Field Joint Coating (Pipeline Induction Heat)

CRC-Evans Pipeline Induction Heat is a specialist field joint coating applicator providing services to
onshore, offshore and spoolbase pipeline construction contractors. Since 1!" the co#pan$ has diversified
fro# the original core business of providing induction heating services for %elding to offering a full range of
anti-corrosion, insulation and profile infill solutions for pipeline field joints.
&ur business is to provide application e'uip#ent and #aterial solutions that protect pipelines fro#
corrosion, heat loss and #echanical da#age at the field joint %hile at the sa#e ti#e providing contractors
%ith fast, clean, efficient and co##erciall$ attractive sub-contract services.
(ll our bespo)e e'uip#ent is designed to provide high speed and repeatable application of the field joint
#aterials. (t the sa#e ti#e the auto#ated e'uip#ent is built to reduce #aterial consu#ption, %astage and
hence environ#ental da#age. (uto#ated application #ethods #ini#ise the ris) to the health and safet$ of
the coating personnel b$ reducing e*posure to har#ful #aterials and reducing fatigue, that can often lead to
errors or accidents.
Fused Field Joint Coating (FFJ)
In order to provide a totall$ co#patible field joint coating s$ste# for + la$er pol$olefin coated pipelines, %e
have developed a heat assisted helicall$ %rapped tape application s$ste#.
,he s$ste# utili-es e*isting e'uip#ent for abrasive blasting . surface preparation and application of a fusion
bonded epo*$ /01E2 plus che#icall$ #odified pol$prop$lene /C3PP2 or pol$eth$lene /C3PE2 dual
po%der base la$ers. ,his la$er is then follo%ed i##ediatel$ b$ the #achine applied pol$prop$lene /PP2 or
pol$eth$lene /PE2 tape.
,his ensures
,otal integration bet%een factor$ and field joint coatings
Co#parable perfor#ance /i.e. no 4%ea)-lin)42
1etter 'ualit$
(uto#atic #achine application - repeatable results
0aster c$cle - ti#es
Reduced #aterial %astage I#proved #echanical . ph$sical properties
( tougher coating /%ith high earl$ strength2
,he concept of the 0used 0ield 5oint results in co#plete fusion bet%een both the individual la$ers of
helicall$ %rapped tape to one another and to the factor$ coating overlap so that there is no discernible
interface bet%een the factor$ and field joint coatings.
,his s$ste# no% has an e*tensive trac) record of use on overland and offshore pipelines, as %ell as in
spoolbases.
Fusion Bonded Epoxy (FBE)
0usion bonded epo*$ /01E2 is a one part, heat curing /ther#osetting2 po%der. Its use as a line pipe coating
has been established for #an$ $ears and the application of a co#parable 01E #aterial at the field joint area
ensures co#patible anti-corrosion protection for the entire pipeline length. (ccordingl$ PIH has pioneered
the auto#atic application of 01E to the field %eld area. ,he auto#atic #achines ensure repeatabilit$ of
results for each field joint b$ accuratel$ appl$ing the appropriate a#ount of 01E #aterial to #eet the
re'uire#ents of the specification. Hence #aterial costs are reduced and little if an$ po%der escapes to
at#osphere protecting both the environ#ent and the field operators.
,he 01E coated field joints offer6
Superior adhesion to the pipe substrate
Stabilit$ and resilience to higher pipeline operating te#peratures
Stabilit$ and resilience to che#ical conta#inants in sub-soil or sub-sea environ#ents
Eas$ detection and repair of an$ holida$s in the field applied coating
7o shielding of the cathodic protection s$ste#
8ood resistance to cathodic disbond#ent
,otal co#patibilit$ %ith the #ill applied 01E coating
Single la$er or dual la$er application, dual la$er offering greater #echanical abrasion resistance
In single la$er s$ste#s the po%der is applied to the pipe b$ the on-pipe rotating #achine in a fi*ed nu#ber
of passes to a thic)ness of up to !"" #icrons /+" #ils2 and to a band%idth of up to. 0or dual la$er s$ste#s
the second la$er is applied during the gel ti#e of the first la$er of 01E %ith the sa#e on-pipe rotating
#achine but via a different feed. ( per#anent che#ical bond is established bet%een the t%o la$ers of 01E,
offering the best possible field joint characteristics. ,$pical thic)ness of the dual la$er s$ste# is up to 1,"""
#icrons /9" #ils2 and the sa#e band%idths as for single la$er s$ste#.
