Broomfield, Colo. — Viega is celebrating a milestone with the tenth anniversary of the introduction of MegaPress. Press technology has been in the U.S. since 1999, and Viega has continued to release new fittings and valves to make Viega press technology an industry standard in commercial, residential and industrial applications. Viega MegaPress systems have hundreds of configurations, thousands of approvals, and more than 22 million fittings sold. Over the past ten years, Viega MegaPress systems have saved contractors millions of dollars in installation costs.
Viega MegaPress and MegaPressG were the first press systems in the U.S. market engineered explicitly for gas and hydronic applications. Since the launch, MegaPress systems have expanded to include more than 200 configurations from 1⁄2” to 4” and are approved for more applications than any other carbon steel fitting system.
The value of a MegaPress system is in its unique engineering. The Grip Ring uses bi-directional teeth to provide mechanical strength and securely lock the fitting to the pipe. The sealing element provides elastomeric insurance behind the metal-to-metal contact to compensate for small irregularities of the pipe surface; this ring stays outside the flow path. The Viega MegaPress system has a long lifespan and is tested to withstand a broad range of pressures, temperatures and applications. All Viega fittings come equipped with Smart ConnectTM technology that identifies unpressed connections during pressure testing, allowing for easy identification to ensure the fittings are installed right the first time.
“In the past 10 years, labor costs have been rising while labor availability has been dwindling. It’s a perfect storm. Our MegaPress systems solve both of those challenges and help contractors across the country get more done with less. It’s a proven and trusted technology that isn’t just faster, but it’s reliable, mitigates jobsite risk because of the flameless installation, and eliminates the need for fire watch,” said Will Schneider, Product Portfolio Manager of Viega LLC.
Following the initial success of MegaPress, Viega launched MegaPressG with an HNBR sealing element approved for use in gas and fuel oil applications. Initially available 1⁄2” – 2”, MegaPressG also became the first fitting approved for connecting gas pipe up to 4”.
MegaPress FKM was added to the lineup for higher-temperature applications. With more than 180 configurations 1⁄2” to 4”, MegaPress FKM is now a staple in residential and low-pressure steam, compressed air, fire protection and fuel/oil applications.
With the rapid rise of press fitting adoption, Viega engineered a system for connecting large diameter 304 and 316 IPS stainless steel pipe. MegaPress Stainless comes with a choice of EPDM or FKM sealing elements and makes secure connections in less than 16 seconds.
In recent years, MegaPress systems expanded to meet contractor demand for a complementary valve offering. This included Viega MegaPressG Valves which come with HNBR sealing elements and are available in sizes 1⁄2” to 2”. And Viega MegaPress 3-piece ball valves are available 1⁄2” to 4” and work on potable water, hydronic water and a wide range of other system applications.
“I’ve had the opportunity to train thousands of plumbers and contractors on MegaPress systems and it’s been exciting to see the industry truly embrace this revolutionary technology,” said Troy Locke, Manager, Customer Engagement, Viega LLC. “We’re about pushing the industry forward. We’re going to continue to add more sizes, more applications and secure more approvals. In a decade, I believe we’ve only started to scratch the surface of what is possible with these types of pipe fittings and valves.”
