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USCGC Emlen Tunnell in Key West
  • Mitigation of fire: A recent analysis by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) found more than half of the fires (onboard ship) were caused by hot work, such as welding and soldering. Because pressing does not require heat, flame or an external power source, it eliminates the danger of fire when joining pipe.
  • Cost and labor savings. Pressing can reduce installation time by 70% over traditional methods of joining pipe, as well as savings when testing the systems due to near zero leaks. The National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) has done studies showing that testing pressed pipe fittings costs less due to fewer leaks, repairs and retesting.

The primary NAVSEA-approved fitting is MegaPress CuNi, a 90/10 copper nickel alloy specifically designed to withstand harsh marine environments. It can be used on Schedule 40 and Class 200 90/10 copper nickel pipe. The second is the ProPress copper fitting system, which offers more than 400 different configurations and three different sealing elements: EPDM, FKM and HNBR. The U.S. Coast Guard, American Bureau of Shipping, DNV-GL, Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas and RINA all have previously approved the use of Viega fittings in marine environments.

USCGC Emlen Tunnell in Key West
USCGC Emlen Tunnell in Key West
Image: Fincantieri Marine Group
Image: Rolls-Royce
Image: KVH
Maritime Reporter Magazine
July 2021
Total Lubmarine