What are the pipeline details?

Material
Carbon Steel/Stainless/Cast all affect the choice of cutters and pilots.

Size
The pipe size and wall thickness have an affect on the choice of pilot
and cutter for swarf clearance.

Fittings
The size of the fittings and valve affect the overall reach requirements of
the hot tap drilling machine, and therefore the choice of machine.

Pressure
This decides what adapter is to be used and subsequently the Maximum
Allowable Operating Pressure.
 What are the pipeline details?

Temperature
This effects the machines seals and therefore the Maximum Allowable
Operating Temperature. Cooling spools can be used to reduce the
temperature at the machine.

Product
The nature of the product and its chemical constituency can effect
the pressure and temperature rating. If it is corrosive then it may also
affect the safe operation of the equipment.

Tap size
The size of the tap has a direct bearing on the choice of tapping
machine and will determine, together with the header size, the
overall reach required to carry out the hot tap.
 Pipeline Content

Flammable
Is the product flammable? If so, the installation should be purged with
inert gas.

Toxic
Specialist procedures required.
Provide adequate precautions for the protection of personnel during
operation and disposing of product in Tapping Machine Adapter.

Corrosive
Specialist procedures required (Refer to Hot Tap specialist)

Inert
Take precautions in accordance with Chemical requirements of
product.
What can you hot tap into ?

Very Corrosive Products

Very High Temperatures

Non Standard Taps

Off-Set Tap
Angle Tap

Bend Tap

Blind Tap
Hot Tap Orientation
Standard vertical tap - no unusual problems
Hot Tap Orientation

Angled vertical tap - no problems for

angles less than 45 degrees
Hot Tap Orientation

As the angle of tap rotates around there

becomes more chance of the swarf from the
tap coming back towards the valve and the
tapping machine adapter resulting in problems
closing the valve and with
drawing the cutter fully.
Hot Tap Orientation

As the angle of tap rotates around there

becomes more chance of the swarf from the
tap coming back towards the valve and the
tapping machine adapter resulting in problems
closing the valve and with
drawing the cutter fully.
Hot Tap Orientation

The measuring rod will tend to fall out. It is also

considerably harder to install the drilling machine
into position.
Clearance for Hot Tap

Longitudinal weld access

restricted by adjacent pipes

Longitudinal weld location at an alternative position in

order to improve weld access
Clearance for Hot Tap

Not just X and Y but how

to get the machine into
position
Y

X
 Temperature

Maximum Temp
700 deg F @ 700 P.S.I.
(371 deg C @ 48 bar )

Normal maximum
operating pressure
1440 P.S.I.
 Flow Rates

Standard U-Wire Gas - 10 m/s - 30 fps - 20 mph

Pilot Drill Liquid - 5 m/s - 15 fps - 10 mph

Positive Retention Gas and Liquid unlimited.

Pilot Drill Fastest to date - 60 m/s - 180 fps - 120 mph
Drilling Machine Power Source

Up to 3” Hand / Air
2” to 6” Air / Hydraulic
3” to 12” Air / Hydraulic
4” to 16” Hydraulic
12” to 24” Hydraulic
18” to 48” Hydraulic
Distance to
face of valve
Y

X
+Z
 -Z

Position A

X Distance for Position A

(Ready to start hot tap)

= X+Y-Z
Tapping
Distance
 Distance for cutter
to complete tap W
CER

pir

PER
Distance for cutter
to complete tap =W
2
2
W= PER- (pir - CER )
 Distance for cutter
to complete tap W
CER

pir PER = 200mm

pir = 185mm
CER = 150mm

2 2
W= 200 - (185 - 150 )
PER
W= 200 - (34225 - 22500)
Distance for cutter
to complete tap =W W= 200 - 11725
2 2 W= 200 - 108.28
W= PER- (pir - CER )
W= 91.72mm
Pilot Distance (V)
Pilot Distance (V)

Tapping Distance

=V+W

Note V+W < PER+pir

Once cutter through by
calculated
measurement, machine
should be stopped and
cutter advanced to
confirm tap completed.
Coupon retained
by ‘U’ Wire
Coupon retained
by ‘U’ Wire
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn
Coupon and cutter
are withdrawn