0or offshore and spool base applications, PIH utilise closed c$cle abrasive blasting as %ell as a vacuu#
recover$ s$ste# on the 01E application #achines to ensure a clean and health$ environ#ent in the vicinit$
of the coating stations.
Multi-Component Liquid (MCL)
(s a result of the need to produce repeatable, high 'ualit$ and reliable field joint coating s$ste#s, 3ulti-
Co#ponent :i'uid coatings /3C:2 have graduall$ beco#e #ore %idel$ used as the coating s$ste# of
choice, in the international onshore pipeline construction industr$ for #ulti-la$er and fusion bonded epo*$
coated pipelines.
3C: field joint coating s$ste# offers6
Co#patibilit$ %ith the factor$ applied coating
E*cellent adhesive bond to the factor$ coating overlap areas
Repeatable and consistent on-site application
Short application c$cle ti#e
0ast cure allo%ing for reduced period before lo%ering in of the pipeline
Si#ple non-destructive on-site testing
&ne other advantage of the li'uid s$ste# is that the cathodic protection s$ste# %ill not be co#pro#ised,
hence ensuring a continuous flo% of current to an$ defect. 3an$ other field joint coating s$ste#s shield the
CP s$ste# and hence defects #a$ go undetected leading to serious failure in the anti-corrosion coating
s$ste#.
,here are #an$ different urethane and epo*$ based 3C: coatings %hich offer particular properties
appropriate to the pipeline para#eters. 3aterial selection %ill be based on a nu#ber of factors ; parent
coating, cli#atic conditions, operating te#perature and pipeline handling conditions during construction.
In order to #a)e the #ost of the technical benefits of the 3ulti-Co#ponent :i'uid coatings available in the
#ar)et, PIH has designed and developed a fa#il$ of auto#atic coating application #achines. 7ot onl$ does
the e'uip#ent #eter the individual li'uid co#ponents to the spra$ head in the correct ratio, but the on-pipe
rotating spra$ ring applies the #aterial in a consistentl$ even and repeatable #anner to the specified
thic)ness and band %idth. In this design the consu#ption of the li'uid is reduced to the absolute #ini#u#
since over spra$ and %astage is virtuall$ eli#inated %ith obvious HSE benefits.
Since the application thic)ness is directl$ related to the nu#ber of rotations of the #achine, once the
procedure is proven b$ pre-production testing, the #achine %ill be pre-progra##ed for the project and can
then be operated b$ personnel %ho are trained and supervised b$ our technicians. Relativel$ s#all coating
cre%s %ill be re'uired consisting #ainl$ of locall$ supplied labour, #a)ing the use of 3C: field joint
coating s$ste#s ver$ co##erciall$ attractive. ,he e'uip#ent can be insulated and trace heated to assist %ith
application in lo% a#bient te#perature conditions.
&ur auto#ated spra$ e'uip#ent has been refined over #an$ $ears and offers ver$ high dail$ production
rates appl$ing the li'uid coating to a t$pical dft of 1,""" #icron thic)ness and an overlap onto the factor$
coating of <" ## - =< ##.
Inection Molded Polyu!et"ane (IMP#)
In order to provide an alternative $et co#patible field joint coating s$ste# for +:PP anti-corrosion coated
pipelines and a versatile solution for 3ulti-la$er PP and S$ntactic P> insulated pipelines PIH have
developed and refined the process of using Injection 3oulded Pol$urethane /I3P>2.
,hese field joint coating s$ste#s provide anti-corrosion and /%here necessar$2 ther#al insulation si#ilar to
the #ainline factor$ coating %hilst allo%ing routine application %ithin the rapid production c$cle ti#es
de#anded b$ toda$4s pipeline construction industr$.
