2011.10.24---2011.10.30 Weekly Topic: How to Be a Competent Piping Designer (Your participation is welcome)

The second floor is reserved for summary posts – taken first!

This post was last edited by zero229 on 2011-10-24 at 10:17. 1. For a beginner, one should not feel sad about mistakes made at work; rather, it should be seen as an opportunity to learn. (This is not to encourage people to make mistakes, but to remind you to avoid making them next time; this is how knowledge is acquired.) 2. Don’t view business trips as a chore – in fact, they represent an excellent opportunity for improvement. Drawing at home all day is nothing but working in isolation. 3. Be proactive and work hard – working with piping is a process of accumulating knowledge; the more you work and experience, the richer your skills will become. It’s not a bad thing to be well-informed (some designers always think that anything they haven’t seen is wrong). 4. Never forget to keep learning*. One should keep learning throughout life. In this regard, yuzhilicn (UID: 536918) is an example for all of us to follow. Even after retiring, I still learn and discuss with everyone. 5. Don’t let problems become issues. When starting out with design, one always encounters many issues that are not clear or understood. At such times, you should seize every opportunity to figure those issues out. One can seek advice from experienced craftsmen, turn to Hai Chuan for help, or look for answers in books. (In reality, it’s common for many employees, when designing, to refer to previously designed devices and copy what others have done; but when asked what they have drawn, they themselves aren’t sure, only knowing that others drew it that way in the past.) 6. One must have a spirit of inquiry, striving to understand not only what something is but also why it is so, and to clarify issues thoroughly and clearly. But definitely don’t get stuck in details; many aspects of piping are not black-and-white issues. 7. A spirit of cooperation is essential; the piping field is closely linked to other design disciplines. To minimize mistakes and errors in work, a competent piping professional should have good communication skills with others. 8. One must have a responsible attitude. A single installation often involves several pipeline specialists working simultaneously, with everyone being interconnected and holding each other in check. When there are changes in the area under your responsibility, you must inform the person in charge and the designers involved. That’s all I can think of for now; I hope everyone will actively add more.

This post was last edited by feng_200108047 on 2011-10-25 at 15:56. The piping field is indeed, as the moderator said, an interdisciplinary one. Setting aside large engineering companies, I would like to share some humble opinions and suggestions from the perspective of small and medium-sized design firms regarding piping work: 1. Read some books: I recommend a few titles; others may wish to add more: “Piping Design in Petrochemical Industries”, “Process Installation Manual for Petrochemical Plants”, HG/T20549, “Specifications for Piping Layout Design”, HG/T20519 “Specifications for the Level of Detail in Construction Drawings”. Older books are also good as introductory materials. These can be found on websites such as Standard Sharing Network. 2. Gain some practical experience; it’s ideal to have the opportunity to work in a factory, and operational experience is even better. It’s very important to participate in on-site work after completing a design project to acquire practical knowledge. 3. Be good at summarizing: Organize and summarize what you encounter in daily work, what you hear, as well as any errors or mistakes observed on site. Refer to books and relevant materials for further insight. 4. Progress step by step, learning and improving through work. Save examples of good piping designs for reference when dealing with similar projects in the future. 5. Be diligent and gradually build up your knowledge; don’t rush through things. If time permits, strive to understand issues thoroughly. These are the points that come to mind for now; open to discussion

1. Be familiar with various standards and knowledge related to pipes, valves, fittings, connectors, etc. 2. Have basic knowledge of relevant materials. 3. Familiar with related knowledge such as welding and non-destructive testing. 4. Knowledge of various pipes, hangers, and brackets. 5. Be familiar with the MSDS of process materials and their properties. 6. Feasibility and difficulty of on-site construction. 7. The difficulty level of on-site pressure testing and purging. (Such as overhead pipelines) 8. Feasibility and difficulty of on-site operation. 9. Feasibility and difficulty of on-site repair. (I once encountered a pipe that was pressed against the inside of a wall corner; when it leaked, fluid sprayed towards that corner, and since welding wasn’t an option, it was quite troublesome.) ) 10. Coordination with other specialties. (I’ve encountered this before: a DN200 vent pipe clashed with the on-site lighting; I then adjusted the height and direction of the pipe on site, and finally got the design office to give their approval.) ) 11. A strong work ethic: frequent on-site visits to obtain first-hand information. After all, the piping design requires several drafts to meet the requirements.

