It goes without saying that every commercial and industrial business needs at least one water boiler on its premises, even if it's just to provide hot water for the break room sink. However, the boilers found in many commercial and industrial buildings are enormous beasts, heating water for various industrial processes and purposes before sending it across miles of piping to where it is needed.
As you can imagine, the physical stresses placed on piping connected to an industrial boiler can be immense, and making sure that your hot water pipes are up to this challenge is vital from both a legal and financial standpoint. However, finding pipes that can contend with such punishment can be difficult, especially if you require piping fitted with turns and elbows to navigate around obstacles. This is where induction-bent piping comes into its own.
What is induction-bent piping?
There are many methods of bending pipes made of steel and other metals, from the simple roll bending method used on commercial plumbing pipes, to more involved methods such as cold bending. However, induction bending represents the gold standard in quality pipe bending methods; with this method, the section of pipe to be bent is heated to enormous temperatures with electrical power, and the pipe is bent while the pipe is hot and, therefore, malleable.
Why choosing induction-bent pipe for industrial boiler piping?
The incomparable quality provided by the induction bending process means induction-bent pipes have a number of attractive advantages, making them ideal for use with your industrial boiler:
- No elbows or welds required: Traditionally, boiler pipes were redirected with separate pieces of elbow piping which are welded into place. These welds present an unacceptable safety risk for many, as imperfect welds are very difficult to detect and can cause a pipe to rupture suddenly. By using an induction-bent pipe you eliminate the need for elbows and welds, also eliminating the need for regular weld checks and maintenance.
- Precision: The induction bending process allows pipes to be bent and formed with unparalleled levels of accuracy and fine-tuned adjustment. This means that induction-bent pipes can be ordered under the assurance that the pipes you receive will conform exactly to your specifications, ensuring they fit exactly into the piping layout you have planned. This precision also ensures that sections where pipes meet fit snugly and without gaps, a vitally important quality when it comes to safety and leak prevention.
- Minimal thickness loss: Bending a pipe using any method unavoidably weakens the pipe, as the pipe walls around the bent section become thinner as they are forced into shape. However, the malleability of a pipe heated with electrical induction means it can be formed into shape easily, minimising any loss of pipe wall thickness. This minimal loss of thickness maximises the finished pipe's strength against internal and external forces and ensures bent pipes will be able to stand up to very high water and steam pressures.
- No air pockets or other weak spots: Because piping bent with the induction method is semi-liquid when it is formed, gaps and hidden air pockets are not allowed to develop in the walls of your piping, eliminating potential trouble spots and dramatically reducing the probability of leaks forming.