Si#ilar perfor#ance to that of the parent coating can consistentl$ be achieved using state of the art solid or
s$ntactic pol$urethane injection #oulded coatings. ,hese co#bine a lo% overall heat transfer coefficient
/&H,C2 %ith the abilit$ to perfor# at elevated operating te#peratures, %hilst also providing e*cellent
stand-alone anti-corrosion properties.
PIH have further engineered portable containeri-ed I3P> coating #odules to house all specialist purpose
built dispensing e'uip#ent. ,hese containerised units can be easil$ transported to the job-site b$
conventional shipping #ethods, facilitating rapid set-up and deplo$#ent alongside the pipeline %elded
joints at site.
I3P> field joint s$ste#s are no% available to offer total co#patibilit$ %ith the follo%ing factor$ applied
coatings6
Standard thin-fil# /t$picall$ 1.< to 9.< ## thic)ness2 +-la$er pol$prop$lene or pol$eth$lene e*ternal anti-
corrosion coating s$ste#s.
3ulti-la$er fusion bonded epo*$ po%der /01E2 . solid pol$urethane elasto#er s$ste#s /for operating
te#peratures t$picall$ up to 1?<@C2.
Solid or S$ntactic Pol$urethane . s$ste#s, for pipelines %here a ver$ lo% &H,C /lo% 4A4 factor2 is
necessar$.
3ulti-la$er co#posite coatings incorporating an 01E base coat . co-pol$#er la$er . a thic) foa#ed
pol$prop$lene . plus a solid pol$prop$lene sleeve /topcoat2.
In addition to offshore la$barge production, our I3P> s$ste# has been proven to be ideall$ suited to
onshore spoolbase operations, %here the pipes are rapidl$ %elded and field joint coated on-line prior to
spooling the coated pipe strings onto the reel ship for subse'uent offshore pipe la$.
,he benefits offered b$ the I3P> 0ield 5oint Coating are6
Highl$ co#patible %ith thin fil# and #ulti-la$er pol$prop$lene or pol$eth$lene line pipe coatings
Inco#pressible pol$urethane #aterial suitable for deep %ater applications
Co#parable ther#al perfor#ance to factor$ applied insulation coating
3oderate pre-heat onl$ to accelerate curing process
Suitable for operating te#peratures up to 1?<@C
Suitable for field joints including 5-:a$ collars
:ittle dia#eter specific e'uip#ent re'uired
0ast application and cure ti#es
Inection Molded Polyp!opylene (IMPP)
,her#al insulation is installed to H$drocarbon pipes in order to #aintain the re'uired flo% rates, opti#i-e
productivit$ and reduce processing costs. ,his has led to the develop#ent of ne% and innovative ther#al
insulation s$ste#s, %hich in addition to i#proved ther#al efficiencies, %ill lead to i#proved energ$ savings
and reduced environ#ental i#pact.
PIH has developed the Injection 3oulded Pol$prop$lene Coating S$ste# /I3PP2 based on proven
technolog$, providing e*cellent ther#al insulation values offering the sa#e overall >-value as the factor$
coating. 0ollo%ing the %elding of ther#all$ insulated pipes at the project location, I3PP ther#al insulation
is then applied to the %elded joint area in order to #aintain the integrit$ and ther#al properties of the pipe
s$ste#. ,he I3PP s$ste# has been designed to be full$ co#patible %ith the line pipe coating and the
injection #oulding process can be applied both in spoolbase and offshore environ#ents both in S-la$ and 5-
la$ configurations.
Polyu!et"ane Foam Field Joint In$ill
Infilling the field joint void on concrete %eight coated pipe has traditionall$ been perfor#ed b$ pouring hot
#arine #astic into a #ould around the joint. ,he #ould is usuall$ left in place %hen over-boarded b$ the
la$barge. ,he #astic needs to be heated to #elt it prior to pouring, a process that consu#es a large a#ount
of energ$. 0urther#ore, the #astic is poured hot, around ?"""C and is therefore ha-ardous to handle. In
response to this, PIH has provides an alternative P> based infill s$ste# offering i#proved HSE securit$ as
%ell as the follo%ing beneficial features.
