TPi September 2016

18 / 68

business & market news
16 Tube ProducTS InTernaTIonal September 2016
Drinking water contact
approvals for plumbing
portfolio
Solvay Engineering Plastics has
announced that its entire range of
Technyl® PA6.6 and Technyl eXten
PA6.10 materials for plumbing
applications has obtained full drinking
water contact approvals from the
certification authorities NSF-61 (USA),
WRAS (UK), ACS (France), and KTW
and W270 (Germany).
Solvay is one of the few material
suppliers to offer full European and
American certification.
This comprehensive compliance
positions the company to globally
s
l
p
Typical end products in this market
include pumps, water meters, manifolds,
fittings and valves, as well as boilers,
filters and other plumbing components.
In addition, Technyl PA6.6 materials are
FDA approved, and all Technyl products
in the plumbing portfolio meet European
Regulation (EU) 10/2011 as amended
for materials intended to come into
contact with food.
“Very few industries impose more
stringent standards than plumbing in
terms of safety and health, especially
with respect to choosing materials for
products and components coming
into contact with water,” said Wilson
Chan, global consumer and electrical
market director for Solvay Engineering
Plastics. “We’re dedicated to working
with our customers to design solutions
which protect end-users from potential
hazardous substances coming from
drinking water systems.”
Customers in the plumbing industry
are increasingly looking for solutions
that will help them address cost
and performance challenges in this
demanding and regulated environment.
PA-based Technyl products from Solvay
leverage the company’s expertise in
metal replacement, providing a number
of claimed benefits over conventional
plumbing materials such as brass,
copper, non-alloy steel and aluminium.
They eliminate the risk of galvanic
corrosion associated with these metals,