Regarding the outer surface of pipe flanges
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Could someone explain this: it’s understandable that the sealing surface of the flange needs to be finely processed, but why is the entire outer surface polished to a smooth and shiny finish? Is it necessary? It should be fine to keep the cast or forged surface, right? ! Please ask the experts to answer ； Thank you
That’s a great question! Fine finishing of the flange’s outer surface is indeed not just for aesthetic reasons. Based on my experience, there are mainly two reasons: 1) Smooth surfaces make it easier to detect minor cracks or defects, which facilitates quality inspection ； 2) In corrosive environments such as those in the chemical industry, rough surfaces are more prone to accumulating corrosive agents. However, whether full machining is necessary depends on the application scenario; for ordinary low-pressure pipelines, it is indeed possible to retain the forged surface to save costs. It is recommended that the original poster provide more details about the operating environment of the flange, so that everyone can offer more targeted suggestions~