A pipeline is only as protected as its weakest fitting
A 30-kilometre 3LPE-coated pipeline can be undermined by a single un-protected elbow, an unsealed flange face, or a poorly coated girth weld. Bends, tees, valves and welds see complex stresses, turbulent flow and uneven heating — exactly the conditions where corrosion likes to start. Every fitting in your line needs coating that matches (or exceeds) the mainline pipe's protection.
Our fitting-coating service is designed around one principle: the right system for the right component. We don't push one solution; we match coating to geometry, service condition and location (plant vs field).
Components we coat
Bends, elbows and tees — high-flow turbulence, complex stress concentrations. We use 3LPE on large-radius bends and FBE on tighter geometries.
Reducers and flanges — sealing surfaces and connection points. Liquid epoxy with masked sealing faces, or plant-applied FBE on the body.
Girth welds (field joints) — the critical "missing link" between coated pipe sections. Heat-shrinkable sleeves are the industry standard.
Valves, spools and pre-fab assemblies — durable protection without affecting moving parts. Combinations of liquid epoxy, visco-elastic tape and FBE depending on access.
Custom forgings, castings and irregular shapes — visco-elastic tapes are ideal where blasting access is limited.
Five system options we deploy
FBE for fittings (plant)
Thermoset epoxy powder applied in our plant to heated fittings, melting and curing into a hard tenacious film. Best for: matching FBE-coated mainline pipes, rebar splices, valves. DFT: 400-600 µm.
3LPE for fittings (plant)
Multi-layer 3LPE applied in plant on large-radius bends and pre-fabricated spools. Best for: critical projects requiring homogeneous 3LPE protection from straight pipe through fitting. Construction: FBE primer + adhesive + extruded PE.
Liquid epoxy (plant or field)
Two-component sprayed or hand-applied at ambient temperature, curing into a high-build durable film. Best for: girth welds, valves, complex shapes, low-stress installs. DFT: 400-800 µm in a single coat.
Visco-elastic tape (cold-applied)
Cold-applied non-crystalline polymer tape that flows into all surface irregularities, creating a void-free seal. Best for: valve bodies, flanges, hard-to-blast components. Construction: inner visco-elastic adhesive layer + outer mechanical wrap (PVC or PE tape).
Heat-shrinkable sleeves (HSS)
Multi-layer sleeve with a heat-activated adhesive that shrinks tight when torched, sealing the joint permanently. Best for: girth welds on 3LPE/3LPP/FBE pipes — the industry standard. Construction: cross-linked polyolefin backing + hot-melt adhesive + optional epoxy primer (3-layer HSS).
How we match system to fitting
There's no single right answer — but the decision tree is straightforward:
- Mainline coating? Select fitting coating that's compatible (3LPE → 3LPE for bends + HSS for joints; FBE → FBE/liquid epoxy)
- Plant or field application? Plant gives best quality; field gives flexibility
- Service temperature? Standard or high-temperature grade
- Geometry complexity? Simple = FBE; complex = liquid epoxy or visco-elastic tape
Standards we work to
- ISO 21809-3 — field-joint coatings for pipelines
- NACE SP0490 — heat-shrinkable sleeves
- EN 12068 — visco-elastic tape systems
- DNV-RP-F102 — pipeline field-joint coating qualification
- API RP 5L1 — line pipe railroad transportation
Real questions from real projects
How do you protect a girth weld on a 3LPE mainline? Three-layer heat-shrinkable sleeve — same chemistry as the mainline (epoxy primer + adhesive + PE backing) so the joint behaves like a continuation of the mainline coating.
Can valves be coated without disassembly? Yes — for valve bodies we use visco-elastic tape (no blast required) or liquid epoxy with the sealing faces masked. Stems and seats stay protected.
High-temperature fittings — what changes? For 110 °C+ service we supply HT-grade FBE, 3LPP-compatible HSS, and elevated-temperature liquid epoxies. All qualified to the same DNV-RP-F102 standard.
