UA and Egan collaborate to develop new national weld procedure

Shane Shook and Robert Derby

Mechanical contractor and fabricator Andy J. Egan Co., Grand Rapids, Mich., has announced that its fabrication shop foreman, Shane Shook, has developed a time-saving weld procedure in partnership with the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters (UA), with a certification that will be available to all UA members and contractors later this year.

For many years, Egan has certified its own welders on a GTAW procedure the company internally refers to as Hot Gas for hand welding. This blend of 95% argon and 5% hydrogen is suitable for Egan’s work on Sch. 10 piping for the process piping code. Shook explains that it creates a hotter arc, which helps to penetrate thicker-walled stainless piping. Travel speed can be increased, creating less heat input, which is an important feature when welding stainless steel.

While the Hot Gas procedure originally started with hand welding, Egan now uses it in orbital procedures for many customers, allowing welders to complete their welds at a faster rate when compared to traditional GTAW procedures. The result is a significant time savings for a repeatable, high-quality weld. “The root welds look perfect,” Shook said.

Before purchasing new orbital welding equipment earlier this summer, Shook visited UA Local 174 Plumbers and Pipefitters for a training day. His former colleague Robert Derby, now a UA training specialist, was in attendance to support the training and suggested a collaboration between the UA and Egan. Derby wanted to ensure all UA members had the opportunity to get certified in the Hot Gas orbital procedure. From there, Derby and Shook coordinated the required steps to make the certification available to the UA’s more than 368,000 members.

“It’s exciting to make this available to our members,” says Derby. “Our goal is to ensure welders of all skill levels are successful with this mix of gas.”