Pipe Class Component Software

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

Pipe lines in refineries and chemical plants consist of many types of components and sizes. These components are selected based on the required design conditions of the process contained in the piping systems. The components are grouped in so-called pipe classes. The pipe class defines the components to be used for the selected process conditions.

An average petrochemical or chemical plant can have between 50 to 500 different pipe classes. If a pipe class consists of for example 250 components, the pipe specification containing all pipe classes defines over 10,000 components. It is a tedious task to define the pipe classes during the design phase of a project, to handle them during construction and maintain the warehouse with spare components during operation of the plant without proper software tools.

PCC is the pipe class creation and calculation application. The selection of components is done efficiently by providing drag and drop facilities, cut, copy and paste, and multi selection like in a spreadsheet application. A full pipe class can be copied for example to evaluate alternatives.

Image: extensive standard dimension and material database

Image: detail of review component dimension data

PCC is a bulk calculation program. All the calculations are done on the fly, everything can be exported to spreadsheet format, pipe classes can be exported and imported in XML format. The XML format can be used to import data in to other applications like 3D CAD or ERP systems.

Image: multi selection for component selection and branch table

PCC can also advise on pipe schedules by using the designer wizard. PCC will select the required schedules with a limited amount of information.

PCC can execute calculations according various codes: ASME B31.1, B31.3, B31.3, B31.8, EN 1594, EN 13480 and RToD. The code can be changed by changing only the calculation code. PCC will determine by itself whether the selected materials can be used for the selected code.

Conclusion: PCC is tuned for efficiency. The use of spreadsheet calculations and endless manual iterations to find the best solutions is not necessary anymore. Now the engineer can very quickly determine whether for example two pipe classes can be combined or not, or whether the elbow and tees are critical for stress calculations later in the design process.

Image: pipe class designer wizard

Red-Bag is developing software which must be the best solution for a specific task. PCC is a good example where selection, calculation, evaluation, reporting and exporting is merged in a tool that serves its purpose. The best proof is that our clients buy our software, not because we are the cheapest, but because they want our software.

Links to demo videos at the bottom of these pages

Link to the public PCC User Manual

Link to demo download form

Details: Last Updated: 21 October 2021

The PCC software calculates all components in one run. This feature saves the engineer many hours checking detail calculations per component per design condition. The calculation codes include:

ASME B31.1 (USA and international)
ASME B31.3 (USA and international)
ASME B31.4 (USA and international)
ASME B31.8 (USA and international)
EN 1594 (European Union and international)
EN 13480-3 (European Union and international)
EN 3650 (European Union and international)
RToD (Netherlands)

This list of calculations can be extended depending the customer requirements.

Image: calculation code selection

Special calculations are available which are outside the scope of above calculation codes. It is sometimes necessary to use pressure vessel calculations like the ASME VIII div.1 when special piping configurations are applicable. For example custom made flanges, these calculations are not part of the piping calculation codes or only for a limited set of flange types.

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

The PCC pipe class software includes components such as:

pipe
butt welding fitting: elbow, cap, reducer, tee
socket weld and threaded fitting: elbow, cap, reducer, tee
forged fitting: coupling, boss, cap, couplet
nipple, plug: swage nipple, bull plug
integrally reinforced fitting: weldolet, latrolet socket, threadolet
flange: weld neck, loose
valve: gate, globe, ball, plug, needle, check

and can handle custom made components such as:

pipe bends
miter bends
pipe and fitting

The PCC software allows to add component descriptions to specify non-standard pipe, fittings, valves or other items like Y-type and witch hat/conical strainers and many others.

Image: component selection menu

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

The PCC software comes with a complete set of dimension standards for the piping components. Searching for the dimensions of the pipe class components is not necessary anymore because line sizes, wall thickness, outside dimensions are all available. This saves the engineer many waisted hours finding and entering this data in the application.

Some of the dimension standards included are:

ASME B16.5
ASME B16.9
ASME B16.10
...
DIN 2605-1
DIN 2605-2
...
EN 1514-1
EN 1514-2
...

and many more.

Image: selection of dimension standard for elbow

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

The PCC application comes with many material specification and standards. The calculations require the allowable stresses (ASME) by temperature or the software calculates the allowable stress based on yield, tensile and creep rupture values (EN). The use of the correct allowable stress is vital in the calculations. The calculation application allows the user to validate the source of the allowable stress and where necessary provide additional materials.

The ASME II part D is completely available in the PCC software. Most frequently used materials in the ASME B31.X series is available in the software. The user can browse the material and verify, review all the material property values.

Image: material selection from database

Any discussion about the background or source of the material properties is very quickly done with the material properties being completely open to the user. The standard materials are controlled by Red-Bag, user material can be added in a separate section of the database.

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

The PCC application uses databases to store and retrieve data. There are mainly two databases: one is the standards database with all the dimensions of the components and material properties, the other one is the project database which stores the user input of the projects and pipe classes.

Image: setting database locations

The databases can be local computer databases or server databases. Red-Bag uses for the development the Sqlite database for local storage and the MySQL or MarianDB for server databases. It is advisable to use a central server database when working in a projectteam or for larger companies with pipe classes for different process units.

Consult Red-Bag for more information on use cases.

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

The PCC software has an intuitive user interface. The windows and dialogs are designed to mimic the way the engineer works with a pipe class.

The components are selected during the pipe class creation process. The first feature of PCC is to be able to set default values for dimension- and material standards to be used. Other default settings such as corrosion and tolerance are included in the software.

The below images show some of the component selection dialogs. The user can select multiple rows after which the components are set with one click.

Image: defaults setting dialog

Image: pipe selection dialog

The thickness of the component is depending of the design conditions. The pipe schedule design wizard is feature to help the user to select the minimum required schedule for the pipe. The various wizards are updated and continuously extended to facilitate quick design and review of pipe classes. The below image show the pipe schedule selection wizard.

Image: pipe schedule design wizard

Further features include the design of custom components, for example a Tee with an increased crotch thickness or 45 degree stub-in with custom wall thicknesses or creating a custom material with special properties. Contact Red-Bag whether your requirements are included or should be included in the software: contact form

Details: Last Updated: 13 November 2020

The PCC is full featured pipe class calculation and management software tool. The output of PCC provides engineering documents like the pipe class summary sheet, calculation reports and data files.

The pipe class summary is the 'normal' pipe class report as used during the engineering and design of a process plant.

Image: summary of pipe class calculated

The calculation reports are a calculation summary of the most significant design condition per component and detail calculation per component, per size and per design condition.

The dimension report includes the dimensional information per component as a reference for the piping designer.

The data file is an XML format with all pipe class information which can be used in, for example, 3D CAD applications or between different PCC users. It is always used when requesting help from Red-Bag. With this file the Red-Bag support engineers can see the full content of the pipe class without entering data and with this data file provide quicker feedback.

The use of local databases is also possible. The preferred format is the Sqlite database.