Photo: Pipestoppers. 
Pipestoppers, a Division of Huntingdon Fusion Techniques HFT, design and manufacture a mechanical and inflatable pipestoppers and plugs. Low profile inflatable stoppers are available in sizes 150 to 2,235 millimetres in diameter and provide grip inside the pipe, with an airtight seal.
Each stopper is fitted with a standard schrader valve connected to a 1.2 metre hose, is inflatable using a foot pump or compressor and is heat resistant up to 80ºC.
Features include:
• Cylindrical and spherical stoppers: stop the flow of gas or liquid inside pipes and ducts. Available up to ø 2,440 mm. For higher temperatures, these inflatable stoppers can also be manufactured with a heat resistant cover for temperatures up to 300ºC.
• PetroChem stoppers: manufactured from latex, are used for stopping off pipes with hydrocarbon gases and liquids inside.
• Inflatable rubber plugs: a wide diameter range, can withstand chemicals and hydrocarbons, for higher-pressure applications, with a long life.
“The Low Profile Stopper can fit into a pipe end that may be directly on an elbow or just inside a flanged neck on a casting. Other applications include blocking pipe ends to keep gases inside or to keep debris and vermin out,” said Ron Sewell, Chairman, HFT. “When used in a vertical mode, these Low Profile Stoppers have already been used to prevent machine swarf or tools from falling into pipes, into an unrecoverable and dangerous situation, in a nuclear power steam turbine.”
www.huntingdonfusion.com.
