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Buttwelding stainless steel and higher alloys
is both an art and a science.
Today, many of our most experienced welders
are retiring and their years of experience and
expertise are leaving our industry. A shortage
of qualified and experienced welders is the
reality in our marketplace.
Automatic welding machines help to alleviate
some of this problem.
Using pipe couplings also helps to ease this
crisis. Bestweld pipe couplings are the most
economical and cost effective choice.
“Slip over” pipe couplings, also
called “welding sleeves” or “aligning
connectors”, eliminate butt-welding and
facilitate fillet welding. This “fillet”
weld is the same weld that is typically used
to join “socket welding” fittings,
flanges and couplings and “slip-on”
flanges.
A good “fillet” weld can be made
four to seven times faster than a good butt
weld. Nearly all pre-weld fit-up is eliminated.
Wall mismatch and mis-alignment problems typical
to buttwelding joints is totally eliminated
with “slip over” pipe couplings.
This weld requires less expertise to “fit”
and less experience to weld - new welders can
be trained more quickly.
Heavy (thick) cast or forged socket-weld pipe
couplings are rigid. Bestweld pipe couplings
are made from pipe or tube in a wall thickness
that nearly matches the pipe to which they are
joined. Testing has shown that Bestweld
pipe couplings are superior in fatigue. Less
stress on the joint yields improved pipe system
life cycle.
Pipe “Repair couplings” are a longer
version of the standard coupling and are used
in retrofit to bridge the gap created when removing
damaged pipe or to connect piping fabrication
that has been repaired/modified.
Closure repair couplings offer versatility
in installation. Two different end configurations
(buttweld/std. IPS x slip over) and extra length
make these the preferred choice by many ship
repairers. One end slips over the adjoining
pipe and the other can be buttwelded or flanged
or it can slip into a belled end fitting.
Adapter Couplings are used to transition from
threaded to belled end (fillet weld) and are
available in several different configurations;
Belled end x MPT, Belled end x FPT and Belled
end x buttweld.
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