Key Component in Industrial Piping: Expertise and Experience

With over 20 years of experience in constructing various energy systems, we specialize in the installation and welding of industrial pipes. Starting my career in 2005, I encountered portable AMA rollers at different job sites. Using them myself, I realized their simplicity and high utility.

First Investment in AMA Rollers

Around 2008, we made our first purchase of these rollers for the company. At that time, it was an investment we didn’t analyze much for ROI or alternatives. We simply acquired the equipment widely used in the industry.

Expansion of AMA Products

Over recent years, AMA has expanded its product line, and we gladly continue to purchase them.

Examples of AMA Tools

1. Centering Bands: These tools are straightforward, but in practice, our installers noticed that the greatest pressure occurs where the ring is cut, meaning the pressure isn’t evenly distributed. While some see this as a drawback, our team has adapted and uses this to their advantage, particularly when joining oval bends or pipes of different thicknesses.

1. AMA ROLLER® Pipe Rotators: Initially unimpressive in a catalog, seeing them in action changed our perspective. We purchased our first unit and are learning to integrate it into our processes.

Simplicity, Precision, and Durability

All tools we buy for industrial pipe assembly aim to simplify and speed up the process. AMA tools are known for their simplicity, precision, and durability, requiring minimal maintenance.

• Simplicity: No explanation needed, just look at it.
• Precision: Precision and repeatability are crucial and well-engineered in these tools.

Return on Investment in Industrial Piping

Calculating exact ROI can be tricky as it varies per contractor. However, on average, I believe that in the industrial piping sector, the payback period is 2-3 months for every €1000 invested in AMA tools.

Adaptation from the First Use

I’ve noticed that even those resistant to change quickly adapt to AMA tools. These simple yet highly effective tools are highly recommended.

Ilja Arhi – Ceo pipeweld.ee

How the Cooperation Between a Pipe Welding Company and a Soccer Team Started

Three years ago, by chance, I bumped into my buddy Anton Mashenistov at the ice rink. Now, Anton has been the captain of the FC NPN Silmet soccer team in my hometown of Sillamäe for a few years already. During our chat, he told me about his plans for the 2021 season to bring in new players for his futsal team, and he was confident they could win the Estonian Cup.

Believing in yourself and working hard really pays off.

I wanted to help out our team, so Pipeweld.ee stepped up as a sponsor. The 2021 season turned out to be pretty active, with lots of new young talent joining from the city.

By 2022, these young players were already showing great results, and the team started closing in on the playoffs.

In 2023, they grabbed second place in the cup, which attracted a lot of interest from bigger sponsors.

In 2024, with just one foreign player, the team swept all the futsal cups and got a shot at playing in the UEFA Champions League.

• Estonian Championship 23/24 GOLD
• Estonian Cup 23/24 GOLD
• Super Cup 23/24 GOLD

Big congrats to the team, you guys are awesome, and it’s only up from here!

Ilja Arch.

 

Partnership Agreement for Pipe Welding during the Assembly and Installation of Bio Plants.

Since 2022, our company has signed a partnership agreement with Exergisystem, which develops modular steam plants for the process industry. Their solutions are genuinely fascinating and hold tremendous potential. The key point is that they managed to fit the components inside a container in such a way that they are quite serviceable. Most importantly, these plants operate on renewable fuel, pellets, and now the boiler is considered movable property, adding additional benefits to this solution.

Speed Equals Energy.

It turns out that under certain conditions, wood combustion can occur at the same rate as natural gas combustion—how about that? 

• Yes, exactly!

If we dry the wood to a moisture content of 2-5% and increase its density by compression during pellet formation, we significantly increase the burning rate. For steam boilers with a capacity of 2-4 megawatts, such fuel is quite sufficient to keep up with the technological process of the enterprise where such a modular boiler will be installed.

Next time, I will explain what needs to be done to achieve a combustion rate comparable to that of gas.

Pipe Welding During Integration — A Critical Part

Each connection of a new modular boiler requires the production process of the enterprise to be halted, which always results in losses for the company. Therefore, these losses need to be minimized.

The objective is always the same: reduce the integration time and have a contingency plan in case something goes wrong.

It seems simple but involves several stages:

• Planning
• 3D scanning
• Drawing production
• Prefabrication and pipe welding
• Quality control
• Pressure testing
• Relocating workforce during the integration
• On-site inspection
• Integration
• NDT (Non-Destructive Testing)
• Equipment startup

That’s a total of 11 points, plus safety protocols and a few dozen thermoses of coffee.

In general, nothing new for us—everything is familiar. But without planning, such work cannot be accomplished. Throughout my career, I have carried out over 50 integrations, from small to large diameter pipelines. I want to say that my personal attitude towards each of them has not changed—this is serious work with significant risks at stake.

Ilja Arhipov

The Bioenergy partnership between Pipeweld.ee and Exergi System brings together two companies that offer their customers high-quality services in the piping and pressure vessels industry, as well as energy conversion solutions.

Pipeweld.ee specializes in coded welding and pressure vessels for various industries, while Exergi System offers complete solutions to help their customers convert from fossil energy to renewable energy. Exergi System’s prefabricated modular system for steam production with dry biofuels is an innovative solution that has proven to be effective for their customers. These modular bioenergy plants can be adapted to meet specific customer needs. In addition to providing sustainable energy solutions, Exergi System is also an expert in optimizing energy processes. Their turnkey contractor approach means they always provide a holistic view, resulting in customized solutions that help the customers optimize their production, saving them money and reducing their carbon footprint. At Exergi System, the engineers take a comprehensive approach to the energy process, seeing it as one interconnected organism. They understand that simply installing a new boiler is not enough, and that optimization of the entire system is necessary for long-term success. This dedication to coherent solutions and a sustainable future sets Exergi System apart in the industry. 

