Tensile Tester evaluates HDPE butt fusion joints in field.
Press Release Summary:
Using In-Field Tensile Tester, contractors and pipeliners can accurately test high-density polyethylene butt fusion joints in field. Hand-pump safely tests coupons from pipes sized 2 in. IPS and larger. Tester also incorporates template that is attached to pipe to create coupon through use of drill and reciprocating saw. Coupon is then inserted into hand-pump tensile test unit, which performs destructive test to qualitatively pass or fail joint.
Original Press Release:
McElroy Releases In-Field Tensile Tester
New machine performs quality assurance testing in minutes, not days
TULSA, Okla. - The new McElroy In-Field Tensile Tester gives contractors and pipeliners the ability to quickly and accurately test high-density polyethylene (HDPE) butt fusion joints in the field.
In the past, quality assurance testing of butt fusion joints required cutting part of a completed joint out of a pipeline and sending that test sample to an off-site laboratory. The results of the testing would then take hours or days to return. Another popular testing method, the bend-back test, requires specialized tooling and procedures to be performed safely on thicker pipes.
With the In-Field Tensile Tester, a hand-pump system safely tests coupons from pipes sized 2-inch IPS (63mm) and larger. The In-Field Tensile Tester also incorporates a template that is attached to the pipe to create a coupon through the use of a drill and reciprocating saw. The coupon is then inserted into the hand-pump tensile test unit that performs a destructive test to qualitatively pass or fail the joint.
"The In-Field Tensile Tester is an exciting new product that is generating some buzz because there's nothing like it on the market," said Chip McElroy, president of McElroy. "The appeal of the device is that it is light enough to be loaded into a pickup truck, taken out to the site, tested, with a quick pass or fail determination on the quality of the fusion joints being made."
The device is patent pending, but is available now through McElroy's extensive distribution network. For more information, visit the McElroy website at www.mcelroy.com.
About Pipe Fusion:
Pipe fusion is a widely accepted process that joins two pieces of thermoplastic pipe together with heat and pressure. Commonly associated with high-density polyethylene pipe (HDPE), the butt fusion process starts by "facing" or shaving the pipe ends simultaneously so that they can be joined together with heat to create a continuous, sealed pipeline. The welding of the pipes is accomplished by using a hot plate in contact with the pipe ends, which heats the plastic to a molten state. Then, after its removal, the ends are pressed together under a controlled force to form a weld that is as strong as or stronger than the pipe itself. Third-party industry research indi-cates that HDPE pipe and joints can have a lifespan of more than 100 years.
