PurgElite® for Zero Colour Tube and Pipe Welds

Welders can spend hours filling entire tubes and pipes with an expensive inert gas in order to achieve oxide free, zero colour stainless steel welds.

After more than 40 years of innovation, design and manufacturing expertise in the field of tube and pipe weld purging, Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT® has introduced PurgElite®, a range of low cost Tube and Pipe Purging Systems to achieve a clean, oxide free, zero colour weld in just minutes.

Ron Sewell, Chairman for HFT® said: “To save welders the expense of completely filling tubes and pipes with an inert gas, PurgElite® Systems are available, manufactured to suit pipe diameters from 1” to 24” (25 to 600 mm). They are designed with a robust inflatable bag on either side of a spinal tube that is used for inflation. They inflate and seal in the pipe, restricting the volume that is needed to be purged, to just 250 mm either side of the weld joint.”

The special spinal tube is resistant to hot metal up to 300oC (572oF) and is super flexible to allow movement of the PurgElite® Systems around 180o bends if necessary. These spinal tubes are made of a low outgassing rate material, so there is no risk of weld contamination.

Each PurgElite® features IntaCal®, a purge gas feed device, which means there is no complicated valve to adjust and set. A centrepiece glow positioning indicator RootGlo® comes as standard to ensure the system can be positioned accurately inside the tube or pipe. In addition there is no metal braiding on the high temperature resistant gas hose connecting the two inflatable dams, which could be accidentally welded to the root of a joint or which could scratch the internal bore of an electro polished tube on entry or on removal.

Quick connect/disconnect fittings with collets and ‘O’ ring seals for gas tight sealing, fitted with anti-release circlip are fitted to all Systems to prevent parts accidentally separating inside pipes.

HFT®’s innovative PurgeGate® Valve is available as an accessory, a unique one way valve suitable for all types of Inflatable Pipe Weld Purging Systems. PurgeGate® regulates the gas flow and pressure during weld purging to prevent the dams from over inflating and bursting.  

Heat Resistant Covers with a rating up to a temperature of 300oC are available as accessories to protect the inflatable dams. These are attached with ties sewn into the covers.

By using PurgElite® Tube and Pipe Purging Systems companies can save significant amounts of money in both time and inert gas costs.

HFT® offer a live demonstration where required and they can send a return on investment chart to show you how quickly it pays to use up to date technology from the very first weld.

Watch the PurgElite® demonstration video, available at: https://youtu.be/Q-dSRpPvd1s

Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT® have a worldwide Exclusive Distributor network, which can be found at www.huntingdonfusion.com.