Do you sell your products outside of the United States?
We sell our flange products around the world. American Insert
Flange is very customized by nature, so we must sell to all types of
customers. We do our best to protect our distributors,
however, sometimes also must sell direct to fabricators and
end-users. This is necessary to stay competitive in the price
department where our product sometimes goes head-to-head with cheap,
imported flanges. For a list of some of the companies in our
flange industry, visit our
Links Page by clicking the hyperlink.
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12. How many
years has American Insert Flange Company, Inc. been in business?
This is kind of a trick question.
American Insert Flange was only formed in early 2006. However,
our sister companies,
Tubecraft of America and
Specialty Flange and Fitting, have been
around for 40 and 25 years respectively. Also, American Insert
Flange has staff that have worked at insert flange companies for
many years. So although our company is fairly new in name, we
are, as a unit, grizzled veterans in the insert flange business.
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13.
Do
you provide Material Test Reports (MTR's) with your shipments?
In today's manufacturing environment, it is important to track
quality. Therefore, we send material test reports with every
order. On occasion, due to the rush nature of some orders, we
may not include MTR's with the order, or sometimes they may be lost
by your receiving department. If this happens, simply call us
a (856) 629-4555 and we will either fax or email you additional
copies of the MTR's. At AIF, we take quality conformance very
seriously and are always open to your suggestions on how to improve
the process.
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14. What is the
largest size insert flange you make? Do you make custom sizes
not listed in your cut sheets?
Generally, our machine shop only does up to 24" nominal flange size
in-house. However, we have a network of machining companies
who can do an unlimited amount of flange sizes for you. We
also make custom sizes not listed in our catalog. Please
contact us to see if your insert flange size combination is
feasible.
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15. What is the
average lead time on your product?
American Insert Flange believes our turnaround time for
manufacturing flange products is one of the best of any machine shop
in the country or, for that fact, in the world. We pride
ourselves at meeting all promised shipping deadlines.
Occasionally, if specialty alloys are needed and they are not
in-stock at our New Jersey facility, there may be some additional
time needed to receive this raw material. This is the normal
process in a manufacturing company. However, AIF carefully
selects the majority of our suppliers to conform with our philosophy
that goes beyond Just-In-Time. At AIF, we are not
"Just-In-Time", but we are ON TIME, ALL OF THE TIME.
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16.
What is a T/D or Speedline flange?
These are old insert flange trade names that existed since
the 1950's, but are no longer in business. Many of these
names, especially Speedline, still exists on company specification
sheets. Our American Insert Flange series for single pipe
applications satisfy these requirements.
(Insert Flanges for Single Piping Applications) The T/D
stood for tapered design, however, our Series
S-150,
S-300,
SC-150, and
SC-300 are proven substitutes for this style.
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17. Do you
provide engineering services on jacketed piping systems?
American Insert Flange is a manufacturing flange company. We
have basic knowledge of the design of flanges and piping systems,
however, we do not do complete engineering on piping systems.
We strongly recommend looking at the Fabricators, Contractors,
and Related Fabrication Engineering Services Section on
our
Link Page for a starting point for engineering jacketed or
single piping systems.
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18.
How
do you determine the flange thickness on your ASME Conforming insert
flange line?
We have engineering calculations done for every insert flange we
sell. Due to many of these being 10+ pages for one
calculation, we only forward these upon specific request of the
customer. Usually, newer engineers who are not familiar with
insert flanges like examining these calculations to help understand
the process and thinking behind an insert flange. There is no
mystery or secret formula behind insert flanges. They are
logically formed from the basics of standard flanges and ASME code
for flanges. Engineering flange thicknesses for our ASME
Conforming line of insert flanges is just flange evolution.
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19.
Do you make all of your own products?
American Insert Flange makes the majority of our products in our
machining facility in New Jersey. We also have a network of
machine shops that we use for certain types of flanges. For
example, some customers need our bolting rings to be hot-dipped
galvanized, so we send the bolting rings out to one of our certified
suppliers and have this process done. AIF runs a creative an
innovative machine shop that helps provide you with the best
possible product, at the best possible price, in the shortest amount
of time.(and we still make the majority of our products
in-house!)
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20.
Do
you only sell to distributors?
We do our best to protect our distributors, however,
sometimes we also must sell direct to fabricators and end-users at
tiered pricing levels. This is necessary to stay competitive in the
price department where our product sometimes goes head-to-head with
cheap, imported flanges. This is also necessary to cut down the
amount of communication between the different levels of business.
For example, it can be frustrating for an engineer at an end-user to
constantly have to relay questions to a fabricator, who then has to
relay these questions to a distributor, who then has to relay the
question to us. This is what supply chain management
orginizational charts do not plan for. Therefore, no matter
what level of the supply chain you are on, you can pick up the phone
and call us at (856) 629-4555, or email as at
sales@AmericanInsertFlange.com . We will do our best to
assist you in a friendly and professional manner, with good old
fashioned American Pride. For a list of some of the
companies in our flange industry, visit our
Links Page by clicking the hyperlink.
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