Low Cost Weld Purge Plugs for
Tube and Pipe Weld Purging
Due to tight budgets, welders sometimes have to construct their
own Weld Purging Equipment, often made from materials such
as paper, card, sponge or foam. Homemade dams made from such
materials can often lead to loss of welds when they leak or slip
from position thus flooding the welding zone with oxygen.
The Pipestoppers® Division of Huntingdon
Fusion Techniques HFT® manufacture a range
of low cost, lightweight Weld Purge Plugs for a
variety of applications where the pipe sizes are
0.5 to 6” (12 to 150 mm) diameter.
Ron Sewell, Chairman for HFT® said: “Our Weld
Purge Plugs are a great barrier for purging pipes when
welding alloys and stainless steel. Manufactured
with a hollow shaft, these plugs can be used for weld
purging smaller diameter pipes and miscellaneous
stubs.”
“They are available in a number of ready-made kits
containing plugs ideally suited for the most popular
size of pipes, all of which are available for immediate
delivery.”
The rubber seals are made of natural black rubber
but can be manufactured with sealing rings made of
silicone, viton or nitrile rubbers, which make them
suitable for use with petrochemical fluids, high
temperatures or any other conditions that might
arise during use.
The plugs are supplied with a hollow shaft with an
outside ½” BSP thread for screwing on a standard
hose connection or solid shaft versions up to 1.5”
diameter for pressure testing.
HFT’s Nylon Plugs can be used for many other
applications, including garden ponds, pool and
spas and on yachts. Other applications include
the stopping of pipes to prevent foreign bodies or
liquids from entering or gases and liquids from
10 TUBE NEWS September 2019
escaping, blocking pipes in order to carry out routine
maintenance, repair work and leak testing. As
“overnight stoppers” they provide a strong barrier in
pipeline activities, to prevent foreign bodies entering
the line during downtime.
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https://www.huntingdonfusion.com/index.php/en_gb/
technical-support/white-papers-40017/267-help-
with-orbital-welding