TPT September 2007

Advanced cleaning methods for tube and pipe: tube super-cleaning

By Dott Chiara Di Pierro, Fismet Industriale Srl, Italy

Due to the growing demand for industrial cleaning in manufacturing, Fismet invests substantial resources into the research of advanced and alternative cleaning processes. Fismet’s equipment range includes: • Super-cleaning machines • Ultrasound systems • Carbon dioxide machines • Dry saturated steam high pressure generators • Sandblastings

1. Introduction Tube and pipe is a necessary material for life and progress, and can be supplied in a range of diameters and materials. It is available in sizes across the spectrum, ranging from large dimensions for booster, oil-hydraulic cylinder, and oil pipeline applications, to tiny diameters for needles, capillary, and cannulae. The use of tube is increasingly varied, with growing requirements for products such as fibre optics and oil pipeline. In the future, the use of tube is set to increase, with a whole raft of innovative applications, such as goods transportation or high-speed trains being enclosed in tube. In order to facilitate the safety and smooth operation of these applications – from old to new – it is vital to develop and implement the most advanced tube cleaning methods possible. Fismet Industriale Srl is dedicated to the production of industrial cleaning systems and ultrasonic cleaning systems. In developing its equipment and technology, the company aims to take the best care of operator safety and environmental protection.

2. Effective cleaning for inner and outer tube surfaces

In order to best utilise tube and pipe, it is necessary to achieve perfect inner and outer tube cleaning. This is the case even at the superficial boundary layer of tubes. However, the level of perfect cleaning is not an absolute value good for every production sector. Instead, it is relative and depends on the type of production field, operating conditions and application of the tube. Therefore, the best cleaning methods always take into consideration the end-use in relation to the manufacturing phase in which the tube has to be washed. The purpose of a tube-cleaning machine is to entirely remove lubricants used during manufacturing phases. These residuals cannot be removed by a simple chemical immersion bath, because contaminants are strongly fixed. The requirement of perfect pipe cleaning treatment is essential in the ultimate phase, but it can also be integrated into the intermediate phases of the tube manufacturing process. In the latter case of intermediate cleaning, the washing machine has to fit into the manufacturing line without loss of productivity. This means the washing machine should have no negative impact upon production line efficiency. The perfect cleaning of tubes allows the highest level of efficiency and relies upon advanced equipment integrity. An increasingly important factor, the

› Figure 1 : Medical cannulae in stainless steel fi Figure 2 : Copper pipe coil

tube cleaning process is becoming more difficult because tubes are being manufactured with more complicated specifications, either in dimension and structure or constitutive material.

€ Figure 3 :

Small tubes in different metal for household apparatus and appliances

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S eptember /O ctober 2007