TPi January 2008

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18 Tube Products International January 2008
developments
products &
developments
products &
Growth market
in hot water pipes
Cincinnati Extrusion GmbH, Austria,
has shipped an aluminium-plastic
composite pipe extrusion line and
installed it on the premises of Nuova
PDM Srl, Italy.
The Italian pipe manufacturer has
acquired its first composite pipe
extrusion line to extend its product
portfolio, with the objective of catering
to the growing market for hot water
transport pipes.
Thanks to their corrosion resistance
and simple laying properties, aluminium
composite pipes are increasingly in
demand in the sanitary installation
industry.
They are particularly gaining ground in
the areas of radiator heating systems
and potable water transport pipes.
In some countries they have also made
a successful entry into under-floor
heating systems, where the market
is still dominated by PEX and PE-RT
pipes.
Factors contributing to this boom in
the sanitary installation sector are the
absolute resistance to corrosion and
high flexibility of composite pipes, for
example in on-wall applications, and
their impermeability to oxygen in radiator
connection pipes.
KraussMaffei, Germany, is a supplier
of key application technologies for
the plastics and rubber compounding
and processing industries. Since
launching its QuickSwitch system for
inline pipe dimension change in 2003,
the company has sold more than 24
systems. Initially engineered only for
PO pipe, QuickSwitch systems for PVC
pipe are now available.
A number of the new PVC versions
have already been sold. European
producers were quick to see the benefits
of dimension change on the fly. The
company supplied a line for PO pipe
in the diameter range 25-63mm, with
a single-layer pipehead, to an Italian
customer. Another line, for 70-160mm
pipe and with a 3-layer pipehead, went
to an Italian market leader, where it is
already in operation.
The system has also established itself
in the Eastern Europe pipe market,
where QuickSwitch systems for all three
currently available dimension ranges
have been installed. The lines are
headed by single-screw extruders KME
60-36 B/R, KME 75-36 B/R and KME
90-36 B/R, in each case with a single-
layer pipehead.
Teamed with the appropriate pipehead,
a QuickSwitch system can be used
flexibly to produce single- or multi-
layer pipe in its specified dimension
range. The PVC QuickSwitch version
is currently available in the dimension
range 90-160mm, and is capable of
processing all PVC dryblends on the
market and C-PVC.
The polyolefin QuickSwitch version is
currently available for three dimension
ranges: 25-63mm, 70-160mm, and 160-
250mm. QuickSwitch is supplied either
as complete, fully-automated lines or as
upgrade kits for existing conventional
systems.
The upgrade kits enable a phased
transition from conventional pipe
production to flexible production with
QuickSwitch.
Benefits of the system include reduced
costs of dimension changes, break-even
and profits with smaller batch sizes, and
boosted production capacity (due to the
elimination of stoppages).
KraussMaffei GmbH – Germany
The calibration basket is a core component of
the QuickSwitch line
p
QuickSwitch wins fans
Photo – Uponor Ltd
see page 20