Welcome to T. D. Williamson, Inc. Global Solutions. April 2007 _______________________________________________________________________________ In this issue:: - Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence - TDW Flashback: 30 Years Ago to May 1977 - LineMaster™ 2007 Schedule - 2007 Trade Shows Online newsletter: http://www.tdwilliamson.com/EDM/April_07/April_07web.html _______________________________________________________________________________ t h i s m o n t h ' s f e a t u r e: Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence _______________________________________________________________________________ T.D. Williamson S.A. celebrated 40 years of successful growth with an open house on April 21 at their headquarters located at 6, rue du Travail in Nivelles, approximately 30 kilometers south of Brussels.  The TDW facility provides essential pipeline performance products and services throughout the entire Europe/Africa/Middle East (EAM) region. The public was welcome to take guided tours and there were games organized for children, along with a castle, face-painting, a clown and more.  At midday, there was an indoor buffet with two informative videos playing on a continuous loop.  Evening activities included a dinner with a DJ and singer providing entertainment.  Product demonstrations took place during the day. TDW S.A. was founded in 1967 with five employees operating in 5,000 m2 of space.  Today, the Nivelles headquarters and production site employs 135 and the facility now occupies 14,000 m2 of space.  The EAM organizational structure controlled from Nivelles consists of three manufacturing sites and 11 service facilities located in Belgium, France, UK, Italy, Poland, Nigeria, Middle East, Russia, and the Caspian region. TDW S.A. is an ISO 9001:2000 certified facility and manufactures TDW HT&P equipment and consumables. TDW Flashback: 30 Years Ago to May 1977. T.D. Williamson Technology and Quality Stands the Test of Time _______________________________________________________________________________ The following excerpts are taken from a paper given by Mr. Dave Brown who was one of the Gas Service Company’s representatives to the 1977 GAMA/G.E.D. Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 2-4. Mr. Brown participated in a panel which presented new ideas in distribution design and maintenance. This article, written 30 years ago, highlights numerous advantages of the compact TDW Type II SHORTSTOPP® Welding Fitting. Features that made the fitting such a significant advancement in 1977 continue to provide the industry with the most efficient welded fitting technology available. May 1977, New Orleans, Louisiana - “T.D. Williamson, Inc., of Tulsa, Oklahoma, has introduced a new style fitting with features that offer the Natural Gas Distribution Industry savings in time and money. Both the new Type II and standard SHORTSTOPP® Welding Fittings and 3-Way™ Tees may be used with drilling and plugging equipment to temporarily stop-off sections of pipe under pressure for repairs, relocations, extensions, and installation of laterals without shutting the line down. The Gas Service Company has used standard SHORTSTOPP Welding Fittings and 3-Way Tees in its four-state operating area for several years and is now using the newstyle Type II Fittings. Type II SHORTSTOPP Welding Fittings and 3-Way Tees are fabricated without the standard ASA 150 lb. flange found on present SHORTSTOPP fittings. The standard fitting has a permanent flange which is used to bolt-on the temporary SHORTCUTT® Valve which is used in the drilling, plugging and completion operation. This permanent flange was eliminated in the Type II design and a reusable bolt-on valve adapter flange utilized. The reusable valve adapter flange is the key to savings offered by this line of fittings.” ADVANTAGES AND BENEFITS OF THE TYPE II DESIGN Elimination of the more expensive permanent flange in the new design reduces cost and saves time in several ways. 1. The reduced weight of the new fitting means a lower initial cost because handling cost, shipping cost and material cost are lowered. 2. Flanges, which are subject to shortages, have been eliminated as a major obstacle in the manufacturing of fittings. 3. A compact profile takes up less warehouse space. 4. The trim profile makes the fitting easier to coat and wrap once it is installed and also reduces the possibility of damage by earth-moving equipment. 5. Welding time is saved during the installation because the smaller silhouette allows easy access to the weld area. "The new design maintains the same operating specifications as standard SHORTSTOPP Fittings. Type II Fittings are designed for use with SHORTSTOPP 60 and SHORTSTOPP 275 Plugging equipment. Fittings are pressure-tested to 425 psi. Maximum operating pressure is 275 psi at -20°F to +100°F and 245 psi at the maximum service temperature of 180°F. When used with plugging machines, the maximum recommended working pressure is 60 psi for SHORTSTOPP 60 equipment and 275 psi for SHORTSTOPP 275 machines. The Type II design is available in 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12-inch SHORTSTOPP Welding Fittings and 3-Way Tees, and also in 4-inch Main Extension Fittings. The Gas Service Company has taken advantage of the savings made available by Type II SHORTSTOPP Fittings and is currently using them in its operations. The Gas Service Company recognizes the value and importance of “New Ideas” of this type to the Natural Gas Distribution Industry and wishes to congratulate T.D. Williamson, Inc. on its innovative Type II design." http://www.tdwilliamson.com/hottaptdw/fittings/fittings.html LineMaster™ 2007 Schedule _______________________________________________________________________________ http://www.tdwilliamson.com/PDF/Newspdf/LineMasterTraining_Flyer.pdf T.D. Williamson, Inc. continues to provide the most comprehensive hot tapping, plugging and pigging instruction available in compliance with Department of Transportation covered tasks, standards and requirements. Rigorous hands-on training and operator qualification LineMaster™ programs are TDW's commitment to the industry. LineMaster Training assists you with ensuring that your technicians are trained at the highest level available. In our state-of-the-art facilities and with our pressurized simulated pipeline, TDW's LineMaster Training program is an in-depth series of classes designed to fulfill DOT Pipeline Safety Operator Qualification rules. To meet DOT requirements, training programs must include classroom time, written exams and hands-on simulated conditions. TDW's LineMaster Training meets these requirements. TDW LineMaster Training is the best in the business. The company you've trusted with your piping maintenance needs for more than 80 years has the experience to train your technicians and operators effectively and efficiently. 2007 LineMaster Training April ............................................................................... Pipeline Pigging Concepts 1-2 Tulsa, OK - USA and Applications Hot Tapping & Plugging for 14-17 Tulsa, OK - USA High Pressure Transmission Pipeline Hot Tapping & Plugging for 21-24 Tulsa, OK - USA High Pressure Transmission Pipeline Hot Tapping & Plugging Equipment New European Program call: 32-67-28-36-44 Nivelles, Belgium Upcoming Trade Shows _______________________________________________________________________________ Don't forget to visit TDW's booth at upcoming trade shows. We are attending several in the next few months, including: 2007 Trade Shows Trade Shows | Locations | Dates ............................................................................... Lobos Corpus Christi Industrial Show  Corpus Christie  May  16-17 NPRA-Refining  Houston, Tx  May  22-25 AWWA Hawaii Sectional  Hawaii  May  23-25 Texas Gas  Dallas  June  9-13 AWWA- Am,Water Works  Toronto, Ontario  June  24-28 Missouri Association of  Lake Ozark, MO  June   27 - 29 Natural Gas Operators http://www.tdwilliamson.com/trade_show.html Any questions please call 1.888.839.6766 or 1.918.447.5100 Click Here to Unsubscribe or contact us at subscribe@tdwilliamson.com: