Back to the Basics:
BX, R, & RX Flange Ring Grooves
Get Your Groove On
The energy industry depends on pipelines and valves to transport fluids and gases from one location to another. The sections of pipe and the valves that control the flow are often connected to each other mechanically with the use of flanges and bolts. To ensure the joint between flanges seal the product inside the pipe, the industry uses flanges with face grooves. The face grooves are designed to accept a ring that creates the seal when flanges are bolted together. The dimensional control and consistency of flange grooves are maintained by API Specification 6A, which outlines the requirements for manufacturing flanges and components to minimum performance levels.6AGrooveGages
The task of evaluating the quality of BX, R and RX flange ring grooves has been done using various types of templates or dog bone gages and adjustable ball gages for many years. Maintaining the dimensions of flange grooves is critical to the sealing properties of the pipe and valve connections because the pressures seen by these connections can easily destroy a flange if the groove is not machined properly. However, the exact dimensions of the grooves are never known with the use of dog bone or adjustable ball gages.
Inspecting Flange Ring Grooves, Easy and Accurately
For higher quality and critical applications where groove diameters need to be documented, it is necessary to employ a gage that provides an indicator reading. By using an indicator to report groove diameter and groove width, the quality of the product can be controlled in the machine as the product is manufactured.
For these applications, we offer the BX-1000 and BXG-1000 gages to inspect groove diameters and groove widths. The gages are preset to calculated values and then applied to the flange to determine exactly how the groove compares to the specification. As the groove is machined, readings will reveal just how much material needs to be removed to make the part perfect.
The BX gages have direct application to BX grooves as well as R and RX grooves. The difference between the BX and R-RX grooves is the way that the specification dimensions the groove. BX grooves control the major diameter where R and RX grooves are controlled by the centerline dimension of the groove. The BX-1000 gage measures the outside diameter of the groove and the BXG-1000 measures the width of the groove. By correlating these two inspections with tabled data, the quality of all API Spec 6A flange grooves can be manufactured to meet specification the first time.
For more information, contact us at sales@gagemaker.com.
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