Mechanical pipe-joining systems manufacturer Victaulic reports that the launch of its Extended Life (XL) fittings and couplings range, in October 2013, offers greater longevity than ever before.

“The fittings have an extra 6.4 mm of lining, which extends the service life by up to three times, compared with standard rubber-lined fittings. This makes XL ideal for markets with abrasive service requirements, such as mining, as it reduces the need for scheduled maintenance, saving our clients time and money,” says Victaulic South Africa regional manager Barry van Jaarsveld.

He adds that the company is committed to investing in the manufacturing of high-quality grooved piping products and has ensured that it has the most modern production facilities worldwide to stay abreast of current trends.

Manufactured in the Victaulic Pennsylvania-based plant, in the US, the XL range was introduced to the South African market and has been well received, notes Van Jaarsveld.

He adds that the XL fittings have the same inner diameter dimensions as the standard fittings to provide uninterrupted, full-flow capabilities without restrictions.

However, owing to the improvement, the XL fittings – with the added options of between 90° and 45° long-radius elbows in 1.5 dimension and three-dimension configurations – can be used in varying ways.

In some instances, the XL fittings can replace standard elbows, with no change to pipe length required. In other instances, the fittings can be used from the initial stages, with longer-lasting piping systems as a result.

XL couplings must be used with XL fittings to complete the joint. XL fittings and couplings are available in sizes of 80 mm to 300 mm and are rated up to
1 000 psi.

Further, the XL fittings also boast two new patented coupling designs to accommodate the slightly larger outer diameter of these fittings, says Van Jaarsveld.

He notes that Victaulic saw a gap in the market and took the opportunity to extend its product offering.

“So much has changed in the pipe systems market over the last few decades, but until recently, fitting design has mostly remained unchanged.”

“We are proud to have developed this patented technology and are excited to introduce fittings that can last up to three times longer than the current designs,” he states.

Van Jaarsveld further adds that the XL fittings are specifically ideal for underground usage. “For many in the mining industry, this is a long-awaited announcement, as continuous maintenance of the same product within short periods wastes time and money,” he explains.

Van Jaarsveld adds that the fittings are available in two options – the XL77 flexible coupling that joins an XL fitting to grooved-end pipe and the Style XL79 flexible coupling that directly joins two XL fittings.

“The new fittings’ design also reduces leading-edge wear while extending the pipes’ life span, through its distinctive ability to reduce the gap between the pipe end and the fittings for pipe-to-fitting and fitting-to-fitting connections,” he concludes.