Welding together pipes rather than using screwed fittings has a number of advantages. We will review some of the major advantages, but by no means is this to include every advantage that pipe welding has. There are many different proprietary ways to connect pipes for different applications and we will not attempt to discuss those here.

One of the advantages of welded pipe over screwed fittings is elimination of all the fittings needed to join individual straight sections of pipe. With screwed pipe there has to be a fitting between every joint in straight runs of pipe. Welding, on the other hand, can be put together in any form at any location in a straight run of pipe. Just a prep on the ends of the pipe is all that's required.

Many times when threads are not used, a thinner wall pipe may be selected. For long runs and big jobs this can create a significant cost savings. When pipes are screwed together, there is significant amount of additional labor required to thread the ends of pipes and put the fittings together. Also, there are costs associated with each of the threaded fittings. Sometimes the equipment to thread pipe is more complicated than some of the simple welding equipment we can use for joining pipes together in welded applications.

When there are screwed fittings there is a significant amount of turbulence and fluid resistance to the flow through the pipe. A properly welded system is smooth and streamlined on its internal contour and surface.

A welded pipe is much more easily repaired than one using screwed fittings. With welding, quite often a repair can be made with the pipe in place. A screwed pipe system must be disassembled repaired and then reassembled. There is a significant amount of additional labor to handle and to put together that screwed pipe system and not have any kind leaks within it. Quite often the welded pipe can handle vibration much better than a screwed pipe system. The welded system in a vibrating area will be less prone to leaks and becoming loose than a screwed pipe system.

When it comes time to insulate the pipes insulating or wrapping a welded system is much easier than going over all the threaded connections and all the bumps that come with those individual fittings.

Another advantage of welded pipes is when pipes have to be located close together. We can locate welded pipes together much closer than we can with threaded pipes. Threaded pipes require room to have wrenches and other tools attached to them so that they maybe rotated and secured.

The labor to weld and screw smaller pipes are about the same. As pipe size increases, the labor and time to install the welded pipe decreases, and screwed pipe increases. Screwed pipe also requires different tooling for each size pipe we want to thread. A welding machine in the hands of a skilled pipe welder works on any size pipe. Selecting the proper welding process based on materials, position, wall thickness, and final use will play into selecting the correct welding equipment. Longevity has welding equipment to meet many pipe welding needs.

Check out the Longevity website (www.longevity-inc.com) or YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/longevitywelding) for more details and information about equipment for different welding and cutting processes. Longevity has the right machine for your exact application, so take a look and choose what is the best fit for your materials, product and needs.