1enefits of the PIH alternative6
Co##erciall$ attractive
Rapid c$cle ti#es
Re-usable or e*pendable . disposable/#etallic or plastic2 #ould s$ste#s
Co#pact, reliable application e'uip#ent
Co#patibilit$ %ith all conventional anti-corrosion field joint coating s$ste#s
&BP - -ero categor$ for#ulation
7o solvents re'uired - all e'uip#ent is air.%ater-purged
( range of foa# densities are available
Ra% 3aterial Storage re'uires onl$ 1C to ?"D of that needed for #arine #astic.
,he custo#-designed high densit$ pol$urethane foa# /HBP02 has a t$pical unsaturated #oulded densit$
bet%een " )g per cubic #etre and 1C" )g per cubic #etre.
0or#ulated specificall$ for pipeline field joint applications, the HBP0 s$ste# develops a rigid, open cell
structure. >pon i##ersion, the open cells %ill absorb %ater, thereb$ increasing in overall densit$ to
appro*i#atel$ 1"?< )g.#+ /si#ilar to sea%ater itself2.
,he lo%-viscosit$ product for#ulation of the HBP0 s$ste# allo%s 4free-flo%4 of che#icals, to assure 'uic)
and co#plete filling of the #ould, %ithin the c$cle ti#es de#anded b$ toda$4s la$barge operators.
,he infilling s$ste# can incorporate reusable or disposable #oulds. Reusable #oulding is used in
conjunction %ith a cardboard fibre liner, to create a superior high strength co#posite s)in. ,his s$ste# %ill
allo% the de#oulded field joint to pass over the la$barge rollers and stinger %ithout da#age due to the fibre
liner beco#ing e#bedded in the surface of the foa# creating a resilient outer s)in to the joint.
Bisposable plastic or #etal #oulds can be used as re'uired b$ environ#ental and operational de#ands. ,he
application e'uip#ent is neat and co#pact consisting of little #ore than ? holding tan)s, s#all pu#ping
e'uip#ent and dispensing hoses and no--les.
Polyp!opylene Flame-%p!ay
In order to provide a totall$ co#patible field joint coating s$ste# for + :a$er Pol$prop$lene or Pol$eth$lene
coated pipelines, %e have refined the process of appl$ing PP or PE po%der b$ the fla#e spra$ techni'ue.
Po%der is carried in a strea# of air and is fed into the centre of an annular co#bustion fla#e %here it is
heated. ( second outer annular no--le feeds a strea# of air, around the po%der strea# %hich accelerates the
spra$ particles to%ards the substrate and prevents burning of the po%der.
,he s$ste# uses e*isting e'uip#ent for abrasive blasting.surface preparation and application of fusion
bonded epo*$ /01E2 plus che#icall$ #odified pol$prop$lene or pol$eth$lene /C3PP or C3PE2 dual-
po%der base la$ers. ,he overall thic)ness re'uired is then achieved b$ appl$ing po%der b$ a fla#e-spra$
gun.
,he fla#e-spra$ field joint coating s$ste# provides a full +-la$er s$ste#, %hich is highl$ adjustable to field
conditions %here coating thic)nesses of up to <## are re'uired.
,he fla#e-spra$ s$ste# can also provide a useful service for tie-ins or as a bac)-up for PIH pol$prop$lene
or pol$eth$lene 0used 0ield 5oint s$ste# as %ell as being a thoroughbred field joint coating s$ste# in itself.
,he s$ste# has an e*tensive trac) record of use on overland and offshore pipelines, as %ell as in spoolbases.
Induction Heat &!eatment
,he i#portance of fast, accurate and unifor# heating as part of the pipeline %elding specification has gro%n
significantl$. ,his has resulted fro# the increased use of heav$ %all pipe and #odern auto#atic and se#i-
auto#atic %elding s$ste#s.
