Flange spreaders come in various forms. There are significant differences to these forms. Hydraulic flange spreaders are one form or type. There are varieties of hydraulic flanges spreaders too. Some connect to the flanges. Others slide between the flange faces. There are important safety considerations when choosing hydraulic flange spreaders. the first is the type that slides between the pipe flange faes. Then it is hydraulically actuated using either air operated hydraulic pump unit or a hand operated pump unit. The air operated hydraulic flange has numerous drawbacks. It requires an expensive air operated hydraulic pump. This pump is heavy. They must be attached to flange spreaders with hydraulic hoses. Furthermore, they must be connected to a suitable air supply to actuate the hydraulic pump or they must be connected to an electrical source. This means the entire apparatus for these flange spreaders is comprised of several components. The loss of failure of one of these components results in the flange spreader being useless. Air actuated flange spreaders are notoriously heavy and require more set-up time. It is often said, “It takes more time to set-up air operated hydraulic flange spreaders than it takes to use them.” the hand operated hydraulic flange spreader is easier to install. It does not have a bulky or heavy pumping unit. However, it has several major drawbacks too. Mainly, it requires many strokes of the hand actuator to advance the tool. Furthermore, it will require many strokes to retract the spreader too. The time spent actuating these flange spreaders is significant. In addition, these spreaders do not directly attach to any flange or pipe. In other words, they can easily cause an accident.
There is one type of flange spreader which can be attached to the flanges thereby rendering it safe to use. The reason Flange Boss spreaders are safe is that being secured to the flanges it cannot create an accident. Furthermore, it can be use with hydraulics to get the greatest possible mechanical advantage. These flange spreaders are constructed of steel and heat treated to be tough. In addition, the heavy design of the components of Flange Boss spreaders means it is durable and safe. The pinned design assures a large margin of safety. In fact, these are the safest tools for spreading flanges anywhere in the world.
