ASME B16.47 Series A Class 150 Blind Flange — Dimensions, Bolting & Weights

A solid forged disc with ASME B16.47 Series A drilling and facing and no bore — the removable closure for pipeline ends, pig launcher spares, large valve and pump nozzles, vessel and tank manways, hydrotest and isolation. Series A, formerly MSS SP-44, is the heavier of the two B16.47 bolting patterns. Because the disc carries full pressure on its unsupported centre, B16.47 makes most blinds thicker than the matching weld neck flange.

They are tabulated in ASME B16.47-2020 and reproduced in full in the chart above: for each size, the flange OD, thickness, raised face diameter, bolt circle and bolting — all in millimetres — plus the approximate weight. A 36 in Series A Class 150 blind, for example, is 1170 mm OD and 90.5 mm thick on a 1085.8 mm bolt circle with 32 studs of 1 1/2 in, at about 760 kg.

B16.47 adopts the ASME B16.5 Table 2 ratings, so Class 150 rates 19.6 bar (roughly 285 psig) at 38 °C for Group 1.1 materials such as A105, derating with temperature — the full bar table for carbon and stainless groups is on this page. The solid centre is rated for full class pressure; confirm the rating at your design temperature, including hydrotest.

Not always — and this is where B16.47 differs from B16.5. The large-diameter standard tabulates blind flange thickness separately, and in most Series A sizes the blind is thicker than the weld neck of the same class and size, because a flat disc carries pressure less efficiently than a hubbed ring. Use the B column of this chart, not the weld neck table, when specifying a blind.

Match the mating equipment. Series A (ex MSS SP-44) is the heavier pattern and the usual choice for pipelines, large valves, pumps and vessel nozzles; Series B (ex API 605) is the compact pattern, seen on tanks and some process plants. When in doubt, compare the bolt count and bolt circle of the mating flange against the chart.

No — at every size from 26 to 60 in, the two series differ in OD, bolt circle, bolt count and bolt size, so a Series A blind never bolts to a Series B joint. The series must be stated on every enquiry and drawing — "36 in Class 150 B16.47" alone is not a complete description.

MSS SP-44 was the Manufacturers Standardization Society's steel pipeline flange standard, and when ASME consolidated large diameter flanges into B16.47 it became Series A, dimension for dimension. Drawings and valve catalogues still call up MSS SP-44 regularly, and a blind made to our chart mates with it exactly.

Yes — tapped blinds with an NPT or socket-weld connection are common for vents, drains, gauges and chemical injection; specify the connection size and type with the order. The tapping reduces the rating only if it exceeds the reinforcement limits of B16.47 and B31.3, which a single small-bore tap in a disc this thick rarely does.

Match series, class, size and facing to the mating flange, fit a new gasket of the same type, and tighten the studs in a cross pattern in at least three steps. These blinds weigh hundreds of kilograms to tonnes — specify lifting lugs for handling and jack-screw holes for break-out, and fit a tapped vent so the line depressurises safely before the joint is opened.

They are the standard large-bore hydrotest closure — bolted on, tested against, removed. Confirm the class rating covers the test pressure (typically 1.5 times design), use fresh gaskets, and fit a tapped vent and drain for controlled filling and depressurising. We supply test blinds tapped to order.

Yes — for Class 150 the tabulated thickness B includes the 2 mm raised face. Our charts follow the ASME B16.47 convention on every page and say so under each table.

From the weight column in our chart: a 26 in weighs about 318 kg, a 36 in about 760 kg and a 60 in about 2791 kg — large blinds are rigging jobs, not hand lifts. Weights are approximate, carbon steel, solid and untapped.

Carbon steel ASTM A105/A105N, with A266 Cl.2/Cl.4 for large disc forgings and A694 F42-F65 matched to pipeline systems; A350 LF2 for low temperature. Stainless A182 F304/L, F316/L, F321 and F347, alloy F5-F91, duplex F51 and super duplex F53/F55 — plus Monel, Inconel, Hastelloy and copper-nickel on request. EN equivalents such as P250GH, 1.4301 and 1.4404 are available — all with EN 10204 3.1 certificates, 3.2 on request.

A 2 mm raised face as standard, serrated to 125-250 microinch Ra (3.2-6.3 micrometre); flat face and RTJ are available on request. The facing must match the mating flange — state it with the enquiry.

Spiral wound gaskets to ASME B16.20 with inner ring at these diameters, or non-metallic gaskets to B16.21, with stud bolts and heavy hex nuts — A193 B7 / A194 2H for carbon steel, B8M Class 2 for stainless flanges. Counts, hole sizes and stud sizes per flange size are in the chart; each hole is drilled 3.2 mm larger than its stud.

Forged from certified bars, billets or disc forgings, normalised, quenched-and-tempered or solution annealed per the material specification. Dimensional inspection follows ASME B16.47 tolerances, face finish per MSS SP-6 and marking per B16.47 and MSS SP-25 including "B16.47 SER. A"; UT of disc forgings per ASTM A388 is available on request. Every batch ships with EN 10204 3.1 certificates; MPI/DPT, PMI, NACE MR0175, IBR and PED compliance and 3.2 endorsement on request.

ANSI B16.47 Series A 150 lb blind flange, MSS SP-44 Class 150 blind, large diameter 150# blank flange and 26-60 in BLRF all describe the same product, at roughly PN 20 in metric terms. ANSI and ASME B16.47 are the same standard — custodianship moved to ASME but the old names persist on drawings.

Yes, at the sizes B16.1 shares: 30, 36, 42, 48, 54 and 60 in carry the same bolt circle and count as cast-iron Class 125. Use a flat face with a full-face gasket against cast iron — a raised face can crack the brittle flange — and flat-face blinds are available on request. Our B16.1 Class 125 pages cover the subject in full.