A couple of options
27 Mar 2007
Despite many apparent advantages over welding, pipe coupling systems are still confined to a less than 5% share of the overall industrial market -- compared to shares of 25% for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and 95% in the fire protection markets.
Many process operators, it seems, are unswayed by the claimed benefits of grooved couplings, such as ease of installation as well as ease of assembly and disassembly during maintenance and retrofitting.
All this is set to change though, according to Fred Matyiku, newly arrived as Victaulic's manager for the UK and Ireland. He previously spent 30 years at the coupling maker's US operations, where he focused mainly on automotive and industrial markets.
Matyiku sees a "prefect storm of things happening" including global skills shortages, increasing focus on reducing project schedules and growing concerns about the safety and risk issues when welding in flammable and other sensitive plant and process environments.
But there is still much to do to "re-educate" process operators, especially as Matyiku also noted: "Piping is often the last thing people think of, even though it is paramount to the success of the entire process operation."
The reason coupling has not 100%-dominated all the applicable markets comes down to people not embracing change, claims Matyiku. "[Process] is an industry that's slowly accepting change. There have been some breakthroughs recently … as people taking a second look [at coupling] because they weren't forced to in the past due to manpower, compression of schedules, safety."
With the shortage of labour globally, people need piping systems that allow them to shift manpower where needed, he said. "There are going to be times and places where welding is still necessary but the growth in coupling will be in those areas where the welders are not available."
Within the process sector, Matyiku identifies several sectors that are to the fore in adopting coupling technology; power, automotive and steel plants and reverse osmosis among them.
As a recent example, he cites how West Project Power choose coupling over welding technology for its natural gas-fired stations in a project that was completed in 2006. The facilities provide power to a number of remote towns in Western Australia.
The power company chose a roll grooved coupling for carbon steel pipes of sizes ranging from 50mm to 150mm — because of the ease of installation and reduction in labour hours. Other considerations included a clean safe working environment that was flame- and spark-free, as well as ease of maintenance because of the remote locations of the sites.
Newer markets are also emerging -- synthetic fuels, for instance, helped by requirements to use stainless steel piping — while coupling manufacturers are also benefiting from a resurgence in retrofitting of steel mills, said the Victaulic manager.
Chemical and pharmaceuticals markets, meanwhile, "have been very receptive to change in recent years because of the global pressures facing them," Matyiku continued. He also sees major market potential in the UK water and wastewater industries, driven by the increasing requirements on that sector.
When deciding between coupling and welding technologies, the main technical considerations are temperature, pressure, pipe material and size as well as the flow/content passing through the piping system.
Matyiku believes that coupling will start to compete in many high pressure and high temperature applications that have traditionally been better suited to welding.
Mechanical joints, he said, can typically now be used for most piping systems within a range of -34°C to +110°C. "The majority of the piping systems we're looking at fall within our temperature range. That basically makes up the majority of piping in buildings."
The pressure rating of a coupling, he said, can be up to 1,000 psi though in the wastewater industry double groove systems have ratings of 2,500 psi.
New nitrile and fluoroelastomers gasket compounds are opening up opportunities, for instance compressed air with nitrile, where the pressure ratings are well within what we try to do, said Matyiku. Many coolants, he added, need nitrile or fluoroelastomers that weren't available in the past, but are now.
Shell's swell idea
Patented technology from Shell is helping oil companies around the world to combat problems associated with underground water flows, which increase in volume as wells mature.
The company has developed synthetic rubber seals that expand on contact with water. These swellable elastomers are fitted to the entry points of steel pipes in the wellbore through which oil flows to the surface. If water starts to mix with the oil, they swell and seal off the route.
The elastomers are cheaper and simpler than conventional methods of using mechanical seals or cement to isolate reservoir zones. Petroleum Development Oman has used the swellable elastomer seals on 150 wells, where it is considered they have increased production by more than 1.5 million barrels. On average the seals paid for themselves in just one month.
Many process operators, it seems, are unswayed by the claimed benefits of grooved couplings, such as ease of installation as well as ease of assembly and disassembly during maintenance and retrofitting.
All this is set to change though, according to Fred Matyiku, newly arrived as Victaulic's manager for the UK and Ireland. He previously spent 30 years at the coupling maker's US operations, where he focused mainly on automotive and industrial markets.
Matyiku sees a "prefect storm of things happening" including global skills shortages, increasing focus on reducing project schedules and growing concerns about the safety and risk issues when welding in flammable and other sensitive plant and process environments.
But there is still much to do to "re-educate" process operators, especially as Matyiku also noted: "Piping is often the last thing people think of, even though it is paramount to the success of the entire process operation."
The reason coupling has not 100%-dominated all the applicable markets comes down to people not embracing change, claims Matyiku. "[Process] is an industry that's slowly accepting change. There have been some breakthroughs recently … as people taking a second look [at coupling] because they weren't forced to in the past due to manpower, compression of schedules, safety."
With the shortage of labour globally, people need piping systems that allow them to shift manpower where needed, he said. "There are going to be times and places where welding is still necessary but the growth in coupling will be in those areas where the welders are not available."
Within the process sector, Matyiku identifies several sectors that are to the fore in adopting coupling technology; power, automotive and steel plants and reverse osmosis among them.
As a recent example, he cites how West Project Power choose coupling over welding technology for its natural gas-fired stations in a project that was completed in 2006. The facilities provide power to a number of remote towns in Western Australia.
The power company chose a roll grooved coupling for carbon steel pipes of sizes ranging from 50mm to 150mm — because of the ease of installation and reduction in labour hours. Other considerations included a clean safe working environment that was flame- and spark-free, as well as ease of maintenance because of the remote locations of the sites.
Newer markets are also emerging -- synthetic fuels, for instance, helped by requirements to use stainless steel piping — while coupling manufacturers are also benefiting from a resurgence in retrofitting of steel mills, said the Victaulic manager.
Chemical and pharmaceuticals markets, meanwhile, "have been very receptive to change in recent years because of the global pressures facing them," Matyiku continued. He also sees major market potential in the UK water and wastewater industries, driven by the increasing requirements on that sector.
When deciding between coupling and welding technologies, the main technical considerations are temperature, pressure, pipe material and size as well as the flow/content passing through the piping system.
Matyiku believes that coupling will start to compete in many high pressure and high temperature applications that have traditionally been better suited to welding.
Mechanical joints, he said, can typically now be used for most piping systems within a range of -34°C to +110°C. "The majority of the piping systems we're looking at fall within our temperature range. That basically makes up the majority of piping in buildings."
The pressure rating of a coupling, he said, can be up to 1,000 psi though in the wastewater industry double groove systems have ratings of 2,500 psi.
New nitrile and fluoroelastomers gasket compounds are opening up opportunities, for instance compressed air with nitrile, where the pressure ratings are well within what we try to do, said Matyiku. Many coolants, he added, need nitrile or fluoroelastomers that weren't available in the past, but are now.
Shell's swell idea
Patented technology from Shell is helping oil companies around the world to combat problems associated with underground water flows, which increase in volume as wells mature.
The company has developed synthetic rubber seals that expand on contact with water. These swellable elastomers are fitted to the entry points of steel pipes in the wellbore through which oil flows to the surface. If water starts to mix with the oil, they swell and seal off the route.
The elastomers are cheaper and simpler than conventional methods of using mechanical seals or cement to isolate reservoir zones. Petroleum Development Oman has used the swellable elastomer seals on 150 wells, where it is considered they have increased production by more than 1.5 million barrels. On average the seals paid for themselves in just one month.