Pipeweld.ee’s Expertise in Coded Welding and Exergi System’s Knowledge in Bioenergy Modular Systems Production: A Valuable Partnership for Sustainable Energy Solutions

Pipeweld.ee’s expertise in coded welding, and Exergi System’s knowledge in bioenergy systems make them a valuable and innovative partner for those looking to convert to renewable energy. Together, they offer an individual approach to each project, flexibility, and years of experience, making them an excellent choice for those in need of piping and pressure vessel services, as well as energy conversion solutions. They provide professional services throughout Scandinavia, delivering high quality results, on time and on budget. In conclusion, the partnership between Pipeweld.ee and Exergi System is a powerful collaboration that brings together expertise in both piping and energy solutions. They are a one-stop-shop for all your energy needs.

Ilja Arhipov – Pipeweld.ee

Industrial piping leader PipeWeld.ee recently completed a major project in Husum, Sweden, for paper pulp giant Metsa.

The project involved the installation of a new steam turbine in a power plant, showcasing the complexity and importance of proper planning and organization in large-scale energy projects.
Upon receiving a request for assistance with the installation and welding of industrial piping from the main contractor, Hjalmarssons, PipeWeld.ee quickly mobilized to the job site with all necessary equipment.

The team faced initial challenges in locating and identifying the correct piping parts,but was able to streamline the process by creating a digital registry of all pipe spools and training sub-contractors on its use. This reduced the average time for finding and accessing industrial piping parts from three hours to just 15 minutes.

With these logistical issues resolved, the team moved on to the welding and installation phase, which went smoothly thanks to their expertise and experience in industrial piping. At the conclusion of the project, the client praised PipeWeld.ee for their efficiency and attention to detail, highlighting the importance of investing in proper planning and organization in power plant projects at the beginning of any large-scale energy project.

At the end of the project, PipeWeld.ee was asked to lead the punch out process, a thorough inspection of all 500 lines already installed to ensure compliance with the project drawings. Although not a complex task, it required a high level of attention to detail and accuracy to ensure that all lines were installed correctly. Our team took on this responsibility with great care and attention, working closely with the client and other contractors to ensure that all lines were in compliance with the project specifications.
This final step was crucial to the success of the power plant project, as it ensured that the power plant would operate safely and efficiently. Overall, the project was a great success for PipeWeld.ee, and it demonstrated the company’s ability to handle large-scale energy projects with a high degree of efficiency and attention to detail in industrial piping. The company’s focus on proper planning and organization, as well as its expertise in industrial piping, were key factors in the power plant project’s success.

Ilja Arhipov – Pipeweld.ee

Technological tie-in with an elbow into the fixed pipe strings of the pipeline (dead legs)

Technology Benefits

• Accurate fit with minimal pipe stress
• High installation speed
• Risks to miss = 0

1. Preparation to tie-in a bend into a technological piping spool

You need to cut out two sights from flat plywood.

The sight, made of plywood 14 – 20mm thick, must be at least 100mm longer than the diameter of the pipeline in width and twice + 100mm in length.

Tip – always check the straightness of the sight before using it.

2. Laying a bend on the pipeline dead pipe ends.

Lowering the bend on top of main pipe ends, at this point it is important for us:

choose the ideal bend position with a smaller fracture angle:

establish the alignment of the vertical axes of both sides relative to the extended ends:

3. Baseline marking on technological pipeline

One apply plywood sights to both ends of the bend and can carefully transfer the baseline to the ends of the pipeline, but it is important not to rush to cut along the baseline.

4. How to make a golden joint and why not cut along the baseline?

The thing is that we are considering the case when the axes of the pipeline do not meet in the center of the bend, along one of the three planes or along all three.
In other words, the ends are not laid correctly and there is no way to move them.

Explanations:

Since we are lowering the bend from above in a vertical plane (top view), in this plane it does not matter to us what error is along the axes, it can be 5 degrees or even more.

But in the horizontal plane (this is a side view) it is of great importance.
Since we will lower the bend directly perpendicular to the ground. Then point A will be transferred to A1, and point B will be transferred to B1, in this example we see the reason for the formation of a critical gap, indicated by GAP in the figure.

5. Transferring the baseline to the location of the actual pipeline cut

In this example, you need to move the baseline (Baseline) by GAP distances, in the direction to the right, see the arrow (moving direction >>>)

It is important to understand that the opposite phenomenon can also occur when an overhang is formed, and not a gap.

In this case, you need to move the baseline (Baseline) by distances (Overhang) in the direction to the left, see the arrow (moving direction <<<)

6. Technology of transferring the baseline to the place of the actual cut.

You can use a plywood scope to transfer the actual cut baseline.

7. Fitting parts and cutting the pipeline.

After you can make cuts along the mixed baseline, and already begin to apply a bend to the pipe strings, you may find some minor errors that are leveled out as part of the locksmith fit.

It is important to understand that the bend must come into place in exactly the same spatial position as you installed it in paragraph 2 (Laying the bend on the pipe string) of this instruction. To do this, it is advisable not to remove the bend from the sling during the entire installation, or to make marks.

8. Tie-in and bend mounting of golden joints

After all the operations done, the last installation of the bend remains, it must be performed by a specialist installer.

Ilja Arhipov – pipeweld.ee

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