Many businesses in the oil and gas industry must use, transport, or install metal piping. These heavy pipes typically have threads at each end; they can be shielded from damage with durable thread protectors. To keep costs low, companies must exercise caution to avoid harming threaded ends while storing or transporting pipes. Thread protectors normally provide the most effective and economical solution.
How it Works
A protector is usually made out of tough rubber, steel, polyurethane, or plastic. It covers the threading and reinforces pipe ends. This protection helps piping stand up to harsh conditions and treatment. It prevents threads from developing corrosion when businesses move, clean, or store their pipes. This ensures threading will continue to work properly during installation and operation.
Basically, thread protectors are rugged caps that workers screw on to the pipe threads. They are usually attached before piping is placed in a storage facility, or loaded onto a cargo vehicle. Tough protectors prevent damage when pipe ends strike other objects in transit or during the unloading process. By covering and filling the threads, they also keep these surfaces clean and dry.
Importance
There are many reasons to thoroughly protect pipe threading. It is quite costly to repair damaged threads. Furthermore, even minor damage can cause the seal to fail and trigger leakage. This interrupts oil or gas production until workers correct the problem. In addition to cutting revenues, such disruptions may significantly increase a company’s labor, transportation, energy, and other expenses.
Thread protection typically costs much less than pipe replacement or repair. Cutting pipes and adding new threads is an expensive and time-consuming process, while new pipes cost even more. The good news is that affordable protectors are available in many different varieties. Appropriate units will fit just about any kind of piping used in the oil and gas industry.
Further Benefits
This equipment is designed to shield threading from many different types of harm. It resists damage from solvents and locks tightly to ensure transit vibration does not cause it to fall off. Protectors stop rain, snow, road dust, and many other substances from settling between the threads. They are so beneficial that the law sometimes requires their use. This is most often true when businesses transport pipes internationally.
Most protectors feature materials designed to absorb strong blows. This reduces the risk of damage if loads shift or traffic accidents occur. Some units use a combination of plastic and metal to maximize protection. Oil and gas companies can choose between protector designs with closed or open ends. A closed end helps piping last longer by stopping debris and precipitation from entering the pipe.
The bottom line is that thread protectors provide a cost-effective way to boost the longevity of oil and gas pipes, while preventing expensive work disruptions. Businesses pay far less money for this equipment than they spend to address the aftermath of a pipe seal failure. It also helps them comply with shipping regulations when moving fuel piping from one country to another.
