The most laborious part of work at installation and repair of any house engineering networks is a preparation and connection of pipes. Among the routine operations that do not lend themselves well to automation are cutting, bending at various angles, edging, threading, connecting pipes by welding, threading couplings, fittings, etc.p. Each of these tasks requires an arsenal of tools, from wrenches to equipment for tapping or crimping press connections.
If installers are not skilled enough, errors in the use of all of this equipment are inevitable, often resulting in broken tools, damaged pipes and connections, and even injuries to workers. Based on the statistics gathered by RIDGID representatives and distributors in America, the world’s leading manufacturer of professional tools for installation and maintenance of pipelines, we can single out the most common mistakes made with different categories of equipment.
A wrench for hands only
Let’s start with the pipe wrenches – the easiest and most reliable hand tools. They are used for assembling and repairing pipelines on threaded and socketed joints, as well as for manipulating parts with edges, such as heads tap-beads or bolts on flange joints, etc.p.
Today’s wrenches are designed to withstand heavy loads and do not need any special storage or care. But keep in mind that they are designed only for human exertion without the use of additional devices – extensions or mechanisms. However, one of the most common mistakes when using wrenches is using leverage to increase force. To achieve this, the arm is lengthened artificially, for example by fitting pipe cuttings to the handle. The most common consequence is distortion buckling of the pipe being handled. In addition, because of the excessive load on the handle, most wrenches can break, which can cause serious injury to workers. RIDGID wrenches made of ductile cast iron have a certain ductility and bend before breaking, thus signaling extremely high loads.
There are known cases when in order to loosen jammed pipes big pipe wrenches with extensions were hooked to bulldozers and excavators. Such use of extensions or excessive force can be easily identified by the distinctive marks left on the key. And this leads to a loss of lifetime warranty on the tool.
By the way, the use of an extra lever often results in overtightening the muff threaded joints that are designed for a certain force. In such cases, the socket can become deformed burst , lose its tightness and leak.
Another category of errors is related to incorrectly gripping the pipe. when the upper jaw of the wrench is at an angle other than 90o to the pipe it experiences additional unrequired load and will wear out faster if you repeatedly clamp it incorrectly. It is also important to emphasize that the wrench should only make contact with the surface of the pipe using the jaws which are often replaceable and not the middle part of the upper g-cheek – this reduces the tool’s service life.
It’s also worth noting that for the installation of plastic, as well as steel and copper polished pipes to avoid unaesthetic scratches should not use the classic pipe wrenches with metal jaws, but special strap-type.
Cut and bend properly
For such frequent operations as pipe cutting, instead of hand saws and “bolt cutters” nowadays more and more often used compact pipe cutters. They are good that they can work in a confined space for example, if the pipe is almost close to the wall , without unnecessary shavings and dangerous sparks. In addition, they do not deform the tube and leave a perfectly straight cut, which is important for most modern joining methods.
Hand operated roller tools are recommended for thin walled copper and steel pipes, including stainless steel. For example, the RIDGID 42A handheld model, with a shortened handle and four cutting rollers, can handle pipe up to 2″ in diameter.
Pipe cutters have a fairly simple design and are difficult to break. One of the most common mistakes is intentionally or unintentionally using the same pipe cutter for different pipe materials. The fact is that the cutting elements rollers are designed for specific materials, and if the roller designed to work with metal plastic pipes, cut a copper pipe, it will quickly blunt. In addition, the cutting edge of the roller also fails prematurely if the pipe cutter is not attached at the correct angle to the pipe or if force is applied to it in the pipe axis. It is worth noting that even though cutting elements are consumables and should be changed periodically, a considerable cost of rollers forces installers to be more attentive to proper use of pipe cutters.
It is also worth mentioning pipe benders that are used for bending metal-plastic and metal pipes. They are said to be very easy to use, but there are a number of nuances. In particular, for universal benders, which can work with pipes of different cross-sections, it is necessary to select the correct bending template. If it does not match the pipe size, while bending the force is distributed unevenly and the pipe will be deformed – the corrugation in other words, it folds “accordion” . In addition, it is important to properly secure all fasteners during each bending operation.
