Joint Specialists - Committed to Stocking Material

JSI - Largest Stocking Distributor for (some) Seal for Life products

For those who haven't had the opportunity to tour our production facility in The Woodlands, reach out! We'd love to show you around.

Our 20,000 square foot warehouse still has plenty of room! Our current stock levels in case you're curious how seriously we take our roll as a value adding Distributor / Light Manufacturer:

Currently in stock:

- 150 pallets of Covalence material (and packaging support)

- 143 pallets of Powercrete material (and packaging support)

- 50 pallets of BBS Bumpers for Bundled Road Bores

- 16 pallets of Raychem / Tyco Electronics WCSM material (for sealing low voltage splices and jacket repairs)

- 8 pallets of Stopaq material (soon to be more)

We aren't full yet either! Plenty of room left to take on more. Many thanks to our partner Seal for Life Industries who we've been working closely with for more than 30 years now!

Tyco Electronics / Raychem Products IN STOCK!

 Tyco Electronics / Raychem Products 

IN STOCK!

     JSI and TE/Raychem have had a relationship stretching back to the 1980's.  Though only a small part of our business, we are still committed to keeping a some of their products on the shelf and ready to ship.  As of today, these are the products, sizes and quantities available.  If you need something on this list; or something else from the TE catalog; reach ou today!

CRSM-CT 53-13-200:  200 each

BPTM 100/40: 50 feet

BPTM 15/6:  200 feet

BPTM 50/20: 50 feet

BPTM 75/30:  50 feet

Gelcap-3:  3 each

Gelwrap 18/4-100:  6 each

GHFC-1: 48 each

GHFC-2: 60 each

MWTM 25/8-1200-S:  25 each

MWTM 35/12-A/U:   100 each

MWTM 50/16-1200-S:  15 each

MWTM 85/25-1000-S:  1 each

MWTM 85/25-1200-S:  2 each

MWTM 85/25-720-S:  1 each

MWTM-16/5-A/U:  100 each

MWTM-50/16-A/U:  75 each

RDSS-CLIP-100:  3 each

WCSM 12/3-1200-S:  9,000 each

WCSM 12/3-150-S:  1 each

WCSM 12/3-600-S: 1 each

WCSM 16/4-1200-S:  220 each

WCSM 24/6-100-S:  14 each

WCSM 24/6-1200-S:  136 each

WCSM 24/6-300-S:  1 each

WCSM 34/8-100-S:  4 each

WCSM 34/8-1200-S:  244 each

WCSM 34/8-150-S:  1 each

WCSM 34/8-240-S:  1 each

WCSM 34/8-250-S:  1 each

WCSM 34/8-300-S:  1 each

WCSM 48/12-1200-S:  130 each

WCSM 48/12-150-S:  1 each

WCSM 56/16-1200-S:  44 each

WCSM 56/16-200-S:  6 each

WCSM 56/16-800-S:  1 each

WCSM 70/20-1200-S:  204 each

WCSM 70/20-600-S:  1 each

Tyco Electronics Products IN STOCK

 Tyco Electronics (TE.Com) Product in Stock - Same Day Shipping

     If your experience is like mine, when you have a need for Tyco Electronics Raychem parts; the response times and lead times can be frustrating.  I've even talked to folks who are no longer going to offer Raychem/Tyco products because they want to avoid the headache.  I've been there too!  I am in the process of increasing our inventory levels, in the hopes that I can help you to avoid that problem.  

     Now, as you'd guess, I am only carrying a few of the TE.com products.  I'm certainly open to adding more if it looks like that is a need; but for now; here are the products I currently have (and today's stock level).  I have multiple open orders with Tyco that will hopefully be shipping as promised in the weeks ahead.

Inventory as of February 22, 2024

NOTE:  This is my actual inventory in my warehouse in Conroe, TX 77385.  This is not "inventory that other folks have in stock; but I can access it"

4 rolls of BPTM 15/6-A/U

3 rolls of BPTM 30/12-A/U

1 roll BPTM 50/20-A/U

1 roll BPTM 100/40-A/U

1 roll BPTM 120/50-A/U

75 each CRSM-CT 53/13-200

3 each Gelcap-3

6 each GelWrap 18/4-100

45 each GHFC-1

55 each GHFC-2

100 each MWTM 16/5-A/U

100 each MWTM 35/12-A/U

75 each MWTM 50/16-A/U

1 each MWTM 85/25-1000-S

2 each MWTM 85/25-1200-S

3 each RDSS-Clip-100

1000 each WCSM 12/3-1200-S

81 each WCSM 16/4-1200-S

242 each WCSM 24/6-1200-S

261 each WCSM 34/8-1200-S

183 each WCSM 48/12-1200-S

100 each WCSM 56/16-1200-S

210 each WCSM 70/20-1200-S

I'd love to chat with you about these products; or any others!  Reach out for pricing today!

