Advanced Weld Purging Technology
Weld purging is the act of removing, from the vicinity of the joint, oxygen, water vapor and any other gases or vapors that might be harmful to a welding joint. Such gases may combine with the metal to form undesirable compounds that may reduce corrosion resistance or may be instrumental in creating cracks or other structural defects in metals. In Booth A-4545, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques (HFT®; Burry Port, UK) joins their U.S. partner COB Industries Inc. (Melbourne, FL) to showcase their entire line of weld purging technology designed to achieve oxide free, zero-color welds. On display will be Tube and Pipe Weld Purging Systems available in sizes 1 in to 88 in. These ingenious devices localize a small volume of pipe section to purge, thus making savings in time inert gas costs and eliminating post weld cleaning and oxide removal costs. HFT will also be showing a selection of their Weld Purge Monitors® that accurately measure the amount of oxygen within the purge gas. Their PurgEye® 100 device is a monitor of choice among the international welding fraternity, assisting welders to achieve zero-color welds.
The Family Range of Weld Purge Monitors now includes seven 10 ppm monitors for a variety of applications, including remote monitoring up to 1 km away from the weld and robust, heavy-duty instruments for on-site conditions. A line of accessories has been developed for use with these monitors, such as light alarms and dew point sensing. Standard and purpose-designed Flexible Welding Enclosures® will also be on display. These low-cost Enclosures are manufactured at a fraction of the cost of a rigid welding chamber, providing a technically viable option to the very expensive metal chambers and purge boxes. They are also widely in use throughout the additive manufacturing industry, where complete robot cells can be placed inside or attached to the robotic arm itself. The Pipestoppers® Division includes extensive, manufacturing mechanical and inflatable pipe plugs and stoppers for low and high-pressure applications from ½ in to over 100 in, with inflatable latex/polyurethane versions, inflatable rubber chemical resistant connotations, nylon, aluminum and steel for all types of pipe blocking, plugging and stopping.
Also on display will be Pipe Freezing Kits for use with liquid CO2 and LN2 for pipe sizes ½ in to 12 in as standard, and up to 36 in with specially-designed Aluminum Clam Shells. These quick and easy to install systems create ice plugs or freeze seals in the pipes, either upstream of a valve or on both sides, avoiding the requirement to completely drain down systems and making a substantial reduction in lost time and costs.
COB Industries Inc., PO Box 36-1175, Melbourne, FL 32936-1175, 321-723-3200, www.cob-industries.com, www.huntingdonfusion.com.
