Piping is known as the layout made for the pipes for transporting fluids from one place to another. Piping equipment must be of good quality and performance so to be able to transport fluid in case of heavy flow, hazardous substances, high pressure, adverse temperature and other high parameter constraints. The commonly used material for building up the equipment for piping are wood, fibreglass, steel, aluminium etc. the piping equipment includes various types like gaskets, valves, flanges pipes and fittings.
Flanges
The flange is one of the most important piping equipment as it is used to connect the pipes, valves and pumps. It also helps to easily clean, inspect and modify any of the piping equipment and acts as a connector. One can use flanges by welding or screwing. These are also known as joints and are produced by bolting two flanges with a gasket between them to make it like a seal. Flanges are usually made up of bronze, stainless steel, aluminium, brass and plastic. But mostly, flanges are seen to be made of carbon steel having machined surfaces.
Actuators
The most common task of an actuator is to help in the movement of the piping system. It is the job of this component to provide clear and smooth movement and control all the mechanisms of the system. In the Oil and gas-based industries, these actuators are fitted in hazardous environments to control any or all of the movement. But because of the airline issues, the standard actuators vary in temperatures. These are considered an important part of the piping system in the oil and gas-based industries because of these help in working efficiently and smoothly even in high pressure.
Valves
In the oil and gas industries, valves are considered as multipurpose equipment. They help in:
(i) In upstream, controlling the flow of oil
(ii) In midstream, protecting the equipment from the flow of oil and gas
(iii) In downstream, in the refining of oil
There are different kinds of valves that are used in the oil and gas industries like gate valve, ball valve, plug valve and globe valve. The market for these valves is expected to reach USD 85.19 billion by 2022 according to the analysts, keeping in touch with the growth rate of 3.96%
Fittings
Piping systems would run successfully only if they are done with proper fittings like connecting the straight pipes with the tubing sections while using pipes of different shapes and sizes. These fittings majorly help to use all types of pipes and take care of the flow. They are considered an integral part of the piping system and require appropriate money, time and tools for installation. The major pipe manufacturers in the USA for fittings include Mueller water products, Charlotte pipe, RWC USA and others.
TOP PIPING EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS: –
(i) Fittinox
Established in 1977, Fittinox is a supplier of many industries including nuclear power plants, chemicals and fertilizer plants, offshore platforms and refineries. It is known for its production of piping fittings, forged fittings and flanges. It is one of the leading pipe manufacturers in the USA.
(ii) Piping and equipment
Incorporated in 1946, Piping and equipment had the aim of providing safe equipment for better operations of the industries. It is one of the famous pipe manufacturers in the USA because it is known to provide high quality specialised mechanical construction services to various industries like refining, power, chemical and midstream energy companies.
(iii) Destec engineering Ltd.
Founded in 1969, Destec was built up with the purpose to give and help the oil and gas industries with innovative solutions. The company is one of the emerging pipe manufacturers in the USA and it designs machine tools that are portable and other services as well related to installation, servicing of its products and on-site machining service too. It provides almost all the piping equipment like boiler inspection caps, compact flanges and door closures too.
As the industry is making all the efforts to be better and improve with time, the manufacturers should also work in one line rather than in competition to produce a better outcome. They need to understand that the market is going digital as well even for the piping manufacturers in the USA.
