Extrusion International 2-2017

11 Extrusion International 2/2017 Transam Extrusions Continues to Invest in Davis-Standard Technology The United Kingdom’s market leading tubing & profile manufacturer, Transam Extrusions Limited, continues to in- vest in Davis-Standard extrusion equipment. Transam, based in Barton-Le-Clay, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom, has expe- rienced significant growth over the past decade and is re- garded as one of the UK’s leading plastic pipe manufactur- ers, producing a wide range of both flexible and rigid plastic pipes and profiles up to 180 mm wide. The relationship between the two companies has grown over the past decade, and has included investment in new Davis-standard extruders, screw technology and other downstream equipment to support the company’s growing business. “Davis-Standard’s expertise, dedication and responsiveness to their customers goes beyond all expectations,” said Rus- sell Brazier, Managing Director, Transam. “Their equipment is extremely reliable, screw technology second to none and we’ve been delighted with the technical staff that support and help us to concentrate on our growing business in the United Kingdom.” Most recently, Transam added a new Davis-Standard EB50 EuroBlue extruder. The EB50 EuroBlue is the sixth Davis-stan- dard extruder, with associated downstream, to be installed at Transam. The machine was ordered and delivered within 5 days, resulting in minimal production delays for Transam’s www.davis ‐standard.com , www.transamltd.co.uk clients. In addition, Transam purchased a custom-built Davis- Standard water-bath specifically designed for the company’s unique business requirements. Transam operates a reinvestment program, which ensures a proportion of their annual profits are allocated for re-in- vestment back into their business in the form of new equip- ment. They are passionate about British manufacturing and are dedicated to offering their clients quality product with excellent service. SIKORA LASER diameter gauges determine the wall thickness Today, measuring and control technologies are an in- dustrial standard in hose extrusion lines with focus on quality control, process optimization and reduction of manufacturing costs. Directly integrated in the produc- tion lines, the systems measure in real time, product di- mensions such as inner and outer diameter, ovality, wall thicknesses and eccentricity. A prevailing method for de- termining the average wall thickness is the diameter dif- ferential method. From the values of two diameter mea- suring devices the wall thickness is calculated. 40 years ago, the first SIKORA wall thickness measuring devices called ISOWAND based on the principle of dif- ferential measurement, where used in insulating and sheathing lines. Today, the measurement of the average wall thickness as well as the control of extruder rpm and line speed are still attractive methods for quality assur- ance and process optimization in hose extrusion extrusion lines. At the extrusion of hoses, typically a mandrel is used. For the differential measuring method, the diameter of the product is measured contactless after the extruder by a SIKORA diameter gauge head (LASER Series 2000/6000). The evaluation is realized in combination with the proces- sor controlled display and control systems ECOCONTROL 1000 or 6000, whereby, the diameter of the mandrel is preset in a recipe. The wall thickness is calculated from the difference of the hose diameter measured in real time and the predefined diameter of the mandrel. The material shrinkage is already considered in the wall thickness measuring value. The shrinkage value is propor- tionally defined by the operator or automatically calcu- lated by an additional diameter gauge head at the end of