The American National Standard Institute, ANSI, has been overseeing guidelines and standards for products manufactured through several sectors. WHAT IS ANSI? ANSI-approved flanges are used for the industrial market which handles gas, air and steam process systems. Originally formed in 1918, the American National Standards Institute is headquartered in Washington, DC, and is widely recognized as the American organization responsible for overseeing the national standards and conformity assessment system for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel. ANSI works domestically with American government agencies and organizations, as well as with international entities, to make ANSI standards useful around the world. Prior to the creation of ANSI, standards for engineering and equipment such as flanges were developed by the American Institute of Electrical Engineers (AIEE or IEEE), the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the American Institute of Mi