Industry | Manufacturing, Fire Protection, HVAC, Plumbing |
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Headquarters | Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Richard A. Bucher (Chairman & CEO), |
Website | victaulic.com |
Victaulic is a developer and manufacturer of mechanical pipe joining systems, and the originator of the grooved pipe couplings joining system. [1] The firm is a global company with 15 major manufacturing facilities, 28 branches, and over 3600 employees worldwide. Currently, its headquarters is located in Easton, Pennsylvania.
Grooved coupling pipe joining systems uses a roll grooving technique to join pipes and pipe joining components. A groove is formed on the outside of the pipes near the ends to be joined. Each groove receives a gasket, and these ends are then the male partners into a female coupling housing. The gasket creates a pressure responsive seal on the outside diameter of the pipe, unlike standard compression joints, where pressure acts to separate the seal. The gasket sealing is enhanced as the coupling housing is tightened onto the pipe end. "The economics of the grooved method derive from simplified assembly that involves three basic concepts: a pressure responsive gasket that creates a leak-tight seal; couplings that hold the pipe together; and fasteners that secure the couplings. [2]
Victaulic specializes in the development of couplings, valves, and fitting technologies for a variety of industries. Its main products are:
The original purpose of the Victaulic pipe joint was for military applications but quickly gained popularity in other commercial and industrial markets. The concept emerged when inventor Lieutenant Ernest Tribe, of the Royal Engineers, devised a special form of joint for use on pipes and cylinders containing gases and chemicals under very high pressure. Tribe, in conjunction with Dr Henry Hele-Shaw, a noted English hydraulic engineer, had been engaged by the British Government during the war to advance trench warfare tactics. [10]
On 4 April 1919, Lt Tribe filed the patent for what is now known as the Victaulic coupling.
My invention is for an improved pipe joint which obviates the necessity for raising flanges at the ends of the pipes to be joined. I do not attempt to butt the ends of pipe together in order to form a fluid-tight joint, either with or without a packing ring between, but employ instead one packing ring made of flexible material, the form of which is an essential feature of the invention.
— Tribe U.K. Patent 149,381 filing – 4 April 1919. [11]
Shortly thereafter, the Victory Pipe Joint Co. was established in London, England and a second patent was filed in both names. Dr Hele-Shaw had numerous inventions including the multiple-plate clutch, stream-line filter, variable-pitch propeller, and Victaulic pipe joint. [12]
Victaulic fittings were used in tunnels, ship work, and borings. The demand for dependable pipeline systems increased during World War II. The earlier methods of distributing petroleum during war included shipping it overseas and dispersing by tank car, truck, or rail. [13]
In 2014, Benson Tower Condominium owners brought an action against Victaulic relating to alleged elastomer degradation due to chloramine and temperatures. Plaintiff alleges that "[s]ince the early 1990s, Victaulic was aware that its Victaulic Products were susceptible to failure when exposed to chloramines or other approved and recommended applications and that the failure of the Victaulic Products caused damage to the systems and buildings into which they were installed." FAC ¶ 78. Specifically, "[b]efore construction of [Benson Tower], Victaulic knew that the Victaulic Products would fail when exposed to temperatures far less than 230°F, even though Victaulic represented and approved that the Victaulic Products were acceptable and recommended for use up to 230 °F. Victaulic failed to disclose this fact to its consumers, including Plaintiff." Victaulic filed a motion to dismiss the Plaintiff's claims. In the end, the court rule that "defendant Victaulic Company's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's claims for fraud, negligent misrepresentation, and violation of the UTPA and to strike punitive damages (Dkt. 58) is granted in part and denied in part." [14]
In 2017, Victaulic settled $600,000 in a claim brought against the company for U.S. trade compliance violations. Customs Fraud Investigations, LLC suspected Victaulic Company failed to pay marking duties to the United States by knowingly importing unmarked foreign-made pipe fittings without telling United States Customs. The case and ruling continue to be used as a reference for trade compliance and customs laws. [15]
Plumbing is any system that conveys fluids for a wide range of applications. Plumbing uses pipes, valves, plumbing fixtures, tanks, and other apparatuses to convey fluids. Heating and cooling (HVAC), waste removal, and potable water delivery are among the most common uses for plumbing, but it is not limited to these applications. The word derives from the Latin for lead, plumbum, as the first effective pipes used in the Roman era were lead pipes.
A flange is a protruded ridge, lip or rim, either external or internal, that serves to increase strength ; for easy attachment/transfer of contact force with another object ; or for stabilizing and guiding the movements of a machine or its parts. Flanges are often attached using bolts in the pattern of a bolt circle.
A fire sprinkler system is an active fire protection method, consisting of a water supply system providing adequate pressure and flowrate to a water distribution piping system, to which fire sprinklers are connected. Although initially used only in factories and large commercial buildings, systems for homes and small buildings are now available at a cost-effective price.
Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid.
A drain-waste-vent system is the combination of pipes and plumbing fittings that captures sewage and greywater within a structure and routes it toward a water treatment system. It includes venting to the exterior environment to prevent a vacuum from forming and impeding fixtures such as sinks, showers, and toilets from draining freely, and employs water-filled traps to block dangerous sewer gasses from entering a plumbed structure.
Hydraulic machines use liquid fluid power to perform work. Heavy construction vehicles are a common example. In this type of machine, hydraulic fluid is pumped to various hydraulic motors and hydraulic cylinders throughout the machine and becomes pressurized according to the resistance present. The fluid is controlled directly or automatically by control valves and distributed through hoses, tubes, or pipes.
A compression fitting is a fitting used in plumbing and electrical conduit systems to join two tubes or thin-walled pipes together. In instances where two pipes made of dissimilar materials are to be joined, the fittings will be made of one or more compatible materials appropriate for the connection. Compression fittings for attaching tubing (piping) commonly have compression rings, called ferrules or olives, in them, and are sometimes referred to as flareless fittings. There are also flare fittings that do not require ferrules/olives.
A fire sprinkler or sprinkler head is the component of a fire sprinkler system that discharges water when the effects of a fire have been detected, such as when a predetermined temperature has been exceeded. Fire sprinklers are extensively used worldwide, with over 40 million sprinkler heads fitted each year. In buildings protected by properly designed and maintained fire sprinklers, over 99% of fires were controlled by fire sprinklers alone.
This is a glossary of firefighting equipment.
A hose coupling is a connector on the end of a hose to connect it with another hose or with a tap or a hose appliance, such as an irrigation sprinkler. It is usually made of steel, brass, stainless steel, aluminium or plastic.
A pipe is a tubular section or hollow cylinder, usually but not necessarily of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow — liquids and gases (fluids), slurries, powders and masses of small solids. It can also be used for structural applications; hollow pipe is far stiffer per unit weight than solid members.
Pressure drop is defined as the difference in total pressure between two points of a fluid carrying network. A pressure drop occurs when frictional forces, caused by the resistance to flow, act on a fluid as it flows through a conduit. This friction converts some of the fluid’s hydraulic energy to thermal energy. Since the thermal energy cannot be converted back to hydraulic energy, the fluid experiences a drop in pressure, as is required by conservation of energy.
A fitting or adapter is used in pipe systems to connect sections of pipe or tube, adapt to different sizes or shapes, and for other purposes such as regulating fluid flow. These fittings are used in plumbing to manipulate the conveyance of fluids such as water for potatory, irrigational, sanitary, and refrigerative purposes, gas, petroleum, liquid waste, or any other liquid or gaseous substances required in domestic or commercial environments, within a system of pipes or tubes, connected by various methods, as dictated by the material of which these are made, the material being conveyed, and the particular environmental context in which they will be used, such as soldering, mortaring, caulking, plastic welding, welding, friction fittings, threaded fittings, and compression fittings.
A pipefitter or steamfitter is a tradesman who installs, assembles, fabricates, maintains, and repairs mechanical piping systems. Pipefitters usually begin as helpers or apprentices. Journeyman pipefitters deal with industrial/commercial/marine piping and heating/cooling systems. Typical industrial process pipe is under high pressure, which requires metals such as carbon steel, stainless steel, and many different alloy metals fused together through precise cutting, threading, grooving, bending, and welding. A plumber concentrates on lower pressure piping systems for sewage and potable tap water in the industrial, commercial, institutional, or residential atmosphere. Utility piping typically consists of copper, PVC, CPVC, polyethylene, and galvanized pipe, which is typically glued, soldered, or threaded. Other types of piping systems include steam, ventilation, hydraulics, chemicals, fuel, and oil.
Plastic pipe is a tubular section, or hollow cylinder, made of plastic. It is usually, but not necessarily, of circular cross-section, used mainly to convey substances which can flow—liquids and gases (fluids), slurries, powders and masses of small solids. It can also be used for structural applications; hollow pipes are far stiffer per unit weight than solid members.
John Crane is an American company, now a subsidiary of Smiths Group and provider of engineered products and services including mechanical seals, couplings, seal support systems, filtration systems and digital diagnostics technologies. The company services customers in the energy services sector including production, transmission and storage, refining, power generation, petrochemical, pulp and paper, and mining industries.
Ductile iron pipe is pipe made of ductile cast iron commonly used for potable water transmission and distribution. This type of pipe is a direct development of earlier cast iron pipe, which it has superseded.
Dixon Valve & Coupling Company, LLC is a manufacturer and supplier of hose fittings and accessories. The company, often referred to as just Dixon, offers products for fire protection, food processing, dairy processing, beverage and brewery operations, industrial manufacturing, mining, construction, chemical processing, petroleum processing and refining, oilfields, mobile tankers and agricultural operations. Dixon Valve, which was founded by H. W. Goodall in 1916, maintains manufacturing, warehouse, sales or service facilities in eleven U.S. states. It also has sales and service offices on five continents. Its international headquarters are in Chestertown, Maryland (USA).
Grinnell Mechanical Products, a brand of Tyco International Ltd., manufactures grooved piping and mechanical products. Grinnell Mechanical Products specializes in mechanical, fire, HVAC, commercial, mining, institutional and industrial applications. Grinnell grooved products are used in various industries because they are historically more efficient than flanged, welded, and threaded pipe joining methods. Key product lines include grooved couplings and fittings, G-PRESS systems, strainers, stainless steel systems, copper systems, and G-MINE PVC systems. Grinnell Mechanical Products offers mechanical services used for supporting engineering and design. These include 2D and 3D drawings for the mechanical room and design suggestions and easy to follow installation drawings with legends for each pump.
ISO 2852Stainless steel clamp pipe couplings for the food industry was an international standard that defines a non-permanent sanitary food-grade piping interconnect method, commonly used in the food processing industry and with dairy farm equipment.