Skip to main content

HFT welcomes new range of tube and pipe purging systems

Published by , Assistant Editor
World Pipelines,


In order to prevent corrosion, oxidation, discolouration and to ensure a good internal weld profile with no metallurgical defects, it is important to purge the welding zone with an inert gas when welding stainless, duplex, chrome steel and titanium tubes and pipes.

With 40 years of design and manufacturing expertise in the field of tube and pipe weld purging, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT) has introduced its PurgElite® range of low cost tube and pipe purging systems, designed to achieve a clean, oxide free and zero colour weld.

Georgia Gascoyne, CEO of HFT, said: “We recently had a customer who was wasting a lot of money in time and argon gas costs by filling entire pipework fabrications with argon in order to weld the stainless steel pipes in an inert environment. There were several 90º bends in the pipework, so the customer thought filling the whole pipework system was the only option.

To save welders the expense of completely filling tubes and pipes with an inert gas, PurgElite systems are available, manufactured to suit pipe diameters from 1 in. to 24 in. (25 to 600 mm). PurgElite is manufactured with a special spinal tube that is resistant to hot metal up to 300ºC (572ºF) and is super flexible to allow movement around bends. These spinal tubes are made of low outgasing rate materials, so there is no risk of weld contamination.”

By using PurgElite tube and pipe purging systems, companies can save significant amounts of money due to both time and inert gas reductions.


PurgElite features

Each PurgElite features IntaCal®, a purge gas feed device, which ensures that there no complicated valve requires setting. A centrepiece glow positioning indicator, RootGlo®, comes as standard, in order to ensure that the system can be positioned accurately inside the tube or pipe. There is no metal braiding on the PurgElite, which could be welded to the root of a joint.

As a HFT’s unique one-way valve that is suitable for all types of inflatable pipe weld purging systems, the PurgeGate® valve is also available as an accessory. This regulates the gas flow and pressure during weld purging to prevent the dams from over inflating.

In order to prevent parts from accidentally separating inside pipes, quick connect/disconnect fittings with collets and ‘O’ ring seals for gas tight sealing ad anti-release circlip are fitted to all systems.

Heat resistant covers are also available as accessories. These are designed to protect inflatable dams. They are held on with ties and have a temperature rating of up to 300ºC.


Adapted from press release by Anna Nicklin

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/equipment-and-safety/03082016/hft-welcomes-new-range-of-tube-and-pipe-purging-systems/

You might also like

 
 

Embed article link: (copy the HTML code below):