Pre-fabricated Pipe Spool and Piping System
A pipe spool is an assimilation of piping components, which is prefabricated in a piping shop, for installation in the field. They are often flanged to facilitate the connection to other spools. Pipe spools are the pre-build parts of a piping system. Pipes, flanges, and fittings are called pipe spools and they are produced before they are used in the piping system.
Advantages Pre-fabricated Pipe Spool:
1. Cost Savings in Fabrication, Inspection & Testing
2. High accuracies on specified tolerances will avoid rework at site.
3. Weather independent fabrication will minimize production delays.
4. Prefabricated Pipe Spools are the perfect answer to severe skill & labor shortage.
5. Prefabricated Pipe Spools will take lesser fabrication assembly time, thereby avoiding time & cost overruns.
6. Prefabricated Spools will entail no or little investments in fabrication & testing equipments.
Components of Piping System
The most common components of a piping system are pipes, fittings and valves.
- Pipes: Pipes are long cylinders used to carry or transfer fluids. The most common fluids are water, steam, oil, air, milk or finished products like paints, juices. Other uncommon examples include pulp, acids, alkalies, chemicals etc.
- Pipe Fittings: Pipe fittings are used to connect lengths of pipes to construct a long piping system; commonly used fittings are flanges, elbows, tees, reducers, expansion bellows etc.
- Valves: Valves are used to stop, divert or control fluid flow. Common valve types are gate valves, globe valves, butterfly valves, ball valves, control valves; the selection is based on intended function and application.
In addition, a number of devices like strainers, traps, expansion loops are necessary for keeping the fluid clean and in good condition, and to accommodate expansion/contraction due to temperature variations.
