TPi July 2008

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July 2008 Tube Products International 29
developmentsproducts &
PP multilayer pipe
for well shafts
‘Grand slam’ of installations at
Twickenham
Italian pipe manufacturer Riccini Srl will
shortly begin operating a new extrusion
line from KraussMaffei Berstorff to
produce multilayer PP well pipe. This
type of pipe is used in sinking wells that
extract drinking water from groundwater.
The section of the pipe that reaches into
the groundwater has apertures through
which water enters the pipe.
The conventional material for this type
of pipe used to be PVC. Riccini is now
planning to offer PP well pipe as an
alternative solution. The middle layer of
the pipe, with CaCO3 filler, is produced
by the main KME 105-36 B/R extruder.
The new extruders are KraussMaffei
Berstorff’s largestmachines for polyolefin
pipe; they deliver maximum output rates
of 760kg/h for PP and 1,100kg/h for
HDPE. The longer processing units
(L/D ratio 36) increase the specific melt
throughput and total output. Increasing
the time the melt spends in the extruder
results in a stable process and high
product quality. It improves the thermal
and physical homogeneity of the melt
and makes it possible to run the process
at relatively low temperatures.
The inner and outer layers of the pipe,
made of unfilled PP, are produced on
a KME 45-30 B/R coextruder. The
compact design of this coextruder
facilitates integration in a production
line. The layers are joined in a KM3L
RKW 75 3-layer pipehead.
KraussMaffei produces machines
and systems for plastics and rubber
processing, with three divisions –
injection-moulding technology, extrusion
technology and reaction process
machinery. The group offers a wide range
of solutions, including specialised and
fully integrated turnkey systems. Riccini
is a longstanding KraussMaffei Berstorff
customer, operating two extrusion lines
with a total of four KME 90-36 B/R
extruders to manufacture PP well pipe.
Riccini’s new system is scheduled to go
into operation in August.
KraussMaffei – Germany
Riccini Srl – Italy
Iron technology supplier Saint-Gobain
Pipelines has scored a grand slam
by winning another contract at the
redevelopment of Twickenham, the
home of Rugby Union in England.
The company’s EPAMS cast iron
syphonic rainwater system has been
installed on the redevelopment of the
stadium’s South Stand, which has
increased stadium capacity from 75,000
to 82,000 and now includes a luxury
hotel, conference centre and Rugby
shop.
EPAMS was chosen for its high
specification and low installation time
due to the fewer number of vertical
stacks required, which in turn minimises
cost.
The range is specifically designed for
buildings with large roof areas due to
its high fire resistance and lower noise
transmission over other materials.
Thiswas thekey factor in its specification,
given its planned use within the hotel.
The installation was undertaken by
Cardiff-based specialists Thorne
Rainwater Systems.
Over a nine-month period, as the overall
installation progressed, the company
worked closely with Saint-Gobain’s
technical support team, architects and
contractors to optimise the system
design.
Alongside cast iron pipework which
meets the exacting BS EN 877 standard,
stainless steel outlets with clamping
flanges have been installed within the
perimeter gutter.
Saint-Gobain’s Ensign range had also
been specified and installed for the soils
and gravity rainwater systems at the
Twickenham redevelopment.
“This was an ideal project for the EPAMS
range,” commented Terry Thorne,
of Thorne Rainwater Systems. “The
flexibility of the range meant that we
were easily able to adjust the design
as the project progressed without
compromising on the integrity of the
installation. The EPAMS system is
strongly supported by a technical team
utilising computer software. This ensured
that any problems we encountered were
redesigned and resolved quickly.”
Mike Rawlings, Saint-Gobain Pipelines,
added, “This is an extremely prestigious
project, and to have our products
specified for two separate aspects of it
is a major coup for us. It shows clearly
the continuing demand for cast iron
drainage systems which offer the best
performance in larger buildings, whether
industrial, commercial or residential.”
The EPAMS range is a popular choice
among stadium designers, having
been specified for several of the stadia
used for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in
Germany.
Saint-Gobain Pipelines – UK
Rotary Indexing Table Machines
Solutions for complete
machining of
· Turning- and tubular parts
· of coil- or bar-material
· Extruded-, casted and
forged parts
for medium to large
production batches
compact
fast
precise
economical
Wolf Maschinenbau AG
www. wolf-maschinenbau.de
Hall 5, booth B54