Process piping is essential for many industries, including commercial, municipal, chemical, paper, textile, and pharmaceutical. Although invisible on a daily basis, these process piping systems carry water, chemicals, and much more.
T BAILEY, INC. is a reliable contractor for any industry project, understanding the nuances of each sector’s needs. We always aim to exceed customer expectations via innovation, and the same holds true for our process piping fabrication.
Process piping fabrication involves cutting, rolling, and welding metal plates into the proper shape and length for a piping system.
Types of Pipe Fabrication
Three basic piping fabrication types are penstock, casing, and piling. Although all piping serves very different functions, penstock is used to transport water, usually municipal.
Casing refers to vertical or horizontal shafts. Although they can be used for many purposes, vertical casing is typically filled with concrete to support the structure, while horizontal casing is used to protect utility lines running underground. Piling increases the stability of a structure or building’s foundation.
Regardless of which piping you may require, T BAILEY, INC. can offer comprehensive service where other pipe fabricators cannot, saving you both time and money. For example, we have an in-house coating facility if your penstock requires coating.
Equipment Used for Pipe Fabrication
T BAILEY, INC.’s team of experts uses specific tools to ensure the final product is high quality. Each step of process piping fabrication requires highly specialized equipment, including:
- Saws
- Rotators/Tools manipulators
- Pipe end finishers
- Pipe benders
- Welding equipment
- Beveling equipment
T BAILEY, INC.’s beveling equipment sets us apart from our competitors. We have improved our beveling process by introducing a 5-axis plasma table.
The plasma table provides control and consistency over the plates, enabling repeatability, which is crucial for many pipe fabrication tasks, as many identical parts are needed to complete a single project.
The plasma table is a computer numerical control (CNC) program with a very large cutting table, torch, stamper, and oxy-fuel cutting head. While previous technology was also automated, it did not have the ability to bevel and only had three axes.
A plasma table increases our efficiency and output abilities by combining beveling with the previous stage. Beveling is a very important step because it affects the welding. Using the plasma table, the plate can move from the plasma table to the next stage, rolling, after excess slag is removed.
The end result is pipe fabrication equipment designed to exact specifications.
Preparation for Pipe Fabrication Process
Almost all of the incoming metal from the mill will be ready for pipe fabrication. Depending on the needs of the customer and the chemistry of the metal, some preparation may need to take place before beginning the fabrication process. However, it is usually good to go.
Pipe Fabrication Process
The piping fabrication process starts when the metal sheets arrive from the mill. Documentation also begins from the beginning and continues throughout the production process in each procedure step.
Marking
By code standards, all metal pipe pieces are marked pipe heat numbers so that they can be traced. Even after final construction, the heat numbers marked in the beginning can be used to determine each piece's chemistry.
Cutting
Each metal plate must be cut to size, and the corners must be square and follow engineered drawings.
Depending on the project site's specific need and the steel's bevel, T BAILEY might be able to cut and bevel the steel in one pass, making it an efficient operation.
Beveling
Sometimes, it is necessary to bevel the steel plate separately from the cutting machines. Beveling prepares the edges of the metal pieces for welding, making a complete joint penetration weld possible.
Rolling Pipe
After beveling, the metal plates are shaped with our plate rolls. Depending on the steel's grade, diameter, and width, T BAILEY can roll plates up to 4 inches thick.
Pipe Welding Planning & Welding
The rolled sections’ seams are welded together at the straight seam sub-arc station. All welds are inspected following the specified code, including UT, RT, or just visual inspection. Each can-shaped piece of piping will be joined together to create longer sections. Pipe welding planning ensures the accuracy of each pipe fabrication specification related to a project.
Specialized Process Piping Systems
A special innovation of T BAILEY, INC. is our laser seam tracker system, which was developed in-house. The system photographs the weld joint and uses a laser to draw a groove profile.
If the weld head is not in the correct position, a proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller moves it to the proper spot. Using the laser seam tracker system will enable remote welding and a more consistent weld.
Some projects will have special requirements, such as heat treatments. Heat treatments take place after welding, but are only necessary for certain metals. Additionally, stainless steel by nature requires a completely clean environment and tools in order to avoid cross-contamination and subsequent corrosion.
Some projects will have special requirements, such as heat treatments. Heat treatments take place after welding and are only necessary for certain metals. Additionally, stainless steel, by nature, requires a completely clean environment and tools to avoid cross-contamination and subsequent corrosion.
T BAILEY, INC.’s certified quality control team carefully inspects pipe material at every stage of the pipe fabrication process.
T BAILEY, INC Does Pipe Fabrication - Large Scale Projects Completed Professionally
T BAILEY, INC. is always looking for innovative ways to improve the quality of our products and services further. Thanks to our ever-improving technology and expertly trained team of professionals, we guarantee timely delivery of your complex piping systems fabrication projects.
If you have any questions or would like to enquire about a project, please do not hesitate to reach out and call us today!
