Tip #09 · Welding
Keep branch welds at least 1.5D from the nearest fitting on the header.
Every butt weld in your routing represents a cost. Optimize your routing to minimize the number of welds without compromising function. A single 90-degree long-radius elbow creates 2 welds. Two 45-degree elbows achieving the same direction change create 4 welds plus an additional straight piece.
Too close and the heat-affected zones overlap, creating potential weak points that stress analysis may not catch. This is the kind of detail that does not appear in codes but every good senior knows — because they have seen what happens when it is ignored.
The takeaway: Weld count is a design metric. Experienced designers minimize it deliberately. Each weld is a potential failure point, a cost, an inspection requirement, and a schedule item. Design it out where you can.