steve@jsicoatings.com

936/321-3333

Pipeline Coating Supply

     Joint Specialists is always on the look out for new ways that we can help our customers.  To that end, we are always trying to find new product lines and coating technologies to represent.  We are a trusted name in pipeline coatings.  We work hard to be technically proficient with pipeline coatings.  We work hard to engineer solutions for our customers.  We understand that our reliability, our good customer service and our willingness to inventory material has our customers wishing we would take on more product lines to make their lives simpler.  Below, see our latest line sheet.  Have you been buying some of those brands elsewhere?

     As you'll see, we are now your premiere source for all of your corrosion protection and sealing needs.  Look no farther, if you have questions about pipeline coatings; we are ready, willing and able to help you figure out what you need. 

Shrink Sleeves That Bond to Neoprene Rubber?

Question:  Do any of your sleeves bond to neoprene?

Answer:  Yes, we do have shrink sleeves that bond to neoprene.  It just isn't quite that simple though (it never is, is it?).  Let me give you an example.

     Within the last few weeks, I spoke with an engineer who was faced with an unusual application.  He had about 10 feet of neoprene coated pipe sitting down at the bottom of the ocean (this was just one small segment of the line).  This segment of pipe was going to see EXTREME pipe movements; as much as 10 feet of pipe movement (primarily from the current at that particular point).  This was the second time they had been forced to repair the line; previously the neoprene was worn completely off by the ocean floor in that particular section abrading away the neoprene.  We are talking thousands upon thousands of dollars here for this repair; so they were looking at just about any option available that might just give a little bit more life to the pipe (they had essentially accepted that they would be repairing it again in the future). 

     This was a TOUGH application.  Possibly the toughest I've ever heard of.  To top it off; they expected the line to operate at elevated temperatures.  So; the long and the short of it was - yes, I have something that would bond there; but I couldn't possibly predict how much life it will add to your line here.  In addition; we were talking about a 3 shrink sleeve order; something like $40.00 (large pipe diameter).  Certainly not enough money in a $40.00 order to justify any kind of a product evaluation or testing program! 

     So, yes we DO have products that will bond to neoprene.  Before we get any further though, let's talk about your application as 'bonding to' and 'doing what you want it to do' can be two very, very different things. 

Installing Shrink Sleeves: How Important Is Pre-Heat?

     Another common question:  How Important is Pre-Heat?

     Short answer:  ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL

     Long answer:  When installing a heat shrinkable sleeve as a field joint coating, you are doing so for one reason and one reason only.  You are protecting that field joint (girth weld) from corrosion.  Of course, the idea is, that if you can seal that field joint in a way that prevents water and oxygen from reaching the bare steel; then it will be impossible for corrosion to occur.


     We do this by installing a heat shrinkable sleeve that is coated with a sealant or adhesive of some kind.  If we can install that sleeve so that we get the best possible bond between sealant and bare steel (and factory applied coating) then we begin the life of that field joint from the very best possible position:  properly coated and protected.

     Of course the first step of installation is making sure we've achieved the proper cleanliness standard on the bare steel.  Different adhesives will have different requirements there and I won't discuss them here (but I did touch on surface prep for WPCT here).  The next step however is preheating the steel (and adjacent factory applied line coating) to the proper temperature.  Why is this necessary?

     Any hot melt adhesive or mastic coated shrink sleeve will have an optimum temperature at which the adhesive bonds to the substrate.  When we look at it very closely, we must create an environment where the bond-line reaches a temperature sufficient for ideal bonding.  The bond-line is that area where the hot melt adhesive of the mastic come into contact with the substrate (pipeline).  That interface is critical.

      Even though there is a significant amount of heat put into a heat shrink sleeve during the installation process; when you consider the heat insulation properties of the heat shrink sleeve and when you consider that the steel pipe will act as a heat sink (carrying temperature away from the girth weld as it acts to spread any elevated temperature through the steel in the immediate area) it isn't possible to actually achieve the necessary bond-line temperature exclusively using heat from the sleeve shrinking itself.