How not to kill the clip
Most mistakes are made with equipment designed for threading – hand-operated or electric clips. These tools are vulnerable to misuse because of the large number of moving parts.
The most common mistake is not enough special threading oil or lack of it. Oil best of all, original oil recommended by a tubing tool manufacturer not only cools working parts of tubing dies during high-speed threading, but also provides cleanliness of thread surface and prevents chips from sticking to threading dies. If you don’t use oil, then the thread-cutting heads break down very quickly and the dies get blunted. In addition, the load on the electric drive increases, which can “burn out” even with the overload protection. This is also very likely to happen if you try to use non-original combs.
Another common mistake is skewed threads relative to the axis of the pipe. The most common reason is wrongly fixed clamp that holds the clamp. This leads not only to connection defects but also to premature wear of dies, heads and motor. And it should be noted that clupe damage caused by such mistakes is a non-warranty case.
Finally, the reluctance of workers to replace worn dies in time due to cost considerations leads to a deterioration in thread quality and depth and, consequently, to faulty connections.
Press tools: you only hope for automation, but make the best of it!
In recent years the press-fit connections for copper, plastic and multi-layer pipes have gained in popularity. Special tools are used for crimping sleeves sleeves that connect pipes with fittings – hand-operated press jaws or electrohydraulic press gun.
If we talk about cordless press gun RIDGID PR 330B, it allows you to work with copper, steel, multi-layer and metal-plastic pipe with a diameter of 12 to 108 mm. The integrated microprocessor controls the optimum contact pressure of the tools 32 kN , prevents the jaws from jamming in the wrong position and signals to the operator when it is time to carry out maintenance. In particular, after 30,000. The yellow service light will illuminate after 32,000 work cycles, and after that the tool can be serviced for up to 80,000 cycles with a warning light. of work cycles is red, and the gun will not work until it has been serviced and calibrated.
Availability of electronic interlocks helps even inexperienced installers avoid most mistakes when using this press tool. But like any high-tech equipment, it must be protected from mechanical damage, contact with water and abrasive substances, extremely low or high temperatures.
Training – the right solution!
In general, errors in tool operation resulting from insufficient training of workers can cost repair and installation organizations dearly. And it is not so much the cost of buying new equipment to replace faulty equipment as the reputation losses due to possible defects in the installation of pipelines and customer dissatisfaction. So you have to pay special attention to training and staff development.
According to managers of construction companies, the most useful are special courses from vocational training centers or seminars of tool manufacturers. For example, the RIDGID Training Center in New York offers free group and individual training to familiarize pipe installers with pipe installation tools and learn how to use them properly in practice.
Classes can be dedicated to a specific category of equipment, e.g. only tongs and gutter presses, pipe cutting and preparation tools.
If there is no possibility to attend such courses, even communication with distributors or sales managers can help to clear up most of the questions and prevent the most frequent and serious mistakes.
What are some common tooling mistakes that readers should be aware of and how can they avoid them?
Could you please clarify what you mean by “tooling mistakes”? Are you referring to errors made during the manufacturing process of tools or equipment? Or do you mean mistakes made in software development or coding? It would be helpful to have more context to provide a more accurate answer.
What are some common tooling mistakes that one should be aware of when working on a project?
Some common tooling mistakes to be aware of when working on a project include improper tool selection, lack of maintenance, inadequate training, and poor tool storage. Improper tool selection can lead to inefficiency and damage to materials or equipment. Neglecting tool maintenance may result in reduced performance or even accidents. Inadequate training can lead to mishandling or misuse of tools, causing errors or injury. Poor tool storage can lead to loss, damage, or difficulty in locating required tools when needed. Being mindful of these mistakes will help ensure smooth project execution and enhance productivity.