A contractor called with a 24 inch pipe assembly that did not come out plumb. Cutting and rewelding the pipe was not an option, so the fix was a tapered spacer: a flange that is 1 inch thick on one side and 3/8 inch thick on the other, bolted between the two existing flanges with a gasket on each face. Across the 32 inch diameter that works out to about 1.1 degrees, enough to bring the assembly back where it belongs.
The part is A36 steel, 32 inches outside diameter, 24 inches inside, with 20 bolt holes. The blank was laser cut from 1 inch plate, and the bolt holes were elongated so the bolts pass through cleanly once the two faces sit at an angle to each other.
A part this size will not fit on most lathes in the area, and the angled face cannot be cut with the part chucked square. We welded angle iron to the outside of the flange so that when the feet were bolted flat to the faceplate, the face of the flange sat at the taper angle. Then it was a straight facing cut.
The job landed on a Thursday and the finished flange shipped the following week. Large diameter turning, odd workholding, and one off repair parts are a big part of what we do. Send us the drawing or just a description of the problem.
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