The sealing technology company IDT inspected more than 30 industrial plants across Germany last year as part of maintenance shutdowns and turnarounds (TAR). A total of 10,000 pipeline connections were examined, with only eight percent showing deficiencies. Statistically, this means that only one in twelve inspected connections was found to be faulty.
“In large-scale shutdown projects, flange management, qualification, and inspection processes are integrated into project planning at an early stage. This structured preparation has a measurable impact on quality during restart,” said Michael Balcerek, Head of Flange Management at IDT.
A differentiated look at the quality assurance (QA) projects supported and documented in 2025 reveals significant differences depending on project size. In extensive projects within the chemical, petrochemical, and general process industries, the share of defective flange connections was just 2.5 percent. By contrast, smaller and medium-sized projects with a maximum of 500 inspected connections showed defect rates of up to 20 percent.
“The sometimes high deviation rates underline the added value of systematic flange management during plant shutdowns,” Balcerek emphasized. According to him, the decisive factor is less the industry itself than the organizational framework. While large projects usually incorporate structured inspection and management concepts, smaller shutdowns often lack the time, budget, or necessary awareness of the technical and economic risks posed by improperly installed flange connections.
Leakages Often Caused by Installation Errors
Insufficiently maintained or improperly installed flange connections can lead to leaks in industrial plants — with potential risks for people and the environment. In addition to safety hazards, unplanned shutdowns or even complete plant failures may occur, resulting in significant costs. Most of such leaks are attributable to installation errors.
Experience from maintenance and turnaround projects, as well as evaluations by the American Petroleum Institute, the European Industrial Gases Association, and the European Sealing Association, consistently confirm that between 70 and 85 percent of all flange connection leaks are caused by installation errors.
“The causes range from uneven tightening and incorrect torque levels to eccentric installation, insufficient lubrication, incorrect gasket selection, or even missing bolts,” Balcerek explained.
Overall, however, there has been a positive trend in the tightness of pipeline connections in industry. Compared to IDT’s 2023 data, the defect rate has been significantly reduced. Although a slight increase was recorded again in 2025, the overall level remains stable and still clearly below that of 2023.
IDT is contributing to this development with its “flange.Pilot.” This integrated competence test module enables fitters to train all work steps required for proper and error-free installation on realistic flange assemblies under plant-specific operating conditions.
