Technology is fundamentally changing the day-to-day lives of people. You can see it in things like mobile controls that enable management of lights and thermostats in homes, vehicle navigation tools that modify routes based on current traffic information and app-connected sensors that allow businesses to monitor use of meeting rooms in real time.
For residential and commercial builders, the same sentiment applies in the connection of pipes via metal fittings. While traditional methods like soldering and welding have called for expensive consumables, hot work and lengthy installation times, press technology has considerably simplified the installation process from start to finish. And with this shift comes significant cost savings.
Here’s a look at how savings accumulate when you choose press technology for metal fittings.
Eliminate Consumables
When it comes to the expenses tied to joining pipe, consumable costs can quickly add up. That’s because traditional methods rely on an assortment of consumable supplies and accessories to build these connections, with higher quality usually coming at a higher price.
By eliminating the need for consumables, press technology minimizes project costs before work even begins. Rather than continuously investing in solder and flux for soldering or sticks and grinding discs for welding, contractors can simply turn to a battery-powered tool (with interchangeable jaws and rings) for handling metal fittings. Besides reducing ongoing costs for consumables, this also translates into fewer labor costs with a faster setup and cleanup.
No Hot Work
Considering the open flame that soldering and welding require, setting up fire watches and obtaining hot work permits are integral steps in these processes. Taking the proper safety precautions, however, means an increased project budget. And if the organization of these procedures moves slower than anticipated, project delays can tack on further costs to this total.
This is another area where press technology for metal fittings shines. Because pipe connections can be made without any type of hot work, press fittings avoid costs associated with hot work permits and fire watches, as well as various forms of heat protection. Without these steps in the project pipeline, builders can scale back on the initial project budget and prevent unexpected costs down the road.
Faster Installation Times
When you consider all of the logistics that go into the installation of metal fittings, it’s easy to see where time adds up. As mentioned earlier, the hot work permit you need for open flame may take more time than anticipated. Wet conditions could stall the productivity of the project. And when installation can finally begin, several hours are needed to prepare and make a connection.
What’s unique about press technology is its ability to overcome all of these hurdles. Builders can install press fittings without the use of open flame and in any type of weather condition, which helps avoid any delays in the project schedule. Combined with the fact that press connections can be made in just a matter seconds—numbers that generate upward of 60 percent savings in installation time—projects are able to be completed in a more timely fashion with less labor.
As the demands of piping projects evolve, the value of press technology for metal fittings becomes more clear. In our eBook, How Viega ProPress Helps You Grow & Succeed in the Market, we show how this technology blends high quality with efficiency to help industry leaders thrive. Download your free copy here.
