TPi May 2015

36 / 64

34 Tube Products International May 2015
products & developments
Cold cutting and bevelling
Protem’s TTNG cold cutting and
bevelling machines and US ID clamping
bevelling machines can be equipped
with optional tooling to enable the
machining of plastic coating of pipelines
up to 130mm wall thickness.
All maintenance work (cutting and
bevelling) can be performed on existing
pipe lines or at the end of pipes,
machining of the coating on various
lengths to give space for the welding
equipment.
Heating the coating at high temperature
and removing it manually with a blade,
or using machines with a water jet
cutting system (which can damage the
pipes), is no longer necessary.
Protem SAS –
France
Quick-fitting grasshopper
A welding grasshopper is a tool that
attaches to a pipe to provide a ground
for welding. The Speedfit Grasshopper
is a fast and dependable method of
securing a welding ground to the pipe
to prevent arc burn and weld rejection/
failure, without the need for hazardous
bungees.
A grounding clamp grips a specially
designed grounding bolt to prevent
arcing, while nylon-insulated magnets
further prevent the risk and limit the
stretching or slacking that may occur
with other grounding device attachment
methods.
The Speedfit Grasshopper provides
simplicity, usability and durability.
Standard clamping and hardware-driven
grasshoppers are suitable for horizontal
pipe, but may suffer in clamping onto
pipe that is in a vertical position. The
Speedfit device is designed to quickly
and securely attach to pipe, vertically or
horizontally.
The precision cast aluminium and steel
design provides rugged strength while
being as light as possible to prevent
fatigue. The portable Grasshopper
welding ground weighs less than 2lb
and is only 10" long.
SMC’s engineers ergonomically
designed the Grasshopper welding
tool to allow quick, simple placement
and removal from the pipe. The main
pin of the welder tool makes “brother-
in-law” welding on large diameter
pipe possible, by allowing multiple
welders to use the same grounding
device.
PCES Ltd – UK
Welding grasshopper
attached to a pipe
Products for the chemical industry
Val-Matic’s QuadroSphere® ball valve,
air valves and check valves are key
components for the chemical industry.
The QuadroSphere trunnion ball valve
has benefits that include four recessed
surfaces of the ball, which provide self-
flushing to prevent clogging – a common
problem in chemical production.
The company also produces eight
different air valves that perform
important functions, including system
design efficiency and system protection.
System efficiency is maintained by
venting air from the system via the
air valves, preventing restricted flow
and increased pumping costs. The air
valves also provide system protection
by exhausting and admitting air through
the air valves during system operations.
Val-Matic’s check valves – Swing-Flex®
and Silent Check – provide advantages
including cost efficiency and reliability.
The Swing Flex check valve’s smooth,
unrestricted full-flow design is suitable
for slurries and sludge, including vertical
flow up applications.
Silent Check, as its name suggests,
provides quiet operation.
Val-Matic Valve & Manufacturing
Corp – USA
Coating removal with
a TTNG machine