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Tube Products International January 2014
Refr igerat ion & HVAC
Insulation for protection of mechanical
services pipework
Armaflex Tuffcoat, manufactured by
Armacell, comprises the Armaflex
flexible, closed cell, foamed nitrile
rubber laminated with a Tuffcoat PVC
coating for enhanced protection against
impact damage. The product is suitable
for both above- and below-ground
installations, including mains cold water
and ground source heat pump pipework
to prevent freezing.
The Tuffcoat outer covering also
ensures protection against UV damage,
water ingress and damage from birds
or rodents. It is suitable for pipe and
ductwork applications where wash-
down cleaning regimes are regularly
undertaken.
The tube version of the product has been
redesigned so that around a quarter
of the Tuffcoat PVC covering is left
un-adhered to the Armaflex insulation
tube. This un-adhered section of the
covering has a self-adhesive backing
with protective peel off paper sheet
for removing and fixing down onto the
Armaflex insulation once the tubes are
installed onto pipework.
The change makes it easier to slide
and fit the tubes onto new pipework
sections, since the tube can be stretched
over and onto the pipe without being
constricted by the Tuffcoat covering
being adhered all the way around the
tube sections.
For installations onto existing pipework,
the exposed area of the Armaflex tube
can simply be slit open. This makes it
easier to cut and re-join the seams back
together around the pipework before
re-sealing with Armaflex 520 adhesive.
The protective paper on the self-
adhesive backed section can then be
peeled off and the Tuffcoat film sealed
in place down over the glued seam. The
un-secured piece of the Tuffcoat film
overlaps the circumference of the tube
to provide additional integrity against
moisture ingress at the tube seam.
The new Armaflex Tuffcoat insulation
tubes are now also supplied in 1m
lengths rather than 2m. This change
facilitates both easier and quicker
installation by simplifying handling of
boxes on-site, and when sliding the
tubes onto new pipework or slitting and
re-sealing tubes onto existing pipework
applications.
In addition, the new tube design
leaves a short piece of the Armaflex
insulation material uncovered at each
end. This allows for wet sealing the
tubes with Armaflex 520 adhesive
under compression at longitudinal butt
joins to ensure a vapour-tight seal is
achieved on refrigeration, cold services
and outdoor applications. The exposed
length of Armaflex insulation is then
covered using 25mm-wide Tuffcoat tape
to ensure a neat finish and additional
protection against water ingress at
system joints.
The insulation is suitable for
outdoor air conditioning and
refrigeration applications
Armaflex Tuffcoat insulation material
is now available with a self-adhesive
backing on part of the covering
