Pipeline Services UK – An Industry That Literally Thrives Under Pressure

Every industry, whatever service or product it offers has to perform under pressure. Pressure of maintaining quality under pressure, pressure of meeting deadlines and pressure of getting the job done in the face of unseen challenges – there are too many pressures that every industry faces each day of their operations. And those that thrive under pressure become successful. But no other industry deals with pressure as much as the Pipeline Services in UK because pipes are always under pressure and carry stuff so important that it cannot be turned off, so there is the additional pressure of working without halting operations. Let’s go deeper and find out what services Pipeline Services in UK offer.

New Installations
 

Countless industries need pipeline installation services each year. And we are yet to see the end of industrial expansions and new pipeline installations which mean you can count on the fact that more installation will be necessary. All of these needs are fulfilled by Pipeline Services in UK.

Renewing and rehabilitating old pipelines
 

Pipelines that were laid towards the end of the last century made use of trenches which wasn’t the best option from the environmental POV. Today the increasing awareness of industries has made trenchless designs more desirable. Thanks to that old pipeline designs are being transformed into trenchless designs and Pipeline Services in UK are helping that happen.

Incident support and urgent repairs

Accidents, acts of nature and operational issues may sometimes put operational pipelines out of commission which isn’t desirable. When that happens, immediate repairs become necessary and only the very best Pipeline Services are capable of providing reliable support.

As you may have guessed by reading thus far, all of these operations need service providers to work with pressurized pipelines and under pressure of getting time critical operations online without losing time.

 

The Way Line Stopping Is Done in the Industry

Allied Pipe Freezing has been in service since 1994 and in the last several years it has stayed committed to high levels of service and delivery of efficient and cost effective solutions irrespective of the size of the project. The company owes its success to very high levels of technical expertise and professionalism that they employ to great effect in every commission.

And, following closely on its commitments is the technology that they deploy to accomplish their projects. As we have mentioned elsewhere about the applicability of the process of Line Stopping, there are very few industries in the world that uses pipes which can’t be serviced with Line Stopping. Line Stopping and the processes that are used therein is perfect for a wide range of materials, viz: Carbon Steel, Stainless Steel, Cast / Ductile Iron, Pressurised Concrete Cylinder Pipe, Reinforced Concrete Pipe, Alloys, PVC & Polyethylene to name a few.

Like every tech-intensive processes we know of, Line Stopping begins with planning, proceeds to implementation of the solution and finally to review of what has been delivered.

Attention to project planning is essential in the first phase of every LineStopping project. Allied Pipe Freezing will perform a thorough review of your specific hot tapping application by an experienced and qualified technician to insure a safe and successful implementation in the field. The process starts with a valve which is mounted to the hot tap fitting outlet and the assembly is pressure tested prior to performing the operation. That done, the engineer will drill or bore an opening into the pressurized system, without shut-down, or spilling of the content inside, when everything has been done, the equipment are withdrawn and the valve is closed – thereby completing the process.

Pipe freezing – Sometimes it is Necessary

Pipes freezing are not a good thing to happen. It creates all sort of different problems that are not just limited to discontinuation of water supply, you have countless other problems at hand that has to be solved, in short, freezing of pipes is not usually a good thing unless you deliberately want it and pay a professional company to help you freeze supply pipelines. The nuclear facilities, underground and mechanical contractors, municipalities, and refineries all need freezing services sooner or later during their operations.

The oil and natural gas industry is among a few industries that depend on a network of pipelines for their work to keep moving without any interruption and for that they depend on services like Pipe Freezing which essentially is a way to repair pipes without shutting down operations, the liquid inside can stay intact and there is no need to remove the ingredients before undertaking repairs.

How Pipes freezing is done?
 

An effective means of system isolation, freeze plugs are developed within the pipe system through the application of CO2 or liquid nitrogen. The cryogenic process begins with heat being drawn from the product inside the pipe until it reaches a temperature below its freeze point.  Once that is done the subsequent phases of freezing continues. You can insert a new valve, make a new branch connection or modify your piping system with no system downtime.

Whenever you are faced with a no shutdown piping situation, let a Freezing Pipe expert’s decades of commitment to excellence get your job done right.

Common Hazards Associated With Pipe Freezing

Hot tap into valves on wellheads, tubing, trees, and on almost any application needed, with no interruption of service. Pre-planning for the job includes evaluation, procedure, equipment and safety measures because the job is not without its hazards. Risks and hazards extend beyond injury to technicians in some serious cases; Freezing Pipe incidents can lead to product loss, emissions or disruption of service to customers. What are these incidents that have been known to disrupt services and lead to loses?

