Weld Neck Flange Forgings
Forged weld neck flange blanks to BS 1560 dimensional and pressure class requirements, machined to the specified bolt circle, bolt hole pattern, and facing type for direct pipe butt-weld connection.
BS 1560
British Standard Steel Pipe Flange Dimensional Spec
Dimensions, Bolting & Pressure Class
What BS 1560 Actually Governs
Distinct From BS 970 Material Grades
Flange Shape vs. Steel Composition
UK & Commonwealth Piping Standard
Analogous Role to ASME B16.5 in US Convention
BS 1560 Governs the Flange Shape and Rating; BS 970 Governs the Steel It's Made From — Two Different Questions
It's a genuinely common point of confusion for customers newer to British Standard specification conventions: BS 1560 and BS 970 are both British Standards frequently referenced on the same UK or Commonwealth engineering drawing, but they answer two completely different questions about a flange component, and understanding this distinction is directly useful to specifying and procuring flanges correctly. BS 970 answers the question 'what steel is this component made from' — it's the specification governing wrought steel material grades for mechanical and allied engineering purposes, defining chemistry, mechanical property, and condition requirements for grades like 070M20, 080M40, and 817M40 using the standard's distinctive six-character designation code. BS 1560, by contrast, answers the question 'what shape, size, and pressure rating is this flange' — it's the specification governing steel pipe flange, fitting, and union dimensions, bolt circle and bolt hole patterns, facing types, and pressure-temperature ratings across the flange class range, broadly analogous in scope to the role ASME B16.5 plays for flanges specified to American conventions. A complete flange specification on a UK or Commonwealth engineering drawing typically references both standards together, precisely because they cover genuinely non-overlapping information: BS 1560 tells the forging shop the flange's dimensional envelope, bolt pattern, and pressure class, while BS 970 (or occasionally an equivalent EN material standard) tells the shop what steel grade to forge that flange shape from, and a forging supplier genuinely fluent in British Standard specification needs command of both halves of this specification pairing to manufacture correctly to a British-standard flange drawing.
Forged BS 1560 Flange Products
Slip-On and Socket Weld Flange Forgings
Forged slip-on and socket weld flange blanks to BS 1560 dimensional specification, sized and rated for the pressure class the piping system design specifies.
Blind Flange Forgings
Forged blind flange blanks to BS 1560 dimensional and pressure rating requirements, for pipeline termination, isolation, and pressure testing applications.
Threaded and Reducing Flange Forgings
Forged threaded and reducing flange components to BS 1560 dimensional specification, supporting the range of connection and size transition requirements British Standard piping system designs specify.
Compliance and Quality for BS 1560 Flange Forging Supply
BS 1560 Dimensional and Pressure Class Compliance
Precision manufacturing to BS 1560's specified dimensional envelope, bolt circle and bolt hole pattern, facing type, and pressure-temperature rating class, verified through dimensional inspection before despatch.
BS 970 (or Equivalent) Material Grade Sourcing
Steel material grade sourcing and certification matched to the BS 970 or equivalent material grade the customer's flange drawing specifies alongside its BS 1560 dimensional callout, since a complete British Standard flange specification requires both halves of this pairing.
Full Material and Dimensional Certification
Material test certificates and dimensional inspection reports issued to support UK and Commonwealth engineering procurement and quality assurance documentation requirements.
En Series and Historic Designation Fluency
Familiarity with the historic 'En' series steel designations still in common use across UK engineering purchasing departments, supporting accurate interpretation of legacy British Standard flange and material specification drawings.
BS 1560 Governs the Flange Shape and Rating; BS 970 Governs the Steel It's Made From — Two Different Questions
British Standard engineering specifications frequently reference multiple standards together on a single drawing, and BS 1560 and BS 970 are among the most commonly paired examples a forging supplier encounters on UK and Commonwealth flange procurement. It's worth being precise about what each standard actually governs, because they address genuinely different, complementary aspects of a flange specification rather than overlapping or competing coverage of the same information.
BS 1560 is the dimensional and pressure-rating standard: it specifies flange outside diameter, bolt circle diameter, bolt hole pattern and count, facing type (raised face, flat face, ring joint, and others), and the pressure-temperature rating class the flange must be manufactured and tested to. This is analogous in scope and purpose to the role ASME B16.5 plays for flanges specified to American piping convention, and it answers the question of what shape and rating a flange needs to be to correctly mate with the rest of a British Standard piping system.
BS 970, by contrast, has nothing to do with flange shape or dimensions at all — it's a wrought steel material grade specification, defining chemistry, mechanical property, and condition requirements for grades like 070M20, 080M40, and 817M40 through the standard's distinctive six-character designation code. A BS 1560 flange dimensional callout paired with a BS 970 material grade callout together define a complete, manufacturable flange specification: the shape and rating from BS 1560, the steel composition and mechanical properties from BS 970, precisely the pairing that a British Standard-fluent forging supplier needs command of both halves of.
For UK, Commonwealth, and legacy North Sea oil and gas piping equipment manufacturers sourcing forged flanges to BS 1560 dimensional specification in BS 970 or equivalent material grades, Shivam Forge manufactures with fluency in both halves of this specification pairing. Contact our engineering team at +91-9265772827 or sales@shivamforge.com with your drawing and specification for a manufacturability review and quotation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between BS 1560 and BS 970?
BS 1560 governs steel pipe flange dimensions, bolt patterns, facing types, and pressure-temperature ratings — the flange's shape and rating. BS 970 governs steel material grade chemistry, mechanical properties, and condition — what steel the flange is actually made from. They are complementary, non-overlapping specifications frequently referenced together on the same UK engineering drawing.
Why would a drawing reference both BS 1560 and BS 970?
Because a complete flange specification needs to define both its physical form and its material composition. BS 1560 tells the forging shop the flange's dimensional envelope, bolt pattern, and pressure class; BS 970 (or an equivalent EN material standard) tells the shop what steel grade to forge that shape from. Neither standard alone provides enough information to manufacture a compliant flange.
Is BS 1560 similar to ASME B16.5?
In scope and purpose, yes — both standards govern flange dimensions, bolt patterns, and pressure-temperature ratings, ASME B16.5 for American convention piping systems and BS 1560 for British Standard convention piping systems. The specific dimensional values, class designations, and detail requirements differ between the two, so drawings should specify which standard governs explicitly.
What flange types does BS 1560 cover?
Weld neck, slip-on, socket weld, blind, threaded, and reducing flanges across the standard's specified pressure class range, covering the common flange connection types British Standard piping system designs specify.
Can you supply BS 1560 flanges in specific BS 970 material grades?
Yes. We manufacture BS 1560-dimensioned flange forgings in the BS 970 material grade — such as 070M20, 080M40, or 817M40 — or equivalent EN material grade your specification calls for, providing both the dimensional and material compliance a complete British Standard flange specification requires.
Why Choose Shivam Forge
Trusted forging manufacturer — Rajkot, Gujarat
Shivam Forge delivers precision hot-forged components from our integrated Shapar, Rajkot facility — covering forging, CNC machining, heat treatment, and quality inspection under one roof.
- Hot forging from quality alloy steel billets (42CrMo4, C45, EN8, SS316L)
- In-house CNC/VMC machining to drawing — ±0.05mm tolerances
- Heat treatment — normalizing, hardening, tempering, annealing
- CMM inspection and full EN 10204 3.1 material certification
- Custom OEM forging from customer drawings — PPAP/ISIR available
- Fast export from Mundra Port — CIF worldwide, FOB India
- Export expertise — Europe, Middle East, Americas, Asia-Pacific