This post was last edited by ffgh0123 on 2011-10-24 at 19:03. 1. Most pipeline designers come from the field of chemical engineering and technology, so it is necessary to have a thorough understanding of the knowledge in this field. 2. There are also high requirements for materials science, including the properties of various materials, their preparation, and processing. 3. One should have a certain understanding and grasp of knowledge related to machinery and corrosion prevention; familiarity with various forms of corrosion, especially electrochemical corrosion, is necessary, as well as an understanding of various corrosion-resistant metallic and non-metallic materials. 4. Able to proficiently apply computer skills, including various drawing software such as CAD. 5. Should have a certain level of proficiency in foreign languages and be able to translate some foreign-language materials. 6. Experience and knowledge: Understanding of various standards and proficiency in their application, along with experience in solving various problems. To be a competent piping designer, one must possess knowledge of processes, equipment, production operations, maintenance, and construction, as well as a solid foundation in specialized theoretical areas such as material mechanics, structural mechanics, computational mathematics, and materials science. Knowledge in civil engineering, mechanics, electrical engineering, instrumentation, systems engineering, etc. is also required. What’s more important is to have a sense of responsibility and treat design as true art. Because our design is also a product, a special kind of product that guides construction projects, affects the safety of the installations, and is also related to the lifespan of your design – there is no room for any carelessness. Especially as a qualified piping designer, one must consider not only the rationality of the design but also the operability and safety of the installation, among other things.

A qualified piping designer should possess the most basic skills in \"equipment layout, pipeline layout, selection of piping components, and pipeline stress analysis\", as well as some practical experience. They must also be able to use computer software for piping design in order to be considered a competent piping designer

Piping workers lead hard lives; to be a competent piping technician, one needs to master an enormous amount of knowledge – it’s not enough to just have a superficial understanding. One must know things such as the appropriate materials for pipes, the layout in different areas, and stress analysis, among many other things. Of course, theoretical knowledge is only one aspect; piping technicians should not assume anything. Sometimes, a single improper pipe connection can lead to serious problems. This requires piping technicians to have some imagination and on-site experience. Many things may look fine on diagrams and calculations may be correct, but many issues arise during actual operation. In my opinion, pipefitters also need to be patient and meticulous; piping work is very tedious, with many tasks that have to be repeated. One should not become slack because of the complexity, nor should they neglect these tasks just because they are repetitive.

hide]I’d like to talk about another common topic: how those new to the piping field can learn. I worked for a few years in an engineering company in Singapore at the end of the 1980s. Their approach to piping work was such that, aside from a few piping engineers, most of the piping-related tasks were carried out by draftsmen. These draftsmen were mostly employed by piping intermediary companies, and they generally had a low level of education (usually high school graduates, with a few having some vocational training). Once they gained enough experience, they would be promoted to designers. I met one designer who had great practical experience in piping (truly experienced, but without a theoretical foundation). He tried to get a job at a famous American company, FOSTER WHEELER, but failed on his first attempt. Fortunately, he was a graduate of a Chinese-language school and could read Chinese. I gave him the “Chemical Process Piping Manual” – it’s really a good book, containing the essence of knowledge from various chemical engineering design firms at that time. After studying this book, my friend was able to get a job at that company successfully. Nowadays, conditions in China are much better: there are proper piping standards, plenty of resources available, and forums like Haichuan where people can exchange ideas and improve their skills. I believe that as long as newcomers to piping keep learning, practicing, summarizing their experiences, and using forums to exchange information, they will improve rapidly. Another analogy: the structural engineering field forms the foundation, while piping is similar to the architectural field. The most attractive appearance of a factory depends on the work done by piping specialists. Therefore, it’s very important to develop an understanding of aesthetics and spatial concepts. Abroad, regardless of their educational background, draftsmen generally have limited theoretical knowledge of piping. But those with enough experience can create piping diagrams that are aesthetically pleasing. They also make clever use of 45-degree elbows in their designs; it’s not easy to understand these concepts without seeing actual pipe fittings (in the past, various plastic pipe fittings were used for creating physical models). This not only makes the designs more attractive but also reduces friction losses. As several members of Haichuan have mentioned, piping engineers need to go to the site often, learn from observations, and draw on others’ experiences in order to progress quickly.[/hide

We don’t deal with piping; it seems like this field isn’t given much importance. But I believe that those working in this industry must have a good sense of aesthetics, approach their work with care and precision, and be good at learning (which is true for any profession). The work should evoke beauty in people; that is the standard of success.

After reading the sincere words from all of you seniors, I am full of confidence regarding my future. Although I have only been working in piping for 3 months, the knowledge I’ve acquired in this time is far more than what I learned in one semester at university. Since joining the HaiChuan forum, I have sought help on it whenever I have questions, and the seniors there have provided me with patient explanations. I am extremely grateful to all the forum members; thank you very much. I hope everyone will give me more guidance in the future!