Pipeline Maintenance Tools

Pipelines and the materials they transport are a vital part of modern life, and an important economic asset. As one of the world’s oldest and largest manufacturers of field portable machine tools used in pipeline maintenance, E.H. Wachs machines are ideal for cutting, beveling and weld preps on gathering, transportation and distribution pipelines carrying oil, natural gas and petrochemical products.

The most important consideration in pipeline maintenance is safety, including operator safety, safety of the population and safety of the environment. Once a pipeline has been constructed and enters service an important change takes place, the introduction of hydrocarbons. It’s the presence of hydrocarbons in a pipeline that has lead to development of a series of “best practices” designed to advance pipeline repair safety.

 
Key to these practices is the use of “cold cutting” machine tools, designed to cut pipe without the use of “hot cutting” methods that utilize torches and open flames. Every E.H. Wachs machine utilizes a cold cutting machining process that’s designed to eliminate the hazards associated with thermal cutting. Another significant advantage to cold cutting over thermal is preventing the creation of a HAZ, or Heat Affected Zone.