Why the loose flange is ideal for food and medicinal production

In many process plants, pipe connections are crucial to ensuring that production runs smoothly, hygienic and without unnecessary stoppages. The aseptic loose flange plays a key role here because it combines flexible installation with high tightness and an easy-to-clean design – especially in the food and pharmaceutical industries, where hygiene and documentation requirements are particularly strict. This time, we take a closer look at the function of the loose flange and the three primary advantages, which we also demonstrate in the video: avoiding torsion, easier installation and high hygiene. 

A loose flange differs from standard flanges in that the flange itself can rotate freely around the weld liner or hose tail. It is not moulded in one piece with the connection. 

This may sound like a technical detail, but in a busy working day it makes a noticeable difference. The fitter can turn the flange until the bolt holes are precisely aligned with the counterpart. This is done without forcing the hose or pipe into position. 

In aseptic plants, loose flanges are often used in conjunction with stainless steel pipes and hoses. The materials must be able to withstand repeated CIP and SIP cycles so that hygiene remains intact throughout the plant's lifetime. 

When you combine a loose flange with a correctly dimensioned gasket or O-ring, you achieve a tight joint without dead zones. This prevents product residues from settling and creating bacterial growth. 

In operation, many manufacturing companies face the same challenges time and time again when pipes and hoses need to be installed or changed: 

• Difficult joints: The connections do not fit together because they cannot be rotated. 
• Extended downtime: Reconstruction and servicing are delayed because components have to be rewelded or replaced. 
• Cleaning problems: Transitions that are difficult to clean increase the risk of product contamination. 

These problems quickly become a costly affair, especially in food and pharmaceutical production. Production stoppages, extra cleaning and documentation requirements drain resources. Here, the aseptic loose flange is a relatively simple component that creates great value in everyday work. 

The first primary advantage of the loose flange is that it helps to avoid torsion in hoses and pipes. When the flange rotates freely, the fitter does not need to twist the hose into place to match the bolt holes. This protects the material from unnecessary mechanical stress. The hose avoids being weakened at the connections, which otherwise happens gradually with fixed flanges. 

In practice, this means a longer service life for the hoses. They are not subjected to twisting and tension during installation, retightening or conversion. For your maintenance department, this means fewer emergency replacements and lower overall costs. 

The second primary advantage is that the loose flange makes the assembly significantly easier to install. Because the flange can be rotated until the holes are aligned, fitters can work more freely and adapt the flange to existing piping, valves and machinery. This means that your employees do not have to spend time making extra elbows or loosening other joints to create space.  

The third advantage concerns product safety. Here, the aseptic loose flange directly contributes to high hygiene and a lower risk of contamination. 

Do you handle food, beverages or pharmaceutical products? Then you know that all joints must be easy to clean. They must not create pockets where product residues can hide. 

The loose flange is part of a complete aseptic solution. With proper gasket, even clamping and smooth contact surfaces, it supports effective CIP and SIP processes. This ensures stable cleaning results and reduces the risk of bacterial growth that can lead to quality problems or recalls. 

The aseptic loose flange is typically used in its application in process steps where either the product itself is handled directly or media closely related to the product, such as CIP liquids. This can include: 

• Filling lines in dairy and beverage production. 
• Process lines for sauces, liquid foods and ingredient mixtures. 
• Sterile production areas in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries. 

In these environments, it is advantageous that the loose flange can be easily combined with different hose configurations, elbows and dimensions, so that the installation can be adapted to both new and existing plant layouts. At the same time, the combination of no torsion, easy installation and high hygiene makes the loose flange particularly suitable where both operational reliability and ease of cleaning are in focus.

Do you want to get the full benefit of an aseptic loose flange? Then you need to consider it as an integral part of the entire hose and fitting solution. 

This requires focus on three areas: 

• Choose materials and surfaces that match the product, cleaning agents and temperatures. 
• Ensure that gaskets and O-rings are compatible with both media and flange standards. 
• Consider future conversions and service in the design so that loose flanges are placed strategically. 

Once these conditions are in place, the loose flange becomes an asset to the company. It contributes to more robust, flexible and hygienic production. You achieve a longer service life for the hoses, your fitters save time and hygiene is improved. 

Do you have questions about how loose flanges can best be incorporated into your food or pharmaceutical production? 

Our technical specialists will be happy to help you put together the right combination of hoses, loose flanges and fittings. We always take your specific requirements for documentation and operational reliability as our starting point. 

Call us on +45 7020 0422 or send an email to inquiry@alfotech.eu – and we will take a look at your specific needs.