TPi May 2015

products & developments

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/

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. 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. SMC’s engineers

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.

PCES Ltd – UK sales@pces.uk.com www.pces.uk.com

Welding grasshopper attached to a pipe Products for the chemical industry

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.

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

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 valves@valmatic.com www.valmatic.com

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 contact@protem.fr www.protem.fr

Coating removal with a TTNG machine

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Tube Products International May 2015

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