WPCT Shrink Sleeve Installer Certification
WPCT is the Covalence (formerly Raychem) wrap around heat shrinkable sleeve designed to be used as a field joint coating on subsea and buried pipelines that will operate at or below ambient temperatures. WPCT shrink sleeves have been in use with a high frequency for more than 25 years at this point. While some folks might read that and think "yikes - that is an ancient coating technology!" I tend to look at it from the other side.
With more than 25 years of use history, WPCT has one of the single largest pools of data ever assembled for a field joint coating. At my company, we have sold several hundred thousand WPCT shrink sleeves each and every year, dating back to 1995. All told, I would conservatively estimate that there are currently more than 10,000,000 WPCT coated field joints in the ground or offshore at this exact moment. Given that incredible quantity of field joints out there, if WPCT were failing or doing a poor job in even 1% of the cases (which would be 100,000 field joints!) we would certainly know about it! We are the premier source for information on Covalence shrink sleeves in the world. If there were failures - we would know about them. If there were consistent issues - we would know about them. If there were common installation problems - we would know about them. The simple truth is - we don't ever hear about them. Not ever. That tells me that the WPCT failure rate is infinitesimal!
Because this product has been around for so long, most pipeline contractors have experience with it. They've installed it. They've inspected it. They've buried it. They've installed over and over and over. As a result - it isn't very often that we receive a hard request for training or certification on this product. It is just an easy product to install properly! Beyond that - every single box should come with an installation instruction guideline right at the top of the box - ready for you to read, to study - or to cast aside as you see fit.
But still, since there are questions - I wanted to put together an online, simple, basic course that anyone in the world can take as a primer or a refresher to WPCT installation. My goal is that this course will require no more than 30-60 minutes of your time. Even better? This course is absolutely free to anyone out there who is interested in learning more about our products. As always - I am always available for further discussion and clarification. Simply email me at steve@jsicoatings.com and I can often be back to you within a few minutes if you're contacting me during common USA working hours.
So, without further ado - thank you Sir or Ma'am for attending this class. Let's get started shall we?
STEP 1: Reading about something is always simpler when you know what it looks like. Step 1 of this short course is to watch our sort - 3 minute - WPCT installation video. Pay close attention (yes - there is a quiz at the end).
That wasn't too bad was it? Yes, it has been pointed out to me before that I wasn't wearing the proper safety equipment. Please - wear the proper safety equipment. Do as I say -- not as I did in a very controlled, safe environment back when we filmed this video.
STEP 2: Now you are going to read the installation guideline. It shouldn't take you more than 2-3 minutes and it very much follows the same steps as the video you just watched. Haven't studies confirmed that repetition is a key to learning? I'm not really sure -- but I think so.
Please go here to read the WPCT installation Instructions: WPCT INSTALLATION
As a general guideline:
1. Make sure you have the proper installation equipment
2. Clean the pipe surface and adjacent factory applied coating
3. Preheat the steel
4. Wrap the sleeve around the field joint
5. Secure the closure
6. Shrink the sleeve - with your torch always moving in an up and down motion (and make sure you have a torch that puts out a broad, bushy, yellow flame.)
7. Check for all the signs of a proper installation
STEP 3: The next step is to make sure you've purchased the correct sleeves (or make sure you're getting pricing on the correct sleeves). At first glance, the nomenclature of a shrink sleeve looks like a giant jumble of meaningless letters. In actuality though, it is quite simple. Go to this link - and read this half paged article explaining exactly how you get exactly what you want. Heat shrink sleeve nomenclature explained.
STEP 4: In Step 4 we are going to cover two incredibly important....and often overlooked aspects of shrink sleeve installation. These steps are CRITICAL. They CANNOT be skipped. They CANNOT be ignored. If you pay attention to only one thing during this short course -- pay attention to THIS.
Surface Preparation is one of the most important steps of the installation process. <-- click the link and read the article, it is short.
Preheating the pipe is an absolutely critical step in the shrink sleeve installation process. <-- click the link and read the article.
STEP 5: Get ahead of the game. Learn what the single most common field issue is with WPCT shrink sleeves. You'll be pleased to know that the solution could not be simpler (and it only takes 5-10 seconds and a torch to fix).
What is the most common field issue with WPCT shrink sleeves? <--- click the link and read the article
STEP 6: This is the final step! You're almost done. Have you actually read the articles? I sure hope so. The final step is a short 10 question quiz which covers much of what I've discussed above. Unfortunately, you won't get instant results -- but if you take the quiz I will grade it myself and email your score to you.
Take the WPCT Installation short course QUIZ <--- The final step! Take the quiz!
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