Flange Management

Things to take note

• Hardly find 1 flange management online studies which briefly explain
5W’s
• This is an incomplete presentation, till then will fill up necessary
information
 Topic
• Introduction of Flange Management
• Material
• Equipment
• Procedure
• Organization Chart
• Documentation & Requirement
• Assembly/Disassembly of Flanges
• Usage of tools
• Safety aspects
Material
• Flanges • Bolt/Nut
• Flat Face • Size
• Raised Face
• Material
• Ring Type Joint Face
• Hub Face • Coating
• Groove/Tongue Face • Length

• Gasket
• Spiral Wound
• NAF Gasket
• RTJ Ring
• Seal Ring
• Pikotek
Flanges

Flat Face Groove Face

Raised Face Ring Type Joint Face

Tongue Face
Hub Face
Gasket
Spiral Wound Gasket Seal Ring Gasket

Compressed Non-Abestos Fiber Gasket

Pikotek Gasket

Ring Type Joint Gasket

Bolt/Nut

- Bolt must be clean with soft wire brush or approved emery paper
- If there is no marking on the bolt or nut surface. Do Not use !!
- Lubricate first 2 turn of bolt from flange & surface of mating nut
- Bolt marking to be uniformly face whereby operator can easily spot
- Length of bolt to be calculated after first thread
- PTFE coated bolt/nut do NOT require lubrication
- Excess bolt length not more than ½” (12.7mm)
Equipment
• Manual Torque Wrench
• Hydraulic Torque Pump
• Hydraulic Torque Wrench
• Hydraulic Tensioning Pump
• Hydraulic Tensioning Adaptor
• Flange Spreader
• Hydraulic Alignment Device
• Backing Spanner
• Combination Spanner
Manual Torque Wrench
Hydraulic Torque Pump
Hydraulic Torque Wrench
Hydraulic Tensioning Pump
Hydraulic Tensioner Adaptor
Flange Spreader
Hydraulic Alignment Device
Backing Spanner
Combination Spanner
Procedure
• Client’s Flange Management Procedure
Organization Chart PROJECT SERVICES

Flange Management Coordinator

- To expedite on technical enquiries
- Have vast experience on Flange Management
Services
Flange Management - Problem Solver
Coordinator - Documentation & Reporting to client
- Manpower Management
- Equipment Maintenance
Bolting
Supervisor Bolting Supervisor
1 Team - Reports to coordinator
- Technical knowledge on flange management
Bolting Bolting - Manage task on priority given
Technician Technician
Bolting Technician
- To be hands-on and knowing quality work DO
NOT compromise with SAFETY
Documentation & Requirement
• Flange Management Register
• Torque Value Chart
• Certified Personnel (Certificates provided)
• Equipment Certificates (Original)
• Conversation of torque value to pressure chart
• Joint Inspection Certificates (JIC)
• Joint Completion Certificates (JCC)
• Deviation must be approved by client
Assembly & Disassembly of flanges
• Flat Face Flange
• Raise Face Flange
• Ring Type Joint Flange
• Hub Flanges
• Allowance / Things to take note
FF/RF – Flange and Gasket
Raised face seals by installing a flat gasket
between the raised faces of the flanges to be
mate. Gaskets material could be graphite filled,
Non-asbestos fibre or spiral wound gasket. Use
the correct type with drawings given

On Tightening, the gasket is compressed and

press between two sides of mating face. The
grooves are circular and form part of flange
mating to provide best possible seal. The gasket is
permanently deformed and must NOT be re-
used.
FF/RF - Alignment
Any stress in the pipeline will require great force to achieve parallel
connection of flanges
1. Check area to be cleared for alignment
2. For hydraulic jack up on pipe due alignment, pressure should be less than 20%
of total target bolt load
3. Measure with Vernier caliper/Taper gauge and identify the flanges with
greatest and smallest gap. Allowance to be given is equal or less than 0.8mm
differential
4. Fill the bottom bolts and remember not to place more than half of the bolt
quantity. This means there will be empty bolt between bolts used for
alignment
5. Use Vernier caliper/Taper Gauge to measure around the flanges several times
during the process until flanges are parallel

**NEVER USE BOLTS TO ALIGN FLANGES**

FF/RF - Assembly
Before tightening flanges you have to go through the following steps :

1. Check flanges and seal area for damages, radial scratches, corrosion
and ensure seal area is free of paint and coating
2. Clean the seal face with approved solvent in circular motion &
abrasive paper/cloth with rags to be final cleanup
3. Lubricate first 2 turn of the bolt on flange & surface of the mating
nut
4. Any radial damage. Do inform your supervisor/coordinator for advise
FF/RF - Tightening
Use only approved tools with calibration certificates (Original) is to be
produced before project commence

1. Calibration certificates of tools is valid

2. Tools to be secured prior pressurize
3. Use of tools is in accordance to supplier/manufacturer instruction
FF/RF – Disassembly of flange
Point 1
• Check that safety clearance is done via permit system & gauges to
prevent opening of trapped pressure in system
• Check that spring pipe supports are not under load and should be in
locked position
• Prior disassembly, never assume that pressure is not in
pipeline/system
Usage of Tools – Hydraulic Torquing

1. Label all sequence of bolting on a tape and paste it on side of flange

2. Connect all hoses to equipment
3. Connect air hose but not to turn on the air supply (Make sure hose arrestors/R-clips is in place)
4. As mentioned earlier on, with 3 man per team. 2 man will be with the equipment and 1 will be on air supply line
5. Turn on air supply line
6. Do not fit hydraulic wrench on the nut of the flange
7. Pressure the whole connection for circulating of flow
8. Turn to correct pressure for the correct torque value
9. Place the wrench on the nut
10. Make sure all fingers are off “pinch points”
11. The one holding the hydraulic wrench will be the one calling “TO GO or TO STOP”
Usage of Tools – Manual Wrench

Manual Wrench/Combination Spanner

Some client require manual wrench, at such flange size and rating
plays a part to factor in manual wrench.
Different hands will have different strength. Thus, using manual
wrench “snip” which means as long as it’s tight and small amount of
strength is required
Usage of Tools – Manual Torque Wrench
• Make sure wrench always in “zero” position before and after use
• Make sure you are not using no more than 75% of wrench maximum torque
• Prior using it on tightening. Recommended to test against Torque Measurement Device
• 2 man per team
• Set to recommended torque value
• When using torque wrench, if you hears a “click” sound. DO NOT continue using it unless if
you think body of wrench is hitting on pipe
• When using torque wrench, do not jerk. It must be a smooth pull of handle
Usage of Tools – Hydraulic Tension
• Tensioning is the direct axial stretching of the bolt to achieve preload.
Inaccuracies created through friction are eliminated. Massive
mechanical effort to create torque is replaced with simple hydraulic
pressure
Safety Aspect
• Pinch Point
• High Pressure from Equipment
• Depressurize of Equipment
• Falling object from height