HDPE Fusion Learning Center
Plain-language guides on fusing HDPE pipe, written for crews working across the Pacific Northwest, West Coast, and Mountain West.
Request a Rental Quote →More than a rental counter
Renting a fusion machine is the easy part. Knowing which machine, which process, and which procedure your job calls for takes a little more. That is what this section is for.
AHS Fusion Sales is a fusion specialist, not a general rental counter. When you call us, you talk to people who work with butt fusion machines and electrofusion processors every day. These guides cover the questions we answer most often for contractors in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
Start anywhere. Each article stands on its own.
Guides and Articles
What Is HDPE Pipe Fusion?
New to polyethylene? Start here. How heat fusion works, the six steps of a butt fusion joint, and why a fused joint holds like the pipe itself. Read the guide.
Butt Fusion vs. Electrofusion
Two ways to join HDPE, two very different jobsites. Cost per joint, equipment differences, and when each method wins. Compare the methods.
Fusion Machine Sizing
Match the machine to your pipe OD range, sort out DIPS vs. IPS, and avoid paying for a second mobilization. Size your machine.
Cold-Weather Fusion
Fusing pipe in Montana in January is not the same as fusing it in Phoenix in June. The adjustments that keep joints sound when temperatures drop. Read the cold-weather guide.
Fusion Joint Quality and Data Logging
What inspectors and owners look for in a fused joint, and how data-logging equipment documents every joint your crew makes. Learn about joint records.
HDPE vs. Traditional Pipe
Where polyethylene beats ductile iron, PVC, and steel, and where it does not. Useful when an owner asks why the spec says HDPE. See the comparison.
More Resources
Training Videos
Watching a joint being made teaches faster than reading about it. We collect manufacturer training videos for the equipment we rent, so your crew can review the procedure before the machine shows up. Watch the training videos.
Power and Generator Requirements
Fusion machines need clean, adequate power, and undersized generators cause more failed joints than most crews realize. Generators are easy to rent through the national rental networks; the right size takes a minute of homework. Check generator requirements.
Ready to put a machine on your job?
Most contractors reading this already know they need a fusion machine. Tell us your pipe size and schedule, and we will have equipment ready to work anywhere in the western U.S.
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