David Clayton

Product Manager

FUSION PROVIDA
 DUCTILE IRON PIPE YARD
CHESTERFIELD DUCTILE GROUP

HEADQUARTERS
EQUIPMENT

PIPE SYSTEMS

Hire & Repair

FUSAMATIC
NDC WAREHOUSE

EXPORT WAREHOUSE
Severn Trent Services

NDC &
EXPORT
Manufacturing Capabilities
• Automatic Butt Fusion Machines
• Electrofusion Control Boxes
• Electrofusion Fittings
• Fabricated & Spigot Fittings
• Polyethylene Pipe Production
• PetroFuse
• Aquaculture
• Landfill Systems
 Why is Polyethylene used
• Easily formed into complex shapes by extrusion,
injection moulding etc.
• Good working temperature range (-20 to +50 C)
• Corrosion resistance / Chemical resistance
• Good strength to weight ratio
• Reduced transportation & handling costs
• Easily joined ( E/F & B/F)
• Flexibility of buried system
• Pipe system is only as good as its joints
 NO DIG TECHNIQUES

PIPE INSERTION PIPE BURSTING

 Electrofusion / Butt Fusion

 Molecular Joint - Joint Strength Equivalent to Pipe.

 Fully End Loaded System.
 Flexibility.
 Corrosion resistance.
 Degree of quality control & traceability
 50 Year Life
Cross Section of a Coupler
Fusion Zone

Terminal Pin

End Cold Zone

Pipe Stop Centre Cold Zone

PRODUCTION PROCESS
 Cross Section of a Tapping Tee

THREAD
STACK

TERMINAL PIN
COLD ZONE

FUSION ZONE
PRODUCTION PROCESS
 Criteria For E/F Jointing

• “Clean” surfaces (interface)

• Steady electrical / heat input
• Generate melt pressure
• Heat soak time
• Minimal tensile load / movement
• Cooling period
Joint Assembled Prior to Fusion
Gap
.
between the pipe and
coupler
Joint at the End of Incubation
Period
Molten polymer

Coupler & pipe

touching
End of the Joint Consolidation
Phase
Expanded pool of molten polymer

Frozen polymer in cold zone

 Completed Electrofusion Joint
High strength electrofusion
weld

Shrinkage accommodating inward

movement of pipe
 Quality Checks

• Ensure cleanliness of the joint area.

• Check around the joint area for visual signs of
scraping.
• Check fusion indicators have risen.
• Check that no molten material or wire has exuded
from the fitting.
• Check saddles are square to the main.
• Take printout of joint data.
 Fusion Indicators
• Cooling & Inspection
Electrofusion joining of PE pipes
Current Profile
Pipe Not Scraped
Incorrect Scraping
Over Insertion
Under Insertion
Misalignment
Pipe Ends Not Cut Square
Wire Movement
Moisture Scraping
 Good Jointing Practice

• Check equipment
• Scrape pipe
• Use clamps
• Adhere to fusion / cooling time
• Check joint

• OPERATOR AWARENESS
 EF Fitting Failure Mechanisms

• Joint Failure
>99% of reported EF fitting failures are a direct result of some form of
poor site practice.
• Ductile Creep Rupture
– High pressure short failure times (20°C tests).
– Attributable to tensile strength of resin.
• Slow Crack Growth
– Lower pressures, longer failure times (80°C tests).
– Attributable to SCG susceptibility of resin.

(All the above refer to failures during Hydrostatic testing)

DUCTILE RUPTURE
SLOW CRACK GROWTH
Butt Fusion
 Butt Fusion Machine

1) CHASSIS

2) TRIMMER

3) HEATER

4) POWER UNIT

5) TIMER
Key Parameters for Butt Fusion

• Temperature
• Pressure
• Time
• Distance
• Sequence
 Standard Cycle for Butt Fusion
• ISO 11414 : 1996(E)

Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 5 Phase 6 t

Phase 3
Phase 4
 Manual Input – Butt Fusion
Great results when done correctly, however heavily relied on a good operator carrying out the
job correctly.

Poor operators could –

• Reduce time at each stage
• Miscalculate pressures
• Over or under heat pipe ends
• Miss stages out, such as trimming
• Ignore instructions for dummy
welds

Look up table for Manual Butt Fusion

New Developments – Automatic Butt Fusion
 Data Storage
• Individual record for each joint

• Can be printed or downloaded

• All joint statistics displayed on the printout

• Summary of joint status given

If the material properties are correct it is impossible for a

bad joint to go un-noticed
• All beads shall be removed and assessed
Joint Analysis
Review Joint Records