Make in-Service Welding Safer & More Predictable
Before performing a hot tap weld or any in-service weld repairs, it’s important to know the potential risks. HotTap, a cloud-based welding simulation tool, helps you quickly evaluate burn-through and cold-cracking risks for hot tapping and in-service welding.
With an advanced finite element analysis (FEA) solver and built-in fluid property database, HotTap will help you predict peak wall temperature, maximum cooling rate, and the shortest cooling rate around the weld region. You will solve a complex set of welding challenges with this simple tool.
Developed for Real-World Decisions
- Automatically predict safe heat input ranges based on real-world welding scenarios.
- Evaluate burn-through and cold-cracking risks before welding begins.
- Get detailed hardness predictions and cooling rates for regulatory compliance.
Simple, Fast, & Reliable Analysis
- Run complex simulations in minutes.
- Easy-to-use interface with predefined geometries and fluid properties.
- Eliminates guesswork by providing clear pass/fail criteria for your welding procedure.
Seamless Compliance & Reporting
- Aligns with API 1104, ASME Section IX, and CSA Z662.
- Expands beyond industry standards, allowing custom hardness thresholds.
- Generates audit-ready documentation to support regulatory approvals.
Simplify Complex Welding Challenges
Balancing heat input is critical. If it’s too high, you risk burn-through; if it’s too low, you can increase susceptibility to cold cracking. HotTap automates this analysis, using finite element simulations to evaluate the various welding conditions.
- Predict temperature, cooling rates, and hardness changes within the heat-affected zone (HAZ)
- Use finite element analysis (FEA) simulation to visualize the threat of cold cracking or burn-through
- Estimate material hardness changes after a microstructural change
- Simulate multiple hot tap geometries, materials, and thermal boundary conditions
- Automatically predict acceptable ranges of heat input
- Assess possible heat transfer for single-phase or two-phase flow
Automated Finite Element Analysis
The HotTap webtool uses a transient thermal FEA solver to evaluate a wide variety of typical hot tap geometries, materials, and thermal boundary conditions. Use the calculator to:
- Predict peak wall temperature, maximum cooling rate, and shortest cooling time
- Estimate cooling effect of the fluid for liquid and vapor fluid phases
- Account for nucleate boiling, if wall temperature exceeds saturation temperature
- Estimate material hardness after a microstructural change
Weld Smarter with HotTap
With the HotTap webtool, you don’t need to be an FEA expert to get precise, reliable welding risk assessments. Whether you’re evaluating a hot tap, split tee, or full encirclement sleeve, HotTap will help you optimize procedures, reduce failures, and ensure compliance, faster and with more confidence.
Consulting Services: Welding Assessments
If you require technical support for your weld repairs or hot tapping, Equity Engineering’s welding engineers offer a variety of consulting services to solve your most complex welding challenges. The welding engineers will review your current welding procedures and provide practical repair guidance for any type of damage mechanism to ensure new construction or planned maintenance is compliant with the latest industry standards.
- Review welding procedures and provide inspection recommendations
- Determine materials or filler electrode requirements
- Conduct onsite failure analysis and root cause investigations
- Specify weldability concerns and discuss welding metallurgy
- Identify preheat, interpass, and post-weld heat treatment requirements
- Provide technical advice on welding and fabrication
Our Software Experts
The groundwork for Equity Software began more than 30 years ago with the initial development of SagePlus™. Over the years, Equity Software has continued to introduce industry-leading innovations, including SagePlus, API RBI, the Equity Engineering Cloud (eec), and damage mechanism software.
We’ve integrated these advancements into the PlantManager 6.0 platform, embracing the future of cloud-native solutions. Our ongoing commitment to innovation and collaboration continues to drive our mission in advancing industrial asset management and technology.
- Pioneered development of RBI and FFS software
- Integrated API and ASME codes and standards into all software
- Used by Equity’s consulting engineers for FFS, RBI, damage mechanism reviews, and other asset lifecycle management projects