,raditional gas fla#e and resistance heating s$ste#s are often i#practical %here higher te#peratures are
specified. ,he$ are not onl$ too slo% to #eet the c$cle ti#es de#anded b$ the industr$, but also the heating
is too inaccurate and lac)s unifor#it$ around the full circu#ference and band%idth of the %eld joint.
,he benefits of the induction heating s$ste# are6
3uch faster te#perature rise than gas or resistance heating
Eariable control over te#perature.ti#e para#eters
(ccurate, unifor# heating over a controlled band%idth and around the full pipe circu#ference
0ast, accurate, reliable and cost-effective
3ini#al da#age /if an$2 to factor$ coating
Besigned %ith the la$ contractor in #ind
E'uip#ent is robust and reliable
Si#ple, light%eight, user-friendl$ e'uip#ent operation
Induction heat is 4direct into #etal4
7o deleterious surface residues are produced
7o na)ed fla#es or e*posed ele#ents
Heat is localised
,e#perature #easure#ents sta$ %ithin specification
Boes a%a$ %ith the need to set aside a large storage area for gas
>nli)e gas heating, the induction s$ste# is not i#paired b$ ver$ lo% a#bient te#peratures
Pre-%eld Heating
Pipeline Induction Heat4s pre-%eld induction heating s$ste#s have been designed for both onshore and
offshore field operation, at #ainline . front end or double jointing locations. &riginall$ engineered for use on
large dia#eter heav$ %all pipes, in association %ith auto#atic %elding s$ste#s, induction pre-heat is
e'uall$ useful %here #anual stic)-%elding is being e#plo$ed during cold %eather conditions.
Re-Heat
In certain circu#stances, particularl$ for offshore fast production pipe la$ using auto#atic %elding s$ste#s,
une*pected dela$s can disrupt the %elding process on the la$ barge firing-line.
,hese 4hold-ups4 can lead to degradation of the partiall$ %elded joint, %hich #a$ re'uire further filling
before it is full$ co#pleted. ,o prevent degradation and e#brittle#ent of the %eld, %hich could lead to a
negative 7B, . F-ra$ result do%n line, PIH have designed a re-heat induction heating s$ste#. ,his consists
of a hinged coil designed to pass heat into the localised area of the %eld #argin onl$.
Interpass Heating
(s an integral part of #an$ #odern pipeline %elding specifications Interpass Heating is perfor#ed at a
nu#ber of %elding stations, in order to prevent stresses building up in the %eld #etal, %hich %ould
other%ise necessitate a post-%eld stress relieving /annealing2 c$cle.
0or offshore operations, hinged Interpass.Re-Heat induction heating coils are suspended b$ air hoists fro# a
#onorail %hich runs overhead to the %elding stations, either at the #ainline or double joint areas. Ghen
re'uired, the coil can be rapidl$ located around the partl$ %elded field joint. ,he coil is i##ediatel$
energised and the joint te#perature boosted to a level %hich co#plies %ith the %elding specification, thus
overco#ing an$ hardness or #ini#u# heat re'uire#ents at the ne*t %elding station.
&ur Interpass.Re-Heat s$ste#s are generall$ offered as an 4e*tra4, %hen a client selects to utilise PIH
induction pre-heat s$ste#s.
Post Geld Heat ,reat#ent
PIH4s post-%eld induction heating s$ste# is intended for la$ barge operation, for dia#eters ranging fro# CH
to =?H, %ith no li#it on %all thic)ness. ,e#perature ranges are t$picall$ " to C<"@C.
,he purpose of induction post-heating is to provide a rapid, accurate heating c$cle, to stress-relieve /anneal2
a recentl$ %elded pipe joint. ,his is t$picall$ re'uired follo%ing specialist auto#atic %elding of ver$ heav$
%all pipe, %hich can result in e#brittle#ent of the %eld #etal, leading to unacceptable 4hardness values4. ,o
overco#e this proble#, the %eld area #ust be subjected to a pre-calculated heat treat#ent progra##e,
%ithin the fast la$barge %elding production c$cle.