Plastics Pipe Institute Creates Gas Piping ID Registry
Keeping track of pipe segments is an integral part of maintaining pipeline integrity. In that effort, the Plastics Pipe Institute Inc. (PPI) has established a new website that acts as a clearinghouse for the registration of all polyethylene (PE) gas pipe and component manufacturers’ identification codes. It can be found at www.componentID.org.
“This is a critical part of the tracking and traceability system, which provides a standardized approach to marking all gas distribution system components,” said Stephen Boros, technical director of PPI. “It was developed so manufacturers could easily provide product traceability information that gas utilities can use in the implementation of their own Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP), a program that has been mandated by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), U.S. Department of Transportation.”
PPI is the major trade association representing all segments of the plastic pipe industry. The group has agreed to operate and maintain the registry, which Boros said was developed in coordination with the Operations and Technology Development (OTD) consortium of gas utilities to support the registration of a unique manufacturer identifier in conjunction with the ASTM F2897-11 Standard Specification for Tracking and Traceability Encoding System of Natural Gas Distribution Components (Pipe, Tubing, Valves, and Fittings).
ASTM F2897 alphanumeric and barcode marking requirements are now included in many leading plastic gas component standards including: ASTM D2513, F1924, F1948 and F2138.
“PPI manufacturers identification service is available to all gas industry component manufacturers and not only PPI members,” Boros said, adding that other gas system components such as metallic piping and fittings likely will be added in the future. “We believe that with the successful implementation of this program into gas distribution, this type of tracking and traceability program could prove valuable for other applications such as potable water or storm water management systems.”
Tags: ID registry, Plastics Pipe Institute
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