Selection Guide: Selecting the Right Type of Shield

A wide variety of RAMCO® Safety Shield are available so that engineers, piping designers and plant personnel can select appropriate shields for specific applications.

One simple means to determine an appropriate safety shield selection is the Matching Method -- the material of the shield is matched to the piping system. Since extensive engineering knowledge, experience and skill already have been applied to select the most desirable type of piping for a line, this information could be applied to the selection of the appropriate safety shield.

By matching the safety shield to the pipe lining, one can specify TFE Spra-Gard® Shields for TFE-lined piping systems and install PPL Spra-Gard® Shields on PPL-lined piping. If an entire plant uses stainless steel, then RAMCO® Stainless Safety Shields are appropriate. For unlined carbon steel pipe, matching is not possible, and the choice of shield should be discussed with RAMCO® personnel.

There are instances, however, in which shield to pipe mismatching appears to work satisfactorily. For example, PE Econo-Gard® Shields are working well for phosphate operations in Florida, even though stainless steel piping is usually installed in these plants. However, mismatching should be considered very seriously since an error can be hazardous with unfortunate consequences.

For more detailed information on shield selection, technical assistance is available by contacting RAMCO® Technical Services Group.