TPi January 2015

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January 2015 Tube Products International 31
products & developments
Automatic butt fusion for HDPE,
PP and other plastic pipe
Ritmo’s Easy Life automatic butt
fusion system offers advantages for
the welding of HDPE, PP and other
thermoplastic pipes.
The system, designed and developed
entirely by Ritmo, is now in its fourth
edition. The concept is based on a
hydraulic gear case provided with
hardware in which the electronic system
ensures continuous repeat of the welding
cycles and automatic control of the
preset parameters. The operator needs
only to validate the welding phases. This
method of operation provides ease of
use and the certainty of a correct weld.
The gear case features an intuitive
control panel and graphic display that
allows quick setting of the required
parameters.
The Easy Life system can store up to
4,000 welding cycles and summarise
them into a PDF file. This report can
then be downloaded via a USB port.
The data logging system also shows the
date and time.
The welding system is available on a
wide range of Ritmo welding machines,
and covers a working range from 40 to
630mm OD.
Ritmo SpA – Italy
Easy Life welding system
Inspection tool for ‘unpiggable’ pipelines
Integrity technology services company
Applus RTD showcased its RTD DTI
Trekscan pipeline inspection tool at the
International Pipeline Conference (IPC)
in Calgary, Canada.
The RTD DTI Trekscan is a free-floating
inspection tool designed to traverse
back-to-back one-dimensional (1D)
bends, with an optimum speed of 1m/
sec (2.2mph). It can run in pipelines pre-
viously considered to be ‘unpiggable’.
Standard tool configuration has a
maximum battery life of up to 16km
(10 miles) at 1.25m/sec (2.75 mph), and
for data storage the maximum standard
tool configuration allows for 64km of
data based on a 2.5mm axial sampling.
The bi-directional tool measures
the return echoes of a transmitted
ultrasound beam. The amount of time
it takes to receive an echo provides
accurate information on the remaining
wall and enables detection and sizing of
metal loss anomalies.
Martin Fingerhut, president of Kiefner,
an Applus RTD company, commented,
“The development of the RTD DTI tool
has many benefits for our clients, not
least is its ability to measure metal loss
anomalies in pipeline that would have
previously been considered unpiggable.
It also provides high levels of detection
for characterisation capabilities – a
feature not previously available without
compromising efficiency.”
The standard configuration of RTD DTI
Trekscan is available in 6" and 8" sizes.
It is lightweight – 15kg (33lb) – and
its maximum operating temperature is
40°C (104°F).
Applus RTD – Netherlands
New videos demonstrate installation
and product features
BrassCraft Manufacturing, a producer of
plumbing products, has added 11 new
how-to and promotional product videos,
easily accessible on the company’s
website, and on its YouTube Channel at
youtube.com/brasscraft
The company’s Cobra brand has also
added three new videos. Available at
home centres and hardware stores, the
Cobra product line is designed for ease
of use by do-it-yourself customers. The
Cobra videos can be accessed online at
Each video explains which tools are
needed for the application, while giving
a step-by-step tutorial that is easy to
understand for anyone from the average
do-it-yourselfer to the seasoned
professional. “The videos are great for
anyone looking for guidance on the right
way to install many of the BrassCraft
and Cobra products,” said BrassCraft
brand manager Debra Lewis.
“They are packaged in a way that makes
specific information easy to access and
understand. In just a few short minutes
you also gain confidence in a procedure
or just get a quick refresher.”
The company states that the videos
are a valuable addition to the resources
it provides for customers. While the
videos are not intended to replace
written instructions provided in the
owner’s manual, they are designed to
give a quick overview.
BrassCraft Manufacturing – USA