TPT July 2007

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52 July /August 2007
2007
EXHIBITOR PROFILES
Alcobex Metals Ltd
India
Alcobex Metals Ltd is an ISO 9001-
2000 certified company engaged in the
manufacture of copper and copper based
alloy through the hot extruded and cold
drawn methods. A key player in the world
market for heat exchanger and condenser
tubes, the company also offers solids and
profiles in various alloys ranging from
Ø 6-159mm and lengths of up to 18m.
With over 40 years experience, Alcobex
serves the power industry, refineries,
desalination plants, offshore, ship
building, sugar industry and component
manufacturers.
The main alloys in the range are 90/10
copper nickel, 70/30 copper nickel, cunifer
66/30/2/2, aluminium brass, admiralty
brass, aluminium bronze, silicon bronze,
phosphorus bronze, copper DHP/ETP, and
copper chrome zirconium.
Website:
Established in 1974, Bandera is a world-
leading manufacturer of extrusion lines for
plastic products, including pipes, film and
thermoplastic foils/sheets.
The company has recently completed the
supply to a Russian producer of a turnkey
line for three-layer coating of steel pipes (ie
epoxy primer, tie resin, polyethylene), with
a diameter range of 1¼" to 21" and a length
of up to 12m.
The Bandera pipe coating process takes
place via sleeve technology, which
consists of a special co-extrusion die head
that achieves a uniform distribution of the
coating layers over the circumference of
the pipes.
The line has a production capacity of up
to 300m2/h, an effective rate due to the
relatively small diameters of the pipes
undergoing the coating process.
Bandera has developed an automatic
device for both axis-pipe and axis-die head
alignment. A number of sensors, assembled
at the inlet of the co-extrusion die head,
detect the exact pipe position. These
sensors are interfaced with two different
handling systems that allow the extrusion
die head to continuously adjust its position
along the X and Y axes.
The line is of significant size (160m x 30m),
and presents numerous relevant technical
features. A special washing and rinsing unit
cleans the pipes prior to their entrance into
the gas furnace, to be fully dried, before
proceeding to the sand blaster.
Innovative, automatic and fully independent
tape wrapping units wrap the pipe heads
with adhesive tape, in order to ease the
pipe brushing process that will take place
downstream. Downstream of the take-
off unit, the pipe is heated by a specific
induction furnace (170-220°C) and
subsequently goes through the ‘primer
cabin’.
Inside the primer cabin a uniform layer of
epoxy varnish is distributed over its surface,
in order to increase the adhesion of coating
materials to be applied by the extrusion die
head.
A number of cooling tanks are positioned
immediately downstream of the extrusion
area, fed by a specific raw material
charging, drying and dosing system.
These cooling tanks have the function of
decreasing the temperature of the pipe
down to about 50°C. Since this process
involves significant water volumes, a closed
cycle system is used.
The water in this system is filtered and
cooled by a chilling unit before being
recycled. This technology is derived from
substantial experience,
as it is not enough for
the chiller to be properly
sized. It is essential to
know the ideal quantity,
as well as the inclination
of the spray nozzles
required to cool the pipes.
The thickness control
device, which affords the
possibility of effecting
accurate adjustments to
the extrusion die head,
optimizes the process.
A special cutting unit
facilitates the operators in carrying out the
separation of the pipes downstream of the
extrusion area.
New brushing cabins allow the removal of
the coating material from the pipe heads
more quickly and precisely, as compared to
the procedure adopted in the past.
Bandera has also introduced an additional
machine into the line, adding technical
value to it and consequently increasing its
technological level. This additional machine
is the automatic pipe-packing device
that, through the use of a handling unit,
affords the possibility of placing the pipes
in hexagonal bundles, preparing them for
transportation.
New, high temperature and wear-resistant
technopolymers are used along the whole
line for the manufacturing of the roll gangs.
These are the conveyors that carry out pipe
handling among the various machines in
the line.
An electronic control system is used to
help operate this line, and Bandera have
also developed software for pipe coating
lines.
Website:
With over 40 years of experience in the
production of machines for metal surface
finishing, Bossi Srl offers a wide range
of solutions for grinding, satin-finishing,
polishing and deburring.
Bossi’s products include centreless
grinding/polishing machines for round
Luigi Bandera SpA
Italy
› Bandera’s new turnkey line for three-layer coating of steel pipes
Bossi Srl
Italy