Physical injuries

As in any workplace that deals with metallic objects, technicians working in a hot tapping environment are vulnerable to the physical risks of falls and trips, accidents that are caused by heavy objects falling on the feet among many other things. These can be easily avoided with a little care and adherence to workplace guides put in place by work safety and care governmental organizations. Debris flying from solid parts can very easily enter the eye or nose of a technician. Apart from that there are other hazards as well. 

Burns caused by exposure to high temperatures
 

Hot metal parts or the heat emanating from the hole-saw is enough to cause serious scalding on the skin and despite protective gear a Pipe Freezing technician may be exposed to hazards of burns if they position themselves too close to the source of heat. In very serious cases, sparks flying from welding devices have been known to catch fire. Hot chunks of metal that get caught up in clothes can cause a fire. Rolled up sleeves and frayed clothes are even at a higher risk of catching fire.

Live repairs to In-service pipelines

Mechanical damage and corrosion is part of every mechanical process and sooner than later, there will be a time when the mechanical system will develop faults and require repair. It must be noted that stopping operations and getting everything back online take time and often culminates in lost time and effort, something not too desirable for time-critical industries such as gas and oil, hence the process of Pipeline Tapping.

Pipeline Tapping is relevant for jobs where the work cannot be halted at all. The risks of opening up pipelines when they are under steam and live are several. In worst cases, it can lead to the air being contaminated with poisonous greenhouse gases. To minimize the risk and keep risk of seepage under control, Pipeline Tapping is the most reliable solution. With the help of this technique costly shutdowns can be averted.

5 Fundamentals to Note about Pipeline Tapping

• Pipeline Tapping should not be considered for routine maintenance.  There are other faster and economically viable alternatives that should be considered before Pipeline Tapping. 

• The task is very technical and requires the expertise of the right people for the job to go through without any untoward happening in site, and most importantly to get operations back online in as short a time as possible.  Hire a talented crew for the job. 

• Concerns of health issues arising from Pipeline Tapping and effect on the metallurgical resources must be addressed by getting a proper plan approved ahead of time to mitigate accidents and unplanned delays.

• Pressure of the ingredients within the pipe must be contained with of adequate thickness or risk leakages. Which means new section that is to be added to the repaired pipeline must be of the same thickness as the one replaced. 

• Proper replacement is of critical importance in Hot Tapping Pipelines. Using anything less than anything approved for the job will invite mishaps.

Hot Tapping Pipelines – An Integral part of industry

Particularly in chemicals and gas industry, pipelines play a very great role in maintaining the efficiency of operations. Therefore, it becomes important for plant workers to ensure their working conditions remain normal throughout the operations. Any kind of mechanical failure can result into several losses. Any kind of maintenance work on pipelines sometimes hampers the work in great way by putting the lines idle. So, here comes the need for hot tapping pipelines that allow engineers to carry out various kinds of maintenance or repair work without the need for total shutdown of operations.

This technique is of great value as it doesn’t cause any kind of hindrance to existing work. In fact, it makes way for continuous operations as pressure is thoroughly contained. Engineers can carry out the job in any particular section of the active pipe without shutting down other sections. This process is limited only by the amount of pressure that has to be restricted.

The high level of flexibility makes it the most sought after process among companies as a way of working on pipelines. This process can be done both manually and automatically, and can be performed on both surface pipelines and sub area pipelines. Hot tapping is typically performed on materials such as carbon steel, stainless steel, cement lined pipe, fiberglass, or plastic pipes.

What is Shrink fitting?

At times when in industries an interference fitting is required on some products, then shrink fitting as a method is used. Traditionally, when you’ve to fit a product, then at that time force is applied. Or else the process of expansion of the outer component is done with heat.

To talk about disadvantages, both these methods have their own. The former one causes mechanical damage between the two products that is used. Whereas, the other one can cause local damage or some other kind of stress, due to the poor heating procedures. Other than that the practical aspects of heating large frames or houses, must also be considered.

Every industry using the traditional methods must consider the option of shrink fitting.When this method is used, then the component that is found inside is dipped in the liquid nitrogen bath at -196 degree C.

It is known to be one of the safest methods for assembly. It is an inert process and is also quiet safe to be used in the workshop, for the purpose of sufficient ventilation.The materials that are used in this process do not suffer any kind of damage. The liquid nitrogen that is used does not have any permanent effects on the materials like ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Call us or email us. We will be there when you need us-Alliedpipefreezing.

