• Intellifire™ 250 preheats pipe prior to welding
• Heats faster and more consistently than propane

APPLETON, Wis., November 1, 2003—A new induction heating power source designed and patented by Miller Electric Mfg. Co., the Intellifire™ 250, was recently honored by the International Pipe Line & Offshore Contractors Association (IPLOCA) as runner-up for the 2003 BP (British Petroleum) Award.

Presented every two years, the BP Award goes to a company that has made a significant contribution to onshore cross-country pipeline cost reduction. Miller Electric was runner-up to international construction company Bechtel, which won the award for completing the In Salah Gas Field development project in Algeria ahead of schedule. There were a total of 10 entries for the award.

Steve Latvis, manager of pipeline welding products for Miller Electric and author of the IPLOCA entry, accepted the award at the organization's annual convention September 12, in Budapest, Hungary. He called the award “tremendous recognition for Miller Electric’s efforts to address cost savings in cross-country pipeline construction with innovative new products.”

The induction heating process induces heat electromagnetically. The rapidly alternating magnetic field creates eddy currents inside the part—in this case the pipe—exciting the molecules and generating heat. It’s the ideal process to preheat steel to a specific temperature and maintain that temperature throughout the welding process.

“The Intellifire 250 facilitates very fast, easy to use preheat prior to welding operations, instead of using propane burners, which can generate inconsistent or inadequate heat,” said Latvis. “That inconsistency can lead to pipe coating damage or crack development in the weld zone due to hydrogen entrapment.”

Weighing just 165 lbs., the Intellifire 250 is much smaller and lighter than conventional transformer-based induction heating machines (which are used primarily for preheat prior to the application of various coatings over the pipe joint area).

Latvis pointed out that with the trend in the pipeline construction industry to pursue the use of high strength steels, the need for a fast, uniform heating method without using flame is desirable. “The speed and heating consistency makes the Intellifire 250 ideal for cross-country pipeline construction right-of-ways, where production is measured in successfully welded joints per day,” he said. “Set-up time is measured in seconds and heating time varies from less than 30 seconds for 12-inch diameter pipe to a few minutes for heavy wall large diameter pipe—and the heating is uniform around the entire circumference of the pipe.”

Requiring 39 amps at 460 VAC, three-phase input power, the Intellifire 250 produces 25 kW at 100 percent duty cycle. “The energy efficiency of the power source is close to 95 percent, which results in smaller generator requirements in the field,” Latvis said. “A 70 kW generator will easily run two Intellifire 250 induction heaters.”

According to Latvis, the Intellifire 250 is presently being used in a number of noteworthy cross-country pipeline projects. Among the applications:
• In Ecuador, two Miller induction heaters are preheating 36-inch diameter pipe in 2 1/2 minutes, compared to more than seven minutes using propane. The pipeline contractor also switched to the Intellifire 250 for safety reasons—a weld shack started on fire as a result of using open flame to preheat the pipe.
• Along the Alyeska Pipeline in Alaska, Miller induction heaters maintain a preheat temperature while welding reinforcement sleeves on 48-inch diameter pipe — with oil flow in the pipe. This method has reduced the company’s costs by allowing them to weld continuously while oil continues to flow.

Headquartered in Gent, Belgium, IPLOCA's aim is to raise the standards of pipeline construction throughout the world. Founded in 1966 in Paris, the organization has more than 250 members, including the major international pipeline and offshore constructors and their major subcontractors. Miller Electric is an associate member of IPLOCA.

For more information on the Intellifire 250, or the name of the Miller Electric distributor nearest you, call 800-4-A-MILLER (800-426-4553), e-mail info@millerwelds.com, fax 877- 327-8132, visit the Web site at MillerWelds.com, or write to Miller Electric Mfg. Co., P.O. Box 100, Lithonia, GA 30058.

With headquarters in Appleton, Wis., Miller Electric Mfg. Co. is a leading worldwide manufacturer of arc welding and plasma cutting equipment and related systems for metalworking, construction, maintenance and other applications. Miller Electric Mfg. Co. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW), Glenview, Ill. ITW is a diversified multinational manufacturer of highly engineered components, assemblies and systems.