Trusted Oilfield Services Company

FlangeCheck Pro is a low-cost and less time-consuming alternative for flange run-out checks. This makes it easier to determine if you need a flange refacing without having to source a contractor and heavy, bulky standard flange-facing equipment. This can help save on your operational costs.

Heat Exchangers are fairly large vessels and are subjected to varying temperatures and pressures especially when there are frequent startups and shutdowns and sometimes it is not possible to control the cooldown period. This can result among other things in slight deformation of the flanges and considering that the normally used double jackets gaskets which do not have great cycle life and considering it is just 1/8″ in thickness, some even 1/16″ it does not afford much latitude in case of any slight deformation of the flanges.

Some manufacturers utilize a Hybrid Spiral wound gasket/double jacketed, with the spiral wound gasket being 4.5 mm in thickness to seal the flanges and the double jacketed gasket of 3 mm thickness to seal the tubesheet dividing ribs. However, flange deformation may be absorbed by the spiral wound thickness of 4.5 – 5 mm but can still result in insufficient compression of the double jacketed gasket of 3 mm and result in inter pass leakage.

Other manufacturers employ a Kammprofile gasket which is basically a solid serrated metal of thickness 4 mm with just 0.5mm graphite facing on both sides and does not offer much latitude in case of flange deformation. These also require very high bolt torquing tightness.

Flange deformation is a matter which does not get the attention it deserves and many times after a TAR, gasket leaks develop which based on the severity can result in shutting down to repair and loss of production or to Furmanite at great cost, which could have been avoided if a simple preventative measure of checking the flange face runout is put in place and taking corrective action if it is not to an acceptable standard.

OSSL has the equipment to do these checks and take corrective action if necessary for a variety of sizes and we can assist in this regard, please, feel free to contact us, we will be pleased to receive your inquiry. An animated video is attached to illustrate the method of checking the flange squareness.