Intro: 

These socket weld flanges are available in all of our stainless steel and chrome-moly grades, from ½” to 4”. We can also source many of your other grade requirements.

The socket weld flange is similar to a slip-on flange, except that it has a bore and a counter bore. These act as a socket, holding the pipe in place before welding, hence the name. The counter bore is slightly larger than the OD of the matching pipe, allowing the pipe to be inserted into the flange, while the diameter of the smaller bore is the same as the ID of the matching pipe. This difference in bore size acts only as a restriction to the depth insertion of the pipe, and therefore eliminates any restriction in flow.

Socket Weld Flanges are similar to slip-on flanges, however, socket welds have an internal recess on the inside diameter to allow for a smoother flow of the process fluid. The positive of this is that is creates a smooth bore with the proper welding and grinding. The negative of this type of flange is that it can be more expensive than a slip-on due to more intricate machining, and they can be less readily available than slip-ons due to the fact that the bottom half of the inside diameter must be made to the same schedule as the pipe that is being used. These socket weld flanges were initially developed for use on smaller sizes of pipe at higher pressure ratings. They are more used on lower pressure temperature as well today. We offers these flanges in stainless and alloy material. For carbon steel, visit our sister company at www.forgeflange.com.