Steve Hockenberry – Omegaflex

Bob Torbin

Bob Patton

Main Program: Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing (CSST)

Timeline, the progress of the product from 1980 to 2010. Benefits of using CSST on projects and cost savings analyses compared to traditional black steel piping. Massachusetts Approvals. Standards and Certifications. Product differences between black and yellow covered CSST. Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing vs black steel piping. What to look for. Lighting 101. Bonding. Pre-sleeved CSST and its applications.

Mr. Hockenberry is the VP of New Products Development for Omegaflex, Inc. I have been involved with the development of the CSST market in North America since 1997. I live in Westfield, Ma.

Mr. Torbin, who is the Director of Codes and Standards for Omega Flex of Middletown, CT, has work for 30 years in the development of innovative fuel gas piping systems and related technologies.  Mr. Torbin has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston and an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA.  He is a Registered Professional Engineer and serves as a member of several national standards committees including the ANSI LC-1 Technical Advisory Group, the CSA Manual Valve TAG and ASTM F17.6 Committee on Plastic Piping.  He is the author/co-author of over 100 technical reports, journal articles and conference papers, including many on gas distribution research.  Mr. Torbin lectures to various plumbing, mechanical and electrical inspector groups each year.

Mr. Patton has been in the Mechanical Contracting business for most of his career before joining the manufacturing business.  Working summers in his father’s contracting business, after college he enrolled in the plumbers and fitters apprentice program.  After years in the field as a journeyman and foreman, Bob became a project manager.  He then started his own contracting business and worked throughout Connecticut in major commercial and industrial markets.  After closing the business he continued to work for a major mechanical contractor as Executive Project Manager, managing large commercial projects.  He joined Omegaflex in 2011 as a Commercial Regional Manager concentrating on expanding the commercial marketing of their products.