The Skinny on Weldolets

In the master files distributed with SpoolFab, under BW Branches, there are three rows dedicated to drawing weldolets, as shown below.

Three rows are used because weldolets come in three different weights as listed above, and the three weights have different dimensions. The dimensions can also differ slightly depending on whether the weldolets are reducing or size-on-size. The available size range also differs.

If you draw a 6 inch standard WOL on a 10 inch header as BW-J, using a spec with fitting wall Std in 6 inch size, it will be listed in the BOM as

6 x 10 STD WOL Std

If the specified schedule for 6 inch size is XS or Sch 80, you should use row BW-K rather than BW-J, otherwise the dimension may not be right. In that case, the BOM should list:

6 x 10 XH WOL XS
or
6 x 10 XH WOL Sch 80

Some users of SpoolFab modify the master files to use the same description for all three rows J, K and L as simply WOL as shown below. They use line J for Std or Sch 40, line K for XS or Sch 80,and line L for XXS or Sch 160 in order to get the correct dimension.

This results in less confusing descriptions as shown below.

6 x 10 WOL Std 6 x 10 WOL Sch 40

6 x 10 WOL XS 6 x 10 WOL Sch 80

6 x 10 WOL XXS 6 x 10 WOL Sch 160

If you edit the BOM to change an olet from Std to XS, you should also change the fitting code from BW-J to BW-K so that the dimension is also updated.

Run Size Consolidation

A 2 inch x 14 inch Standard Weldolet can be used on any header size from 12 inch to 18 inch. However, prior to version 8-830, SpoolFab always treated 2 x 12, 2 x 14, 2 x16 and 2 x 18 Std Weldolets as if they were different items. This meant that if you wanted the WDTR (Which Drawings To Release) feature to work, and you received 1000 2x 14 Std Weldolets, you had to enter them as quantities of 2 x12, 2 x 14, 2 x 16 and 2 x 18 in accordance with the numbers appearing on the drawings.

How to Use Run Size Consolidation

To use Run Size Consolidation, you need the following:

1. You need SpoolFab version 8-830 or later.
2. The Data folder in use must include the eight files listed below, located in Data\Master.

In Job/Spec setup the Run Size Consolidation check box must be checked, see below.

The Run Size Consolidations table published by Bonney Forge for Standard Weldolets is shown below. The table for XS/Sch 80 is identical to this. The table for XXS/Sch 160 is different.

The same information can be summarized as shown below.

Similarly, files RunSizeColsolidationBWK.ac2 andRunSizeColsolidationBWL.ac2 define the header sizes on which XS and XXS Weldolets can be used.

Applying Run Size Consolidations

During the saving process, SpoolFab applies run size consolidations so that

2 x 12, 2 x 14, 2 x 16 and 2 x 18 Standard Weldolets are all recorded in the Item File as 2 x 12, i.e. using the smallest header size on which the fitting can be used.

Those weldolets are then all received as 2 x 12, and there is no need to provide a breakdown by header size.

Drawings still refer to a 2 x 16 Std WOL as such. Use of Run Size Consolidation (RSC) is controlled by a check box on a job-by-job basis. This means that for the purpose of the Item file, use of RSC can be reversed by unselecting the option and batch resaving the job.

If an olet was drawn as BW-L, or if its schedule is XXS or Sch 160, the XXH/Sch 160 RSC table is used. Otherwise, the table shown above is used.

Sockolets and Thredolets

RSC is also applied to sockolets and thredolets, BS-F and BS-K respectively. As of version 8-830, RSC is applied only to BW-J, BW-K,BW-L, BS-F and BS-K.

Manufacturers

The files normally provided are based on data published by Bonney Forge Corporation. The run size consolidations of other manufacturers may differ. RSC files based on data published by Welding Outlets Inc.(WOI) are available on request.