Press fit piping solutions are a fast, safe and effective way to produce joints for a range of piping applications. We’ve discussed these benefits in a previous article so while some believe this solution would cut out the need for a skilled welder, we’re here to tell you why press fit solutions can actually help you in the face of a skilled labour shortage and give you and your business more space to grow. With press-fit piping, your recruitment strategy can move from requiring a specialist skillset to a competent installer skillset. You can utilise your specialist skillsets for specialist applications while using competent installers for the less specialist applications. Your team will be more efficient and available for more projects than before. Your customers will be willing to pay for the value that comes with fast, quality and time-tested press fit pipe fittings.
Complete 2-3 times as much work
There is an increasing demand for welders now there are fewer skilled tradesmen on the job market, and pay rates are increasing, causing increased pressure on margins. So, there are ample opportunities for welders who possess the necessary skills and experience. Today, pipe fitting and welding skills are in demand. With industries changing and adapting constantly, welders need to be able to take on the work that only they can do. In some applications, for example in confined spaces or around poly panel, with press-fit piping, the amount of labour required to complete a pipe install job can be halved since no extra person is required to hot-watch the job, as well as decreasing install time and increasing site efficiency. While before, an extra person was required to hot-watch, press-fit piping has the advantage of allowing the fitting to be done without a naked flame. The opportunities for pipefitters are wide and varied, and by reducing the install time with a product like Europress, your pipefitters can take full advantage of those.
Press fit pipes can be applied in projects conveying :
- Hot and cold water
- Potable water
- Fire sprinklers
- Compressed air
- Industrial gases
- Chemical lines
- Oil and lubricant lines
- Vacuum
- Glycol
This technology can be used for the following industries:
- Food and beverage
- HVAC
- Commercial and industrial plumbing
- Industrial processing
- Wastewater and water treatment
- Automotive
- Fire safety
Your list of happy customers can be considerably larger with Europress fittings because your pipefitters can complete two to three times more work in the same amount of time. Working with press fit pipes is the smart solution for experienced welders, it opens up your schedule to take on the work you might not have had the capacity for before. A great project example to support this point is a new boiler line installation at Tegel Foods New Plymouth where the installer had over 200m of 76.1mm stainless steel tube installed, pressure tested and operational in approximately 16 hours in very difficult working conditions.
Less paperwork, more projects
By using Europress piping solutions, you can dramatically reduce the time you spend on paperwork. The Europress method requires no naked flame, which gives you the freedom to complete your projects sooner. Welding paperwork can cause unexpected delays which slow your progress down. If you want to eliminate time-consuming paperwork from your workday, press-fit pipes are the best place to start. Once the pipe is inserted up to the stop, the jaw attachments of the pressing tool press the fitting's toroidal end into the pipe. This completely removes the need for hot works and the paperwork that comes with it. This means your specialised skills can be better used for pipe fitting instead of copious amounts of time putting pen to paper. Chances are you and your staff chose to specialise in welding for the practical application, not the administrative tasks. With Europress in your toolkit, you can fill your time with what makes the most sense for you, and brings in the most business.
Health and safety made simple
Health and safety considerations can take up a lot of your time onsite. Reducing that time means you’ll have more time to spend on the work itself, and you’ll be able to wrap it up sooner. Press fit pipes are fast, easy and risk-free. They are manually installed with pressing tools which means there are no flames, gas bottles, fire hazards or extension cords to worry about. The installation is simple and quick with no need for heavy equipment or pages of paperwork. It is easier for you to comply with Health & Safety regulations and still deliver the best quality of work to your customers. By minimising the risks connected with intense work environments, press-fit tools can reduce the stress your labour force endures. In the short and long run, you’ll be more efficient, less stressed and all-around better pipe-fitters for it.
The seasoned welder is probably feeling slightly concerned by all of this talk of ‘less time on site’ and ‘more efficient installs’. After all, most welders charge by the hour so a quicker job is a less lucrative one. Instead of a billable hours revenue model (which is limited by the number of hours available) press fit enables industry professionals to adopt a value-based pricing model.
Value-based sales
Investing in quality products saves you and your customers time and money. But this doesn’t mean you need to reduce your income along with your labour hours. Most welders charge an hourly rate and therefore don’t want to reduce the time a given job might take. Yet what many don’t realise is that the customer isn’t paying for the hours on-site, they’re paying for the solution. If you’re able to deliver the same outcome in half the time that doesn’t mean you should charge half as much. Some businesses are willing to pay a premium for a speedier outcome, with press-fit you can offer the option. Press fit piping gives your customers value that they’ll be willing to pay for. Offering a press fit solution will get you the same money from your customers as a conventional welding join, but only requires half the hours of labour. You and your customers both win but you’re now free to take on another job.
Press fit piping is proven to reduce installation costs and the duration of shutdowns. By getting it right the first time, you can ensure your customers are getting the best deal, without you losing out on any business. If your customers are looking to save on their next project, without decreasing quality, a press fit solution will dramatically reduce the labour costs and allow them the budget to opt for the more expensive pipe materials. In the long run, using the quality pipes means less upkeep for them to factor in.
In some cases, the savings made from using a press fit pipe fitting allows your customer to have more budget for other jobs. You can take on these additional projects with ease because they can see your experience and skill are matched by the speed of installation. Happy customers will be more likely to work with you again and refer you to future customers, so investing in a quality solution for their projects is paramount to growing your pipe fitting business. Press fit pipes are consistent at every join and give your customers peace of mind. Using quality pipes and cutting down on installation time can reduce plant downtime by 50%. By using a reliable press fit piping solution, like Europress, you and your customers will save time and money both now and in the future. Taking advantage of the innovative technology will give your pipe fitting business a huge leap forward in client satisfaction.
With a growing demand for skilled welders, the opportunity to increase your welding business revenue is considerable, without needing to find more welders. The jobs are available, so freeing up your time to take them on is critical for achieving that growth. With Europress pipe solutions, your labour force can complete more pipe fitting jobs at any given time without losing out on quality. By reducing time spent on hot-works paperwork, hot-watching and health and safety measures, you’ll have room for more projects in your schedule. Your business can even hire non-welders to install the press-fit pipe solutions, freeing up your highly skilled welding personnel to focus on the jobs only they can do.
Europress is a quality European press fit solution that you can trust. To find out more about increasing your revenue with Europress, talk to our team on 0800 387 677 or download our Europress Brochure installation times guide.
