A process piping system comprises pipes, valves, fittings, and various control components that facilitate and regulate liquid and gas flow throughout industrial operations. These systems can transport, mix, separate, or pressurize liquids, gases, chemicals, and raw materials, preparing them for use in various primary applications.
At Base Construction, Inc., we pride ourselves on providing quality process piping solutions to clients in Los Angeles and southern California. Our services are designed to help industrial facilities achieve efficient and safe operations through optimized piping systems and fluid conveyance.
Efficiency and Performance
Process piping systems can significantly improve efficiency within an operation and enhance the performance of industrial systems and processes while reducing operational costs. Some ways in which process piping enhances efficiency and performance include:
- Optimizing fluid movement. Process piping allows for the smooth transport of process fluids like liquids and gases throughout industrial systems. For markets like aerospace, for example, optimized fluid flow is important for piping applications in hydraulic systems, fuel lines, and cooling ducts.
- Improving control. Process piping valves enable accurate fluid flow regulation through an industrial system, giving you more control over your operation’s processes.
- Decreasing energy usage. We design process piping systems to mitigate the risk of pressure drops and enhance flow, meaning that transport and pumping tasks require less energy to complete.
- Minimizing waste. These systems utilize connections that safeguard against leakage to prevent costly waste. Minimizing process material loss helps save on resources.
Stringent Safety Standards
Process piping also plays a crucial role in ensuring workplace and product safety in industrial operations. These networks of pipes, valves, and fittings are engineered to handle a broad spectrum of substances at various temperatures and pressures. Stringent safety standards and regulations govern these systems’ design, installation, and maintenance to mitigate risks and ensure safety, covering such aspects as:
- Material choice. Ensuring long-lasting performance and safe operations starts with selecting the right piping material for your application. Common examples include metals and alloys like stainless or carbon steel, but we’ll help you find the ideal material for your application based on the chemical composition and corrosiveness of the liquid or gas passing through your pipes.
- System design and fabrication. A system’s design, as well as the fabrication process our engineers use to build it, must adhere to ASME B31.3 and related industry regulations to help prevent cracks and leakage. Such codes govern acceptable thermal and stress conditions, pressures, and the properties of the liquid or gas within.
- Welding and joining. All welds and joints within a piping assembly must also comply with stringent quality standards, minimizing the risk of leaks. Ultrasonic testing, radiography, and various other non-destructive testing (NDT) methods can help ensure that a weld’s structural integrity is sound.
- Testing and inspecting. Performing inspections on your process piping is important for verifying your pipes’ integrity. Processes ranging from visual inspections to pressure, defect, and pneumatic or hydrostatic tests help confirm pipe strength while identifying any problem areas.
- Installation and maintenance. Safety standards also cover the installation of your piping system, as you need to ensure proper pipe alignment and that the system won’t experience unnecessary strain or stress. Once installed, periodic maintenance checks for wear, corrosion, or erosion will help to ensure your system remains in good working order. Should there be any departure from the piping’s initial design during installation or maintenance, this must be documented and resolved.
Wide Range of Applications
Process piping is well suited to an array of diverse industries and applications.
Chemical Industry
Connecting equipment like reactors, heat exchangers, distillation columns, and storage tanks, process piping within chemical plants helps transfer raw materials, byproducts, and completed products. These piping systems are capable of transferring corrosive substances like acids and bases.
Oil and Gas Industry
Operations like natural gas processing and oil refining use process piping to carry natural gas, crude oil, and refined materials. These systems move oil and gas from offshore locations to onshore plants to ultimately provide power for residences and industrial facilities.
Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
In manufacturing pharmaceuticals, piping systems guarantee the safe transfer of gases, liquids, and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) between equipment like fermenters, purification units, and bioreactors. They provide a sterile option for effective fluid circulation.
Food and Beverage Industry
Food processing facilities, dairies, breweries, and more utilize these hygienic piping systems to move ingredients and finished consumable goods across manufacturing operations. Process piping helps such businesses achieve the necessary product quality to comply with industry safety regulations.
Process Piping From Base Construction
Since 1998, Base Construction has offered quality construction services and process piping solutions to meet our clients’ exact specifications and operational needs. We specialize in pipe routing and support design, testing, painting, insulating, installation, pipe material and valve selection, and more. Contact us to learn more about your process piping options, or request a quote today.
