TPT July 2010

T echnology U pdate

Insulated GRE pipes for heating

Small grain copper tubes UPCAST ® – the leading upward continuous casting technology – is best known for the production of Cu-OF rod used within the wire and cable industry. Now this proven method has been applied to the casting of Cu-DHP tube. UPCAST ® -SGTube technology produces thin-walled cast tubes suitable for direct drawing to sanitary and ACR tubing. Cast tubes come in heavy coils straight from the casting line. The fine cast grain structure lends itself to excellent drawing performance, which has been validated in testing. UPCAST ® -SGTube combines the inherent advantages of baseline UPCAST ® technology with a completely redesigned cooler-die construction plus a new casting

VEM is an Italian manufacturer and supplier of filament winding equipment, specialised in the continuous filament winding of GRP/ GRE pipes. For years the company has been working on the introduction of new equipment and design of new products. One of VEM’s latest priority directions is the continuous manufacturing of insulated GRE pipes for district heating, used in hot water transportation up to 110°C (peak temperature up to 150°C). VEM technology for district heating pipes regards the continuous, thermally cured epoxy pipes insulated with PU foam and covered with a protective PE coating. The foaming system has been specially designed by VEM for its own winding machine for small diameter pipes, the Continuous Lamellar Winding Machine, which allows manufacturing GRP and GRE pipes ND 100-800 mm, NP up to 32 bar GRP and up to 40 bar GRE, SN 1,250-10,000N/m 2 . VEM patented invention, the Lamellar Machine, is characterised by a series of peculiarities like the continuous production of diameters below 300mm, compact dimensions, high

productivity, reduced downtimes and manpower of the plant. Online insulation of GRE pipes allows one to obtain a very uniform expanded foam layer on the surface of a cooled wound pipe. The spray application over an extremely short path creates virtually any insulation thickness according to the design diameter and insulating efficiency. The PU hardened layer allows a subsequent application of a protective PE coating by the melt extrusion of filled polyethylene or the spray application of a non-foaming PU-based formulation. These operations are completely integrated in the continuous filament winding process and are characterised by the following advantages: a consistent density of the insulation, no insulation voids, full concentric application onto the pipe and the jacket fully bonded to the insulation. Finished products comply with EN 253 standard for PU insulated pipes. VEM SpA – Italy

stroke form. UPCAST Oy – Finland Fax: +358 2075 77401 Email: sales@upcast.com Website: www.upcast.com

Email: sales@vem.eu Website: www.vem.eu

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J uly 2010

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