SAE Flange Safety Factor
SAE Flange Safety Factor is the value of the actual strength of a system than the recommended strength for workload specified by the manufacturer. SAE Flanges are popular tools used as connecting devices for pipes, hoses, tubes, and other systems. They are also widely used due to their ability to withstand high pressure, temperature, and work well with large systems. SAE Flange Safety is important during machine build-up due to its numerous advantages it gives the user and machine. In other words, the safety factor can be termed as the backbone of the tool which determines the safety and longevity of the flange.
1. What is the SAE Flange Safety Factor ?
SAE Flanges are also referred to as Code 61 and Code 62 flanges and made following the ISO 6162/SAE J518 specifications. They serve as connecting mechanisms of tubes, hoses, pipes, etc to a hydraulic system. They are designed to fit well with high pressure and large machines. While building machines or devices, one of the most important factors to carefully note is the safety factor.
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While defining the safety factor, it can be explained in two ways listed below:
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The capacity of the flange to accommodate more than the recommended workload
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The value of the workload given by a specification or standard followed during the manufacturing of the flange.
To explain point one, SAE Flanges can withstand a higher workload above the actual workload and this comes in handy when there’s a case of emergency or misuse. The whole idea beyond the safety factor here is that at times, circumstances occur and the safety of the machine or worker is being threatened as a result of a mistake. If the mistake erupts as a result of a drastic increase in the workload of the machine, the safety factor keeps the system from crashing. For example, an SAE Flange with a safety factor of 1 can work with any workload value less than one, once it exceeds this, the system crashes.
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The Safety Factor of the SAE flange is typically 4. This implies that a point in the flange would fail if the stress exerted at that point is 4 times the strength of the material. This is most unlikely to happen, making SAE flange a safe flange to use.
The second point explains the role of standards followed during production. All standards have values for each size of the product. For example, an SAE Flange made following the ISO 6162 standards will follow the values placed as a guideline during production to get the flange certified by the body.
2. What are the reasons for a safety factor being placed on an SAE Flange?
Safety factor for an SAE Flange can be used to explain any of these problems listed below:
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Human mistakes during manufacturing or safety factor calculation
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Feasible unidentified flange or system failure
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Exposure to increased workload above the recommended value
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Ductility of material used, etc.
​As the safety factor can explain any of these problems, it does not imply that other accidents can’t be caused by other factors.
Safety factor can be calculated using different methods, however, one meeting point for all calculations is the result it gives which is the amount of additional load the flange can accommodate beyond the recommended value. The safety factor is a great way to perform a comparative analysis of the SAE Flanges’ reliability and strength. The working formula for safety factor is the ratio of working stress over the actual yield stress.
3. What is the difference between the Design Factor and Safety Factor?
Design and safety factor are two common terms often attached, however; they have different meanings. Design factor is the value mostly given by a regulatory body, law, or code. This is often a fixed value published as a guideline to be considered during the manufacturing process, while the safety factor is the calculation of the recommended stress over the real stress. From this explanation, it can be deduced that the design factor is not a calculation but a given value for the SAE Flange.
For example, the design pressure for 1/2’’ series 3000 flange is 345 bars, while the safety pressure is 4 times that number, which is 1,380 bars.
4. What are the advantages of a Safety Factor for an SAE Flange?
The advantages of safety factor are numerous and some are explained below:
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It contributes to the safety of workers: with the safety factor of the flange in place, workers are safe in cases of accident and mishandling of the machine.
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It helps individuals determine the safety range of the SAE Flange: it serves as an instrument to monitor the SAE Flange installed in the system and determine the workload margin that guarantees the maximum safety.
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It lowers the probability of the SAE Flange failure: the safety factor value can lead to longevity and reduced maintenance cost of the flange when properly handled.
However, despite these advantages, it is important to note that an attempt to increase the safety factor of an SAE Flange can lead to an increase in the cost of the product.