Hot Tap Kits for Pipeline Contractors and Utilities

Hot tapping starts by welding or bolting a fitting and valve onto the pipe, then attaching a tapping machine to the valve. The machine advances a boring bar with a hole saw through the valve and into the pipe wall, cutting a coupon while the line stays pressurized. Once cut, the boring bar retracts and the valve closes to seal the new connection.

Hot tapping allows contractors and utilities to add connections, branch lines, or instrumentation to an active pipeline without shutting down service, draining the line, or halting operations. This saves time, avoids costly downtime, and reduces safety risks compared to traditional shutdown-and-cut methods, making it standard practice for water, wastewater, gas, and industrial pipeline maintenance.

The TM100 tapping machine is a turnkey system rated for 0.75" to 3" taps in its base configuration. With the 4" and 6" add-on kits, the same machine can perform larger taps using dedicated boring bars, drive heads, and hole saws, giving contractors a scalable solution from small service connections up to 6" diameter taps.

The TM100 tapping machine and its 4" and 6" add-on kits are all rated for 350 psi, making them suitable for pressurized water, wastewater, and utility pipelines. This rating ensures the equipment can safely perform tapping operations on live, in-service lines without requiring a system shutdown or pressure reduction.

Each TM100 add-on kit includes the components needed to expand tapping capability beyond the base 3" maximum, such as a flanged adapter, drive head, double-stacked hole saw, boring bars sized for the tap diameter, and a pilot drill. The 6" kit also includes packing adapters and brass inserts for the larger boring bars.

Yes. The TM100 is designed as a base package for 0.75" to 3" taps, and its capabilities can be expanded using the 4" and 6" add-on kits. These kits include the boring bars, hole saws, and adapters needed to perform larger taps with the same tapping machine and drive.