Quick & Comprehensive guide to Identify The Best Pipe Fabrication and Installation Services
Industries demand intensive piping systems to carry fluids (liquid & gas) with varying physical & chemical parameters.
The installation of a piping system can be achieved by constructing an interconnected network of pipes, pipe fittings, and valves through fabrication.
Pipes are abundantly used in industries like marine, petrochemicals, power plants, water treatment plants, effluent & sewage treatment plants, mining, pharmaceutical, food processing, construction, agriculture, and other industry verticals. The demand for superior-quality pipe fabrication and installation services is soaring high in the global market.
Market statistics suggest that the global piping system and piping spools market was valued at USD 4.83 billion in 2019 and is expected to garner USD 6.03 by 2027, growing at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 4.5% from 2020 to 2027.
In this article, we are providing a Quick & Comprehensive guide to the pipe fabrication and installation process. Let us start with an introduction.
What is Pipe Fabrication?
Pipe fabrication involves cutting, Bevelling, welding, cleaning, and painting the pipes and pipe fittings (tees, flanges, elbows, reducers, and others).
Pipe fabrication is a lengthy process demanding high accuracy and precision. The design workflow must be strictly adhered to, for achieving better results. Also, maintaining system integrity with enhanced safety measures can help in increasing overall security and increased productivity.
What is Pipe Fabrication Specification?
The pipe fabrication service providers offer a meticulously crafted pipe fabrication specification document. This is a comprehensive document including engineering specifications like:
• Design & Drawings
• Testing & Inspection Protocols
• Codes & standards
• Work package planning & work pack issuing list.
This was just an overview, now, let us delve deeper into the actual process of pipe fabrication & installation process.
What are the types of Pipe fabrications?
Based on working location, pipe fabrication can be classified into two groups:
1.Shop fabrication: Fabricators assemble the pipe, pipe fittings, and components into spool assemblies on the shop floor of the fabrication facility. These spools are labelled for identification and brought to the site for installation.
2. Field Fabrication: All the pipe, pipe fittings, and components are brought to the site. Fabricators design, assemble and install the pipe structure onsite.
A question might cross your mind which group suit your requirements the best? The deciding factors are:
l Type of project and its profitability
l Area of installation
l Type of raw material used for the piping
l Weather conditions at the location
l Equipment accessibility & workforce availability
l Transportation & labour cost
l Time for completing the project
l Post fabrication surface treatment
NOTE: The pipe fabrication method can be shop or field or sometimes both.
What is the process of Pipe Fabrication and Installation?
Pipe fabrication involves a set of diverse processes operating sequentially to achieve customized pipe formation for intended applications. The sequential flow of the pipe fabrication process is represented as:
1 Marking: Pipes and fitting materials are verified for quality assurance. Verified materials are marked and approved to move further.
2 Tagging: The pipe & fitting materials are tagged with specific paints or stamps to ensure that pipe heat numbers are displayed correctly before cutting.
3 Cutting: The cutting method is selected based on the material and gradient of the pipe being used for fabrication.
4 Bevelling: Pipe edges are bevelled after cutting. After the pipe and fixtures are bevelled, they are ready for fit-ups.
5 Welding: Fabricators weld the pipes and fittings into spools as per the design specifications. The area for welding work is different for simple spools and complex spools.
6 Heat treatment: Pipe spools are subjected to preheat welding treatment as well as post-heat welding treatment.
7 Inspection: Piping spools are passed through the Non-Destructive Test (NDT), to measure their properties and durability without any damage. NDT verifies that pipe spools are meeting the design requirements by adhering to the codes & standards.
If the piping & fixtures pass the inspection, then they are released for painting. The ones not passing inspection are sent for repairs and re inspection.
8 Sandblasting and Painting: Sandblasting cleans the surface of spools. The clean spools are painted to increase their durability and improve their appearance.
9 Transport: Piping & fixtures are reinspected, quality checked, and then released for construction. Heavy loading vehicles are used for secure transportation.
Piping and fabrication work done on the shop floor is consistently monitored and supervised to ensure quality workmanship.
Wrapping Up
The Pipe fabrication and installation process seem very simple, yet it is exhaustive owing to its lengthy & detail-oriented nature. To handle this bulky process, it can be bifurcated into sub assemblies. Here, large components are separated into smaller, more manageable work packs.
Choose the best Pipe Fabrication and Installation Services!
The best Pipe fabrication and installation service provider can offer high-quality, heavy-duty mechanical pipe fabrications and installation services. Using standard, superior quality material we manufacture and install large, small, medium, simple, complex, high pressure, and low-pressure piping systems.
Advanced Tech Solutions offers The range of services can include fabrication & installation of the piping system, repair/refurbishing existing systems, modifying hull structures like engines, decks, cell guides, cargo hatch covers, tanks, pump rooms, and much more.
Moreover, the fabricators and welders must be well-trained and must have 6G class approval. If they have a specialization in steel fabrications and can work with both MS & SS materials, it might help the companies to improve their overall operations.
In addition, the pipe fabrication and installation service provider must strictly adhere to safety standards.
