Inductabend is making critical improvements to its induction bending services aimed at better supporting Australia’s future pipeline industry.
In an age of trade tariffs, uncertain global markets, and domestic manufacturing initiatives such as Future Made in Australia, having a dependable and locally based business partner is an invaluable thing.
Since 1992, Australian-owned Inductabend has backed the pipeline industry with induction bending services, all made and delivered from Australian soil.
This eliminates the challenges sometimes associated with sourcing supplies and services from overseas, such as lengthy lead times, quality assurance, and after sales support.
Asset owners and contractors who partner with Inductabend reap the benefits of expert induction bending services and support within arm’s reach, all while backing a company deeply embedded in the Australian pipeline industry.
One of these benefits, said Inductabend Business Development Manager Nathan Crouch, is that extra bends can be shipped almost immediately.
“We are able to manufacture additional bends for our customers very quickly,” Crouch said.
“We hold project material that has been qualified in the initial production run. We can use that extra material to make bends and ship them out to site within roughly a week.
“No more ‘spare bends’ that are never the actual angle you need or may not get used at all.
It also significantly lowers the risk of costly construction disruptions due to factors like last minute changes in alignment.”
Inductabend pre-qualified stock program is another popular option for bends in a hurry. Inductabend holds large quantities of DN100, DN150, DN200 and DN300 Std X52 PSL2 HFW pipe which is pre-qualified for 5D–10D radii (additional material may be carried by customer request).
“Bends from our pre-qualified bends program are a great resource for our customers,” Crouch said.
“The program allows us to deliver small or large quantities of fit for purpose bends at an economical rate in as little as 48 hours.”
Inductabend operates a range of specialised induction machines allowing the company to bend a vast range of pipe materials up to DN900.
Currently, the company is in the midst of an exciting upgrade to its portfolio which will significantly increase its bending capabilities.
The first phase of the project is a wiring and PLC upgrade to the Cojafex machine, which will provide greater process control. Phase two builds on this, adding in a state-of-the-art dual frequency induction heater, which will provide more options to tailor the process depending on wall thickness, diameter and material grade while improving energy efficiency and heating capacity. Finally, phase three will replace the traditionally fixed bending arm with a dynamic upgrade.
“The upgraded arm will remove the transition zone at the start and stop of the bend, which is typically the weakest part,” Crouch said.
“This marks a significant capability improvement, enabling us to produce higher grade bends with larger wall thickness and homogeneous material properties from end to end.”
For the Australian gas industry, these upgrades are timely. Some of the biggest names in gas are already hard at work improving Australia’s gas network or expanding existing gas projects in order to stave off shortfalls projected from 2028 and beyond.
“These upgrades will allow Inductabend to better meet the demands of Australia’s developing gas network, which will require larger and higher-grade pipelines,” Crouch said.
But it’s about more than just business for Crouch.
As Chair of the Young Pipeliners Forum – an entity of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association – futureproofing the Australian gas industry is something Crouch is passionate about on a personal level.
“Being part of the Young Pipeliners Forum is a great way for young people to network with their peers, learning from and growing alongside one another in the industry,” he said.
“The regular site visits we run also give people a chance to get out and see how things are done in the real world.”
“Ultimately, the Young Pipeliners Forum’s work is aimed at building a stronger pipeline community for the future.”
In that way, the YPF is not so different from Inductabend.
For more information, visit the website.
This feature also appears in the May edition of The Australian Pipeliner.