Latin America. Victaulic highlights a number of benefits offered by piping systems with grooved ends that use mechanical couplings to hold and provide an airtight seal for the joint. The company explains that this mechanical joining system for pipes is one of the most versatile, economical and reliable that is available today.
Benefits for contractors with this solution include safer installations, a reduction in total installation costs, and simplified installation compared to other joining methods for piping systems.
What is a slotted joint?
This system is composed of five elements; pipe with slotted ends, packaging, coupling segments, nuts and bolts. Couplings can employ one of two basic styles: flexible or rigid. Flexible coupling allows for controlled linear and angular motion, which accommodates the movement of the pipe, due to thermal changes, seismic events, settling, or to form curvatures. In contrast, slotted rigid pipe couplings do not allow movement, simulating a weld.
Grooved pipe joints have great benefits compared to traditional pipes. Here are the top five benefits:
1. Safer workplaces
Couplings for slotted pipes are not only faster and easier to install, but they are also safer than any other method of pipe joining. Slotted mechanical coupling systems are installed without the need for flame, eliminating the fire hazards typically associated with welding; one of the most dangerous industrial activities. Similarly, this type of pipe joint is ideal during expansion and / or modernization projects of buildings, with greater benefit to those that have to remain open and operational such as hospitals and schools, preventing pieces or sparks of welding from falling on someone who is transiting.
2. Accommodate pipe movement due to thermal changes
By accommodating thermal expansion and contraction in a piping system, the slotted mechanical joining method conforms to industry practices. Simultaneously, it provides design flexibility, reduces stress on the mechanical piping system and features a more compact and easy-to-inspect installation method. The mechanical coupling when mounted on the slotted pipe forms a self-fastened joint that uses a packaging sensitive to the internal pressure of the system, allowing a positive seal even under a possible deflection or longitudinal movement of the pipe.
3. Less downtime
With this system, the cost excesses associated with night and weekend work are minimized, since it is not necessary to close the building for the work and you can even work with people passing through it. Slotted mechanical joining technology is flame-free, quick and easy to install and maintain, providing compatibility between new and existing system design. In many cases, existing piping systems can be redirected and kept running while work is done on old ones or while new ones are being installed.
4. Reduced total installation costs
Although there may be a higher initial cost of materials than with welding, the benefits of grooves lie in reduced labor time and labor costs. Based on the elimination of welding and the need for highly skilled labor, the assembly of mechanical coupling systems reduces these factors. Victaulic estimates that jobs that require welding applications demand up to 45% more work hours on average than slotted pipe solutions.
5. Ease and speed of installation
Slotted mechanical pipe is faster to install than any other method because the joint and coupling segments simply need to be placed at the ends of the pipe and the screws and nuts are tightened with standard hand tools. After installation, most of these systems can be visually inspected. Metal-to-metal bolt pad contact confirms that the pipe coupling has been properly installed and secured in place. Welding, on the other hand, often requires X-ray inspections to ensure proper bonding. Victaulic's Installation-Ready™ mechanical pipe couplings can be installed up to ten times faster than welding.
With these benefits, slotted piping systems are increasingly used by contractors. In addition, engineering benefits such as design versatility, accommodation and vibration and noise attenuation give it added value by improving the quality of the installation process.
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