Mechanical pipes manufacturer Victaulic has introduced the FireLock Installation-Ready Fittings system to the pipe and fire protection industry, which reduces installation time and job site inventory, boosting productivity and safety.

Victaulic Africa regional manager Barry van Jaarsveld asserts that the new system is an improvement based on the original mechanical design of the FireLock EZ Rigid Coupling Style 009N, and offers the same installation simplicity as well as its convenience as a single-unit design solution.

Van Jaarsveld highlights that the couplings that feature the installation-ready technology are delivered preassembled and are simply pushed on to a grooved pipe-end, joined by a second grooved pipe-end, with bolts and nuts tightened down thereafter.

He emphasises that this not only reduces the number of parts at a job site but also mini- mises inventory and materials handling by reducing the number of times the sprinkler fitter needs to go up and down the lift or ladder during operations.

Parts can simply be pushed onto the pipe-ends as a single unit, and tightened with an impact wrench or standard hand tool underlining the pipe-ends, Van Jaarsveld adds. In addition to fewer parts being used, the installation-ready fittings have no loose parts that could drop, which reduces the risk of injury to personnel.

He notes that the new fittings have also changed the way fire-protection systems are planned and implemented when safety, installation speed, efficiency and reliability are priorities.

“FireLock Installation-Ready Fittings systems are the logical progression for our customers, and because the new one-piece fittings require fewer steps to install, it results in up to 75% less job site inventory. This enables contractors to optimise crew size and better manage their labour risks, making it a more reliable solution overall,” Van Jaarsveld comments.

He adds that the fittings’ 45° and 90° elbows and tee’s require fewer bolts, and accessories are easily joined by simply pushing the installation-ready elbow onto the pipe and tightening three bolts, compared with tightening the standard four bolts.

“Owing to the importance of quality, the company designs and tests products to the highest standards to ensure it meets and exceeds the rigorous demands of auditing agencies and the industrial applications where the company’s components are installed,” concludes Van Jaarsveld.