Composite Backing Ring Flange for Lower Weight and High Strength
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing backing ring flanges made of metal are heavy and difficult to handle due to their complex shape and high material usage, which affects mechanical resistance and handling efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A backing ring flange with a structural core body made of metal and a polymer coating, optimized for mass distribution and reduced material usage, ensuring high mechanical resistance and ease of handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If a metal core body is used to ensure mechanical resistance, then strength is improved, but weight increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flange uses a composite structure with a metal core body (first material) providing mechanical strength and a polymer coating layer (second material) providing protection and weight reduction. This composite approach allows the flange to maintain high mechanical resistance while significantly reducing overall weight compared to solid metal flanges.
2Ease of operation
If material quantity is reduced to improve handling, then ease of operation is improved, but mechanical resistance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The core body employs varying wall thicknesses in different radial zones, with thicker sections at critical stress points and thinner sections where less structural support is needed. This localized quality optimization ensures adequate mechanical resistance is maintained while minimizing overall material usage and weight for improved handling.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a complex shape is used to meet construction requirements, then adaptability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flange is segmented into distinct functional zones: a radially internal portion with specific thickness for structural integrity, a radially external portion for connection functions, and a polymer coating layer for protection. This segmentation allows each zone to be optimized independently for its specific function while simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A backing ring flange (1) for joining together two flanged conduit ends, having an annular shape defining a central flange axis (C-C), an axial direction (A) along said central flange axis, a radial direction (R) orthogonal to said central axis (C-C), a central flange opening (20) coaxial to said central axis (C-C), said backing ring flange (1) comprising an annular core body (50) arranged about said central flange axis (C-C) made of a first material, and a coating layer (70) made of a second material different from the first material, which entirely covers said core body (50); wherein said core body (50) comprises: a radially internal annular core body portion (51) extending radially from a first preset radius value (R1) to a second preset radius value (R2), and a radially external annular core body portion (52) adjoining said radially internal flange portion (51), extending from said second preset radius value (R2) to a third preset end radius value (R3), said radially internal annular core body portion (51) being connected with continuity to the radially external annular core body portion (52) and having a preset axial radially internal annular core body portion thickness value (S1), said radially internal annular core body portion (51) defining a median plane (M) orthogonal to said central axis (C-C) and arranged half way through said radially internal annular core body portion axial thickness (S1), a plurality of tightening holes (21) angularly distributed about said central axis (C-C) and passing through according to parallel directions to the central axis (C-C) in said radially external annular core body portion (52), each tightening hole (21) of said plurality being arranged in a respective radial protrusion (53) of said radially internal annular core body portion (51) penetrating radially into said radially external core body portion (52); wherein: said radially external core body portion (52) has a decreasing axial thickness value (S2) according to the radial direction of said preset axial core body connection thickness value (S1), up to an axial end thickness value (S3) lower than said preset core body connection thickness value (S1); said radially external core body portion (52) and (51) is symmetrical with respect to said median plane (M).