Flange is a common and important component that is used with our pressure level sensors or flow meters in process control. Its sealing performance directly affects the normal operation of sensors.

The installation of most pressure level sensors requires flanges. Choosing a proper sensor is important, so does choosing a right flange. Through the analysis of the factors that affect flange sealing performance, several aspects should be noted.

Bolt preload

A bolt and nut are used together as a compressive force to keep materials connected. The threads of the nut work with screw threads to apply force. The tension is called bolt preload. The preload must compress the gasket to achieve the initial seal. Properly increasing the bolt preload increases the sealing of the gasket, however, it should not be too large, otherwise the gasket will lose its resilience.

Gasket performance

Gasket is an important part that constitutes sealing. Its function is to seal the gap between the sealing surface of the two flanges to prevent leakage. There are non-metallic gaskets, non-metallic and metal combined gaskets and metal gaskets. Appropriate gasket material requires that the gasket can not only produce the necessary elastic deformation under the action of appropriate preload, but will not be crushed or extruded; the distance between the flange sealing surface is enlarged during operation, and the gasket material should have sufficient resilience to keep the gasket surface in close contact with the flange surface to maintain sealing...

Flange stiffness

Excessive deformation due to insufficient flange stiffness may cause failure of the bolted flange connection. Flanges with high rigidity has small deformation, which can evenly transmit the bolt preload to the gasket, thereby improving the sealing.

Though flanges, gaskets, bolts, nuts are not part of our pressure level sensors, but these accessories are important to the performance of sensors. Holykell not only provides professional sensors, but also complete accessories for your measurement.