STANDARD OPERATING

PROCEDURE
MDPE PIPELINE LAYING ELECTRO
FUSION WELDING

Doc No.: SOP- MDPE-7

PROJECT DEPARTMENT

Parent Activity: Supply of Natural Gas at 4 bar pressure

A.
1)
2)
3)
4)

Criteria to be checked before starting of EF jointing:

Qualified welder wearing original "I-card".
Calibrated Elector fusion control unit and date of expiry.
Check for EF fittings of approved manufacturers (CUGL scope of supply).
Availability of all necessary required equipment for electro fusion jointing like
a) Aligning clamp, top loaded clamp, saddle key etc.
b) Manual or mechanical scraper.
c) Pipe cutter.
d) Re-rounding tool.
e) Isopropyl alcohol/acetone.
f) Tissue paper or cleaned cloth.
g) Indelible marker pen.
B. Criteria to be witnessed during EF jointing process:
1. The pipes ends to be welded must be cut at right angle by using proper pipe
cutters.
2. Visually check that the pipe/fitting surface is free of defects such as cuts,
abrasion etc.
3. Avoid using excessive ovalized pipes. Ovality of the pipes to be removed by
using re-rounding tool.
4. Clean the pipe ends from dust, grease, dirt etc.
5. Mark the scraping area with an indelible marker pen. The scrapping area
must be 10 mm larger than the insertion depth of the fittings.
6. Remove the oxidized surface from the pipe, by scrapping it. Remove an
uniform surface for a depth of approximately 0.1 mm for pipe diameter up to
63 mm and 0.2 mm for pipe diameter higher 63 mm.
7. Avoid absolutely other scrapping equipment such as abrasive paper, rasp,
emery wheels, saw blades etc.
8. Before inserting the fittings on the pipe, clean the scrapped surface using
isopropyl alcohol/acetone to remove the dust.
9. Clean with the same chemical the inner surface of the fittings, which has to
be removed from its protective wrapping only at the moment of use.
10.Do not touch with hands the just cleaned surfaces.
11.The aligning clamp must be used for all diameters to be welded which,
Protects during the electro fusion and the subsequent cooling,
mechanical stresses on the jointing.
Allows revising possible off-centering between both ends to be welded
and to recover the out -of-round of parts, it ovalized.
12.In case of EF coupler welding, sign a mark using an indelible pen on the two
ends to be welded corresponding to the depth of insertion, equal to half
length of the coupler.
Page 1 of 6

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE
MDPE PIPELINE LAYING ELECTRO
FUSION WELDING

Doc No.: SOP- MDPE-7

PROJECT DEPARTMENT

13.Insert the coupler up to the location mark and fasten the pipe into aligning
clamp.
14.Connect the plugs of the control unit to the terminals on the fittings and
proceed with the set-up of the welding parameters strictly following the
instruction of the welding unit. ** If there is an accidental interruption during
the welding cycle, operation can only be repeated after the electro fusion
joint has totally cooled (min. 1 hr). This operation can be done only once.
15.When the fusion cycle is completed, verify the fusion indicators coming out.
The fusion indicators are located near the terminal connection of the fitting.
The coming out of the fusion indicators is only a confirmation that the heating
cycle has been occurred, and not an indication that the welding cycle is
correctly done.
16.Cooling in order to avoid possible stresses on the jointing, strictly respect the
cooling time indicated on the bar code and do not remove aligning clamp of
the fittings.
EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS:
CUGL CONTROL ROOM : 0512-3291295/3249478/3211555/3249479
POLICE: 100
FIRE :101
AMBULANCE:102
Emergency Van :07376521634

Page 2 of 6

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE

Doc No.: SOP- MDPE-7

MDPE PIPELINE LAYING ELECTRO

FUSION WELDING

PROJECT DEPARTMENT

CHECKLIST FOR ELECTRO FUSION WELDING

Sr.
No.

Activity Steps

Status

Criteria to be checked before starting of

EF jointing:

Qualified welder wearing original "I-card".

Calibrated Elector fusion control unit and date

of expiry.

Check for EF fittings of approved

manufacturers (CUGL scope of supply).

Availability of all necessary required

equipment for electro fusion jointing like

Aligning clamp, top loaded clamp, saddle key

etc.

Manual or mechanical scraper.

Pipe cutter.

Re-rounding tool.

10

Isopropyl alcohol/acetone.

Page 3 of 6

Remarks

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE
MDPE PIPELINE LAYING ELECTRO
FUSION WELDING

11

Tissue paper or cleaned cloth.

12

Indelible marker pen.

13

Criteria to be witnessed during EF

jointing process:

14

The pipes ends to be welded must be cut at

right angle by using proper pipe cutters.

15

Visually check that the pipe/fitting surface is

free of defects such as cuts, abrasion etc.

16

Avoid using excessive ovalized pipes. Ovality

of the pipes to be removed by using rerounding tool.
Clean the pipe ends from dust, grease, dirt
etc.

17
18

19

20

21

22

23

Mark the scraping area with an indelible

marker pen. The scrapping area must be 10
mm larger than the insertion depth of the
fittings.
Remove the oxidized surface from the pipe, by
scrapping it. Remove an uniform surface for a
depth of approximately 0.1 mm for pipe
diameter up to 63 mm and 0.2 mm for pipe
diameter higher 63 mm.
Avoid absolutely other scrapping equipment
such as abrasive paper, rasp, emery wheels,
saw blades etc.
Before inserting the fittings on the pipe, clean
the scrapped surface using isopropyl
alcohol/acetone to remove the dust.
Clean with the same chemical the inner
surface of the fittings, which has to be
removed from its protective wrapping only at
the moment of use.
Do not touch with hands the just cleaned
surfaces.

Page 4 of 6

Doc No.: SOP- MDPE-7

PROJECT DEPARTMENT

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE
MDPE PIPELINE LAYING ELECTRO
FUSION WELDING

24

The aligning clamp must be used for all

diameters to be welded which,

25

Protects during the electro fusion and the

subsequent cooling, mechanical stresses on
the jointing.
Allows revising possible off-centering between
both ends to be welded and to recover the out
-of-round of parts, it ovalized.

26

27

In case of EF coupler welding, sign a mark

using an indelible pen on the two ends to be
welded corresponding to the depth of
insertion, equal to half length of the coupler.

28

Insert the coupler up to the location mark and

fasten the pipe into aligning clamp.

29

Connect the plugs of the control unit to the

terminals on the fittings and proceed with the
set-up of the welding parameters strictly
following the instruction of the welding unit. **
If there is an accidental interruption during the
welding cycle, operation can only be repeated
after the electro fusion joint has totally cooled
(min. 1 hr). This operation can be done only
once.

30

When the fusion cycle is completed, verify the

fusion indicators coming out. The fusion
indicators are located near the terminal
connection of the fitting. The coming out of
the fusion indicators is only a confirmation
that the heating cycle has been occurred, and
not an indication that the welding cycle is
correctly done.
Cooling in order to avoid possible stresses on
the jointing, strictly respect the cooling time
indicated on the bar code and do not remove
aligning clamp of the fittings.

31

Page 5 of 6

Doc No.: SOP- MDPE-7

PROJECT DEPARTMENT

STANDARD OPERATING
PROCEDURE
MDPE PIPELINE LAYING ELECTRO
FUSION WELDING

Page 6 of 6

Doc No.: SOP- MDPE-7

PROJECT DEPARTMENT