     As a result, the steel must be preheated.  This assures that the bond line temperature is met and that the adhesive/steel interface will be properly prepared for the bond to occur.  All Covalence heat shrink sleeves will be supplied with an installation sheet in each box.  No matter the product; there will be a 'minimum recommended preheat temperature' listed on that installation sheet.  It will certainly cause no problem to heat higher than that; with two exceptions.

- When installing a shrink sleeve system that utilizes a liquid epoxy (DIRAX, HTLP60, HTLP80, etc) it is important to keep the preheat temperature down below 200F.  Installing S1301M epoxy on a pipe that is heated above 200F will result in some smoke - and result in the epoxy more or less flash curing (which we want to avoid since we want the epoxy chemically bonding with the sleeve adhesive; and that can't happen in the epoxy cures "early")

- Most all shrink sleeves (all PE shrink sleeves anyway) shrink at ~267F.  We would not want to preheat (most of the time) to a higher temperature than that, as it could result in the sleeve shrinking before the installer is ready (as an example, before the closure has been secured). 

Are Heat Shrinkable Sleeves UV Resistant?

Question:  Are heat shrinkable sleeves UV resistant?

Answer:  This question is incredibly common.  The simple answer is "Yes.  Covalence (formerly Raychem) Heat Shrinkable Products have excellent UV resistance".

The slightly longer answer is:  Carbon black is one of the many components that are combined to manufacture the heat shrinkable HDPE backing of the Covalence shrink sleeves.  Carbon black has long been known as a UV stabilizer, and has been used for years and years as a component in the jackets of the overhead wires that you see just about anytime you take a step outside.

These same overhead wires have been coated with Raychem shrink sleeves (complete with carbon black) for many years with no noticeable UV degradation.  If Raychem sleeves were being destroyed by UV and falling from power and telecommunications lines, we would know about it.  It simply hasn't happened.  What better proof of UV resistance than decades spent in direct sunlight?

What Happened to Raychem Corp?

I was at OTC last week and NACE just a month or two ago.  It is amazing how often this question comes up!  The short answer to this question is: only the name changed.  The longer answer is...

In 1999 a company called Tyco International purchased Raychem Corp (depending on how good your memory is, you may have seen Tyco in the news a time or two).  Our world (Raychem Pipeline) didn't really experience much of a change.  We were able to continue with the Raychem name with no issues.

Sometime around 2007, Tyco International split into three companies.  One of those companies was Tyco Electronics.  Again we were able to continue using the Raychem name; the products were labelled Raychem, etc.

Also at this time however, the Raychem Pipeline Group, along with Polyken Tape and Powercrete liquid epoxies were grouped up and sold off to a company called Berry Plastics (a giant company).  The Raychem name was to say with Tyco Electronics at that time and Berry Plastics would have a limited amount of time to re-brand Raychem Pipeline Products into something else.  Thus, Covalence CPG was born.  During this period; the original Raychem Pipeline Products were transitioned into being called "Covalence Raychem" and then within a few months to being called strictly "Covalence."

This lasted for a couple years (maybe less) and then the product was briefly re-branded as a Berry Plastics product.  When I say briefly, I might hazard a guess that it was less than a year.  I shudder to think of the cost of changing data sheets; reprinting boxes; buying new labels, modifying production lines to print the new company name on the products and a multitude of other visible and hidden expenses.

The Berry Plastics days were very limited (though they do still own Covalence and several other pipe coating technologies.  So the old Raychem product line has gone back to being called "Covalence Heat Shrinkable Products" (as you can see in the logo just up the page).  So, back one generation in the name, but we do have a new product family that we are a part of:  Seal for Life.  Seal for Life is the name of the company who owns:  Stopaq (a viscoelastic / polyisobutylene product); Polyken (cold applied tapes and factory applied line coatings); Powercrete (a liquid epoxy for field joint coating and another used as an abrasion resistant overcoat for factory applied FBE) and Anodeflex (a long line, linear anode that is a fantastic cathodic protection solution for difficult, rocky soils and for rehab work).  This new Seal for Life logo is as follows:

Now, through all of those changes, there are several things that have never changed.  We still have the same manufacturing specifications, the same raw materials, the same brilliant research and development people; the same factory; great adhesives; fantastic backing and without a doubt the highest quality product on the market today.  Don't let the name changes fool you.  We've been a technological leader in pipeline coatings for 40 years now.  We have proven products.  We have technical expertise.  We have long, successful use histories.  We have it all.  Now - how can we help you with your next job?