Viega (www.viega.com) has its eye on the industrial MRO market. And for good reason. Tom Shields, director of industrial accounts, Christoph Volkmer, associate director, product management, metals, and Adina Barnes, director of market intelligence, visited our office this past week to demonstrate Viega's ProPress system for joining stainless steel piping.
Viega claims, “The torch is past,” meaning that welding is so 5 minutes ago – a daring declaration, to be sure. But in certain applications, Viega’s solution could make sense.
It definitely requires less training to operate than a welding torch. As you can see, even I can pull the trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dKaixEYb-o&feature=channel_video_title). Of course, the system also eliminates the safety hazards and the expense of welding, but it is now only available for stainless steel piping that ranges from ½ inch to 4 inches in diameter, and Viega has targeted non-sanitary Schedule 10 stainless steel pipe.
The system, which joins stainless steel pipe, is available in grades 304 and 316 and has more than 400 configurations and fittings. “We have fittings that will work even with water in the line,” said Shields. The key to the system lies in the three available sealing elements – EPDM for water and low-pressure steam, HNBR for fuel oil and gas, and FKM for applications where increased chemical resistance is needed.
The stainless steel transition fittings are rated up to 200 psi of working pressure and have a temperature rating of 0-250° F. The Viega system might not signal the end of welding, but it’s certainly worth a look.