Shrink Fitting – A revolutionary way to get the best fit

Are you working in an industry or a process that demands the need for an interference fit? If yes, you must know that the traditional ways of fitting are outdated now with the advent of shrink fitting. Researchers say that the revolutionary method of liquid nitrogen shrink fitting is one of the best and safest methods for assembling as it is inert and therefore considered safe to use in a workshop situation considering there is adequate ventilation.

Before the evolution of this newest method of fitting, there were basically two ways of fitting a component into another – the force fit method or to expand the outer component with heat. Although both these were in use for quite a longer period in industries but they both have disadvantages in that the former can lead to mechanical damage between the two faces and the latter can cause local damage or stress due to uneven or poor heating procedures, as well as the practicalities of heating large frames or housings.

To overcome these issues, shrink fitting was devised to ensure zero damage, as liquid nitrogen has no permanent effect on ferrous or non-ferrous metals. Many studies suggest that this is the most reliable method for interference fit with lesser damage to the metal.

Live Connection in Existing Pipeline

Live connection without any kind of disruption is liked by everyone. In fact it is the most favorite of today generation people who don’t have enough time to spare for any kind of work that takes more time. I used to think that I would be getting a plumber this weekend so that the leakage would be fixed but I hadn’t imagined that it would not take much of my time. When I saw my schedule, I realized that I was not getting week off this week. So, I had to call experts from Allied pipe freezing to get it fixed.

Under pressure drilling was the technique that I liked most; I thought that they had to stop the existing pipe connection that was fixed to by washroom. I was being worried that I would be late for office as they will be closing the pipeline for a while and I won’t be able to take a bath, but I was wrong. Their way of operating is totally different. During shrink fitting they don’t stop the live pipe line. Instead, a branch connection is made to a live pipe.

In this connection, a valve is fitted then with the help of drilling machine they make a small hole in the pipe. Then, after drilling the valve is closed. It is beneficial when the showdown is not practical and can be operated on almost every pipeline materials.

Don’t worry about leakage as there is no loss of flow.

Shrink Fitting – Meant to deliver great benefiting to manufacturing industry

Have you come across a situation where you wish to join two components together? There are different methods and techniques available in the industry but the success depends on the longevity of that joint. Recently I come to know about a highly effective technique known as Shrink Fitting. This technique is highly effective in conditions where an interference fit is required. This innovative method has replaced the conventional method of fitting a component into another by force lift method or to expand the outer component with heat. All of us know that there were several issues with conventional methods. For example, Force lift method can lead to mechanical damage between the two faces whereas the latter one can cause local damage or stress due to improper or poor heating procedures.

Shrink fitting is supposed to be a feasible alternative to applications where fitting is done by heating the outer components or force fitting. With Liquid Nitrogen shrink fitting the required clearance is obtained by shrinking the inner component (instead of expanding the outer one). This is done by immersing the inner component in a bath of Liquid Nitrogen at a temperature of -196C. After assembly the inner component warms up, expanding to form a tight distortion free interference fit.

Want to know about Shrink Fitting?

You too got confused by hearing this term, "Shrink Fitting", didn't you? When this term came in my mind's library I too was in dilemma and found myself in the threshold to find its meaning. As, I love searching new things just thought to share it with you all so that you get well acquainted with it. Its the traditional way of fitting a component into another either by the hit of the force method or by expanding the outer component of the shaft with heat.

First the end of the shaft in Shrink Fitting is immersed in the liquid Nitrogen cooling tank where it is allowed to cool down at a temperature of -196 °C. Then the shaft and inner component warms up expanding to form a tight distortion free interference fit where the sleeve is held in place with a retaining bolt.

Both these methods have disadvantages in that the former can lead to mechanical damage between the two faces and the latter can cause local damage or stress due to uneven or poor heating procedures, as well as the practicalities of heating large frames or housings. As these were traditional methods, there are some disadvantages with them.

At Allied Pipefreezing, Our Portfolio also includes Shrink Fitting

Allied Pipefreezing is a leading and trusted onsite pipeline isolation and intervention services provider in the UK. Right from Pipe Freezing and Under Pressure Drilling (Hot Tapping) to Wall Tapping and Line Stopping, we provide you it all. With our offices in the North West of England, we have been providing our services throughout the United Kingdom.

Our portfolio also includes Shrink Fitting which is essentially a very safe and economical method of assembling components without resorting to things like heat and force fitting techniques. 

