A
flange is an external or internal
ridge, or
rim (lip), for
strength, as the flange of an
iron beam such as an
I-beam or a
T-beam; or for attachment to another object, as the flange on the end of a pipe, steam cylinder, etc., or on the
lens mount of a
camera; or for a flange of a
rail car or
tram wheel. Thus flanged wheels are wheels with a flange on one side to keep the wheels from running off the
rails. The term "flange" is also used for a kind of tool used to form flanges.
Pipes with flanges can be assembled and disassembled easily.