Pipe fittings are available in various types with the most common being threaded fittings, socket weld fittings and buttweld fittings. In this blog, we will explore the advantages of buttweld fittings and their applications.
Pipe fittings are essential parts of pipelines as they allow for the following:
- To alter direction for the fluids flowing through the pipes
- Dividing of the pipe to allow the fluids to flow in separate directions
- To reduce the diameter of pipes
- To join auxiliary equipment
- At the end of the pipeline
These valuable fittings are available in many different shapes, dependent on the intended purpose:
- ‘Elbows’ are used to alter the pathway of a pipeline
- ‘Reducers’ are needed to reduce or increase the size of the pipe bore size
- ‘Tees’ or ‘Crosses’ are used to split the flow in the pipe multiple ways
- ‘Caps’ are used if the pipeline needs to be closed off
Applications:
Buttweld fittings may be used in a wide range of industries to change, separate or stop the flow of fluids. These include waste treatment plants, oil processing, breweries, chemical and petrochemical industries, cryogenic plants, paper and pulp production, gas processing and even nuclear power plants. The broad variety of implementations shows the robustness of the buttweld fitting and how often this specific type of fitting is used.
Advantages:
Buttweld fittings can tolerate high pressures and elevated temperatures in harsh conditions. They are widely considered to be the most durable welding fixture, no matter what industry they are used in. They do, however, take a substantial amount of time to fit and a highly trained installer is required to weld them properly on site.
- Welded connection offers more robust, stronger and more leak-proof piping connections.
- The nature of the continuous metal structure provides added strength to the overall piping system.
- The smooth inner surface and gradual directional changes provide a seamless flow, thus minimizing pressure drops and turbulence inside the pipe.
- Buttweld Fittings are available in various radiuses and types like Short Radius fittings, Long Radius fittings and 3R Elbows and hence offer the option of different turn radiuses.
- Buttweld fittings are cost-effective relative to the counterpart fittings of threaded or socket welded types.
- They have a long service life and are cost-effective for installation and deployment.
- Buttweld fittings can tolerate corrosion and erosion more efficiently than their socket weld and threaded counterparts.
- The welded device requires considerably less space than other options.
