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Mechanical Technology — April 2016
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Structural engineering materials, metals and non-metals
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D
PI Plastics, a leading manufacturer
of PVC and HDPE water reticula-
tion and drainage pipe and fitting
systems, has embarked on various
capital-intensive projects to boost the qual-
ity and productivity at its Johannesburg and
Belville manufacturing facilities.
These initiatives include an ongoing mould
replacement programme in Johannesburg,
which has seen the production of a brand-new
mould for 50 mm bend pipe fittings.
“We are replacing some of the older
moulds and fittings, in most cases opting for
new multi-cavity moulds,” Renier Snyman,
sales and technical manager at DPI Plastics,
explains.
“First of all, this will improve the quality of
the fittings, without altering the dimensions.
Secondly, it will also result in a dramatic in-
crease in production output,” Snyman points
out.
“This is quite a capital-intensive pro-
gramme as these moulds are costly to pro-
duce.” Snyman reveals that DPI Plastics will
take delivery of its new P-trap mould from
Portugal within the next couple of months.
Another important development at this
Plastics initiative
to boost
quality and productivity
leading pipe system and fitting supplier and
manufacturer is the addition of a second
large-bore extrusion line at its Johannesburg
manufacturing facility. This follows on from
the installation of the original Krauss Maffei
630 mm bore extrusion line in 2013.
“Our big bore lines are so highly occupied
at the moment that it has resulted in longer
lead times, which is the main motivation for
us to install another large-bore line,” Snyman
says. This will also help to cater for larger
projects, such as the DPI Plastics’ current
contract to supply 630 mm pipe for a major
irrigation project in Zambia.
Snyman says that, in addition to the new
big bore line, DPI Plastics will be adding a
new smaller extrusion line dedicated solely to
research and development purposes, which
makes the company unique among pipe
manufacturers in South Africa.
“This will not only speed up the production
process for new products, but also intensify
our focus on innovation as a company strat-
egy. No other pipe manufacturer has these
kinds of facilities for research purposes, and
neither do they make significant investments
into ongoing R&D,” Snyman concludes.
q
Napoleon Potlo, production manager for injection moulding at DPI Plastics.