TPi January 2017

products & developments Purging large diameter pipes for welding

Waiting for pipes to be purged ready for welding can take hours, depending on the diameter of the pipe being welded and the method chosen for purging. Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) designs and manufactures a range of QuickPurge ® inflatable pipe purging systems that reduce waiting times. The company was recently tasked with a special project in the USA, where pipes with 90° elbows up to 54" Ø were required to be purged. Georgia Gascoyne, CEO at HFT, said, “We manufactured QuickPurge systems with longer sleeves so that they could easily be pulled around the sharp bends in the pipework. The welders were previously spending half a day purging the pipe, which was costing a considerable amount in time and gas costs. With the help of QuickPurge the pipe was purged down to 100 ppm ready for welding in just 55 minutes. The dramatic savings in time and argon paid for the system in just one weld.” QuickPurge has an additional gas input line, which means extra purge gas can be introduced for applications such as this, achieving a faster purge down to the lowest oxygen levels, which is suitable for larger diameter pipes where quality welds are required. The design of the QuickPurge system means that zero-colour welds can be achieved, and there will be no loss of corrosion resistance caused by oxidation.

HFT’s QuickPurge systems

Using IntaCal ® combined with the integrated PurgeGate ® device makes it possible to safely inflate the dams with argon gas, for purging the space between the dams where the weld joint is located. With PurgeGate, burst dams are prevented in the event of undue pressure increase or accidental flow increase of the purging gas. All systems are manufactured as standard with a hose for connecting a Weld Purge Monitor ® , which can read oxygen levels down to as low as 10 ppm, depending on the model.

Materials used in the manufacture of QuickPurge are resistant to the higher weld temperatures present, and they do not outgas, preventing weld contamination. For pre-heated chrome steel and high strength stainless steel pipe joints, HFT designs and manufactures the HotPurge™ range for a higher and longer temperature exposure. Huntingdon Fusion Techniques – UK

hft@huntingdonfusion.com www.huntingdonfusion.com

Technical manual for water network design and use Molecor has published the Technical Manual Of Network Design And Use for TOM ® PVC Oriented Pipes. the design of water pressure networks. The new technology allows manu- facturing of pipes with nominal diameter of 500, 630 and 800mm up to 25 bars pressure.

resistance, complete water tightness, head loss and easy installation. The pipes are manufactured in a wide range of nominal pressures (12.5, 16, 20 and 25 bars), and diameters from 90 to 800mm. The technical manual can be downloaded via the company’s website. Molecor Tecnologia SL – Spain

The manual collects exclusive technology applied to its production, and the properties of the pipes; range, features, benefits, applications, fitness for use and sustainability; and offers a wide range of practical cases in mechanical and hydraulic calculations, in order to help users in

Molecor claims that TOM PVC-O Pipe is the best solution for the conveyance of water under pressure due to advantages such as resistance to impact, high hydraulic capacity, better performance to water hammer, high chemical

info@molecor.com www.molecor.com

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January 2017 TUBE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL