For some projects industrial piping is fabricated on-site in close proximately to where it will be installed. However, more often it is fabricated off-site in an industrial fabrication facility and then shipped to the worksite in large pipe spools that can be easily fitted together and installed. This shop fabrication offers many significant advantages that are not possible with field fabrication. Let’s take a look at several of the most important advantages of shop fabrication for industrial piping.
No Weather Delays
One major advantage of shop fabrication for industrial piping is that it prevents delays associated with inclement weather. Depending on the area, season, and particular weather cycle days or even weeks of work could be lost to bad weather. Even if the weather occurs outside of business hours it can easily have a spillover effect by making roads inaccessible or creating muddy or slushy working environments. By contrast for shop fabrication it doesn’t matter if it is raining, snowing, or sleeting at the jobsite, fabrication workers can work comfortably and steadily in the fabrication facility ensuring that the piping is finished on time.
Better Resources
Many industrial fabrication shops, such as the ones used by STI Group, feature state-of-the-art technology and equipment. This is on top of a facility specifically constructed to offer the best productivity and an in-house staff of expert welders and craftsmen who are experienced and familiar with their working environment. By contrast it may not be possible to relocate all of the equipment and staff to the field site, and even if it were possible, the site itself would not be setup as well as a permanent fabrication facility.
Improved Quality
The shop-controlled environment offers stable resources and provides craftsmen the reliable working conditions that pay great dividends in the form of improved efficiency, quality and consistency.
Lower Costs
Because productivity and reliability are so greatly enhanced with shop fabrication compared to field fabrication, the result is lower overall costs. Not only can cost per unit be lower, but a larger quantity of piping can be produced in the same amount of time, further reducing costs and improving the production timeline in the process.
More Rigorous Testing
The US Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) requires thorough testing and inspection of all industrial piping. Thus this testing will be done regardless of where the piping is fabricated. However, piping fabricated in an industrial facility is able to undergo controlled, rigorous testing resulting in product testing efficiency that surpasses most field-fabricated piping testing performances. Furthermore, if code-specified non-conformity is detected less expensive measures can be used to correct any item of concern.
Greater Safety
The rigorous testing and overall greater controllability of the work environment lead to much greater safety for shop fabricated piping. The complete fabrication process itself will be safer in a controlled environment, thereby leading to fewer work-related accidents.
Fewer Disruptions at Worksite
The greater convenience, cost, and safety of shop fabrication works both ways: both to the advantage of the fabrication project itself, as well as to the advantage of the larger project and client. Most industrial worksites are already busy and chaotic enough without adding another team of workers and their large, heavy equipment and materials to the mix. By fabricating the piping off-site the primary worksite will suffer fewer disruptions and less lost productivity.
STI Group delivers high quality, reliable, industry-leading shop fabrication of industrial piping, piping components and modular pipe fabrication. We have more than 450,000 square feet of fabrication space as well as a team of highly skilled pipefitters, pipe welders, pipe fabricators, together with other craftsmen that are here to provide you with comprehensive fabrication services. We have the proven ability to fabricate over 4,000 pipe spools per month with over 105,000 welds per year. Despite this lofty productivity we maintain a weld reject rate of less than 1%. All of our industrial piping fabrication complies with many national, international and or client specific codes and industry standards. For more information please visit our pipe fabrication page.
