Extrusion International 3-2024

28 Extrusion International 3/2024 PIPE EXTRUSION Unique Large-Diameter Pipe Line Expertise – Two Record Lines Sold Giant pipes with a diameter of 2,7 m can be produced with the extrusion lines recently sold to north-east Africa. With its foray into the new dimension of 2,7 m large PE pipes, the extrusion line manufacturer battenfeld-cincinnati has set a new record. These are the first complete lines capable of producing pipes of this size and quality. The design incorporates both the company's unique overall system expertise, which intelligently combines the individual components from the material dosing system to the cutting unit without interface problems, and its decades of experience in the construction of large- diameter pipe systems. Continuous optimization to reduce sagging and thus increase pipe quality speaks for itself, as do mechanical engineering aspects that simplify the transport and assembly of the large components. W ith the new lines, the two customers will expand their product range to include large pipes with an enormous diameter of 2,7 m and thus meet the in - creasing demand for high-performance fresh water and wastewater systems. Plastic pipes play a major role here, as they are easier to install due to their lower weight com- pared to concrete pipes, are resistant to corrosion and chemicals and cannot be damaged by tree roots in the ground. In other words, they are functional and durable. In order to be able to produce pipes in these dimen- sions, high-performance extruders that can homoge - neously plasticize the melt material are required. For some years now, battenfeld-cincinnati has been relying on the solEX NG series, which achieves up to 25 % high - er output compared to previous versions. Thanks to the process engineering design with an internally grooved barrel and matching screw and grooved bushing geom- etry, the extruders operate with a reduced axial pres - sure profile, which ensures low wear. At the same time, high specific output rates at low screw speeds and tem - peratures reduced by around 10 °C guarantee effective but gentle melt processing. The OptiMelt static mixer, which is installed between the extruder and the die, achieves a further 10 °C reduction in temperature. The tool itself is a helix pipe head, which, with its two-stage concept, ensures optimum melt distribution with low pressure build-up. Finally, the effective internal pipe cooling supports the stable outlet of the melt from the die. The entire unit thus ensures minimized sagging ef- fects, which is particularly important for large pipes and their high weight in order to guarantee optimum wall thickness distribution without ovality. The downstream components are also designed for the large dimensions and also meet the requirements for low energy consumption. The vacuum and spray baths work solely with frequency-controlled vacuum pumps, which consume around 50 % less energy than conventional systems. At the same time, a closed water circuit in the complete calibration system ensures mini- mized water consumption of just 1 m 3 /h. A brand new feature is that all downstream compo- nents are now only 4 m long, meaning that they can be easily transported to their destination and only need to be joined together. battenfeld-cincinnati Bad Oeynhausen und Kempen (Deutschland), Wien (Österreich), Shunde (China), McPherson, KS (USA) www.battenfeld-cincinnati.com Po Pipe Extrusion 106 inches line