Ingersoll Rand Launches New Industrial-Grade Impact Sockets

The method of pipe joining is an important factor when designing and installing a piping

system. Before choosing the joining method, it is important to consider several factors,

including installation conditions, project schedule, available labor skills and tooling

requirements, as well as other design and construction considerations. Each of these elements

has an impact on which piping method will be the most suitable.

The primary methods of joining carbon steel and stainless steel pipe in the commercial market

are welding, flanging, threading and, of course, grooved. Because every project has its own

set of challenges, for each project one must consider the best possible solution for that

application. In the case of mechanical systems, the opportunities to use grooved systems are

numerous, but the concept/methodology, and the benefits they can provide are not widely

known.

A grooved pipe joint is comprised of four elements: the grooved pipe, the gasket, the

coupling housings, and the nuts and bolts. The groove is made by cold forming or machining a

groove into the end of a pipe. A gasket encompassed by the coupling housing is wrapped around

the two pipe ends, and the key sections of the coupling housing engage the grooves. The bolts

and nuts are tightened with a socket wrench or impact wrench. In the installed state, the

coupling housing encases the gasket and engages the grooves around the circumference of the

pipe to create a leak-tight seal in a self-restrained pipe joint.