The Quickflange is a comprehensively tested and certified product. It’s development has been monitored and mentored by both DNV and Statoil.

Extensive testing of products

The Quickflange solution is constantly developing including new combinations of pipe diameter, schedule, material and pressure ratings. This leads to new products and extension of range. All products are tested to the procedures and criteria set by DNV. They meet the requirements and include third party witnessed testing resulting in a test certificate being issued.

No new product is provided to customer without completing the mandatory test programme proving pressure containment properties and minimal load resistance values.

Compared to welded weld-neck flange

Underlying the DNV testing is the principle that testing should prove that Quickflange is equivalent to the welded weld-neck flange in terms of pressure retention and load resistance. DNV designed the programme to test this comparison and makes conclusions in its reports that confirm the product successfully meets that performance level.

The resistance figures were extrapolated from ASME 31.3 and are equivalent to the maximum stress values allowed in pipe work by this standard – thus ensuring Quickflange is not the weak point in the system. Many other forms of testing have been applied to the solution. This is listed in the ”Abstract information about the Quickflange Coupling”.

Part of Statoil’s piping specification

During the initial test phase I Statoil was responsible for commissioning DNV to manage the original test programme. Statoil therefore set the limitations for service for which they would consider the product. These limitations became part of the wording of the DNV reports. Statoil have since put the Quickflange solution into their TR2000 piping specification.

Proven for thin-wall alloys

The Quickflange solution was in phase II tested on larger diameter pipes and”exotic” materials. Once again controlled by Statoil and DNV. The challenge was to gain the high load resistance figures even on high strength, thin-wall alloys of increased diameter. There were again very positive results from this testing, and DNV chose to use this as the basis for removing the limitation of ”non-critical” service only.

Epoxy for corrosion threat

The issue of crevice corrosion is dealt with through the application of a simple epoxy. Testing has proved this to be a suitable protection against an (unproven) threat of crevice corrosion. The same testing has proved that the Quickflange solution is no-more susceptible to corrosion inside or outside the pipe than would be the case for a weld-neck flange.