Under Shrink Fitting Method, the inner component is shrunk by immersion in a bath of liquid nitrogen for a near-perfect mechanical assembly. And with Shrink Fitting, the risk of damaging components also gets mitigated to a large extent. See us here http://www.alliedpipefreezing.co.uk/shrink-fitting.htm for more information on this particular technique.

At Allied Pipefreezing, we ensure that we provide top quality onsite pipeline isolation and intervention services to our clients, at highly competitive pricing. Log on to our website for more information on our range of services and other important stuff. You can also download our brochures from our website for more specifications.

Besides Shrink Fitting, you can also trust us for Pipe Freezing, Under Pressure Drilling or Hot Tapping, Wall Tapping and Line Stopping.

Pipeline Isolation - An Environment Friendly Solution

Pipeline isolation has become an effective method for the online replacement of valves and the pipe work modifications that has to be performed or the maintenance work. By employing this method the contents of the pipe are frozen in an effective manner during the time maintenance or the modification work is under process. This therefore avoids the need for any kind of draining and refilling of the entire pipe system. So that means there would be no disturbances in your work and the pipe can also heave a sigh of relief! 

Pipeline isolation is performed under the process of pipe freezing and this is a controlled and effective method of isolating a small part of the pipe. It freezes the contents of the pipe so that it forms an ice plug which controls the flow of the liquid.

These freezes can be carried out on various high pressure systems  and while this process is undergoing at that time the structure of the pipe does not gets affected and all the work is performed under supervision and under safe and secure environment. So there is no need to worry about the pipe getting damaged as it is secure. After this process the need for handling hazardous liquids is also eliminated so the process just gets better after this.

Allied pipe freezing services is committed in providing the best range of pipeline isolation and pipe freezing services to its clients. We believe in achieving our success through the appreciation from our clients and from our hard work. Nothing substitutes the appreciation from the clients and we focus on delivering quality by employing experienced and skilled engineers engrossed in their work. We deliver the targets with our workmanship and high caliber that we possess and work in flexible operational guidelines. You can see the difference by contacting us and relying on our services.

Shrink Fitting – For Reducing Mechanical Damage and Stress

Shrink Fitting

Have you heard about Shrink Fitting? Well, it is actually a wonderful method and applied when interference fit is needed. There are many Shrink Fitting service providers in the market. So you can choose an ideal one for your specific requirements. Here are some of the benefits that Shrink Fitting provides:

• There are little or no distortions on the effected parts
• This is a wonderful and very effective method
• Results in reduction of costs
• There is a convenience of on-site or off-site service
• This method can provide a precision fit

Besides Shrink Fitting, there are some very popular methods, which are Pipefreezing, Hot Tapping or Under Pressure Drilling, and Line Stopping. There are a number of companies out there which provide these services at competitive rates.  So, you stand a good chance to get these services at a very good price. Now, what are you waiting for now?

Go ahead and select a trusted provider of Shrink Fitting services. Make sure you do a detailed research before selecting a particular service provider. Today, when Internet is available to almost all, it is easy to find a well-reputed service provider. However make sure that you don’t opt for a newcomer in the industry. You may find yourself paying more for a below-average service, so always hire the services of well-experienced service provider. This ensures that you get quality services in exchange of your hard-earned money. 

Pipeline Services UK: Safe, Economical and Efficient

Are you looking for safe, economical and efficient pipeline services UK? If yes is the answer, you better check online. At present, there are many companies (with online presence) which deliver effective services at very competitive prices. All you need to do is go online and choose the one which offers you the best within your budget. It is that easy. No hassles at all! Have you heard about Allied Pipe freezing Services?

Pipe Freezing – It is a very effective method of temporary pipe isolation. Today, it is used far and wide for the online replacement of valves and for general pipework modifications or maintenance work. Benefits include

1)     Time and cost saving procedure and

2)     Effective on-line maintenance.

Under Pressure Drilling – Here the engineer installs a branch connection to a live or charged pipeline. There is no need to interrupt the flow of the liquid. The technique is used where freezing is impractical.

Shrink Fitting – The technique involves assembling components without using heat or force fitting techniques. It is a quick and effective procedure. What’s more, the components also retain their original integrity.

Line Stopping – Herein the engineer forms a temporary isolation in a live main. Benefits include

1)     No drain down time and associated waste problems,

2)     No need for customer warnings.

There are many more benefits with Line stopping.

So, if you or your business is in need of excellent pipeline services UK, you have options to choose from. However, it is a good idea to choose an experienced and professional service provider.