In order to be able to react flexibly to changing legal requirements, BRUGG Pipes has joined forces with the Fraunhofer Institute ITWM (Institute for Industrial Mathematics) to develop a globally innovative testing technology based on terahertz radiation. The background: An adaptation of the pipe structure in accordance with the EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 made the X-ray testing method previously used technically impossible. The new solution enables high-precision quality control - and is a world first in the field of insulated pipe systems.
Legal requirements as a driver for technological development
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| Image: BRUGGE Pipes |
The EU Drinking Water Directive 2020/2184 and the adapted German Drinking Water Ordinance stipulate an oxygen diffusion-tight aluminium layer in the inner pipe of drinking water pipes. However, this metal layer prevents the penetration of X-rays - rendering the established test procedure at BRUGG Pipes unusable.
"Our pipe systems were previously inspected inline using X-rays. With the new aluminium layer, this method could no longer be used - so we had to find an alternative solution," says Dr Jürgen Kress, Global Head of Product Development at BRUGG Pipes.
Terahertz replaces X-rays - precise, safe, future-proof
In close cooperation with the radiation experts at the Fraunhofer Institute ITWM, a technology known from the automotive industry and aviation security, among others, was adapted: terahertz radiation. It is non-ionising, harmless to health - and ideally suited for non-contact, non-destructive material testing.
The newly developed measuring device consists of a rotating sensor that scans the pipe 50 times per second. It generates high-resolution real-time data on the centricity of the inner pipe and the even distribution of the insulating material - even in complex multi-conductor systems.
Patented solution in industrial use
The new testing technology is already in use on the CALPEX Line 1 production line at the Kleindöttingen plant. Further lines will follow. The process has been registered for a patent and emphasises BRUGG Pipes' claim to technological leadership in flexible pipe production.
‘This development shows that modern high technology also has a firm place in classic infrastructure products such as pipe systems,’ says Dr Kress. ‘Quality assurance at this level is the basis for long-term operational reliability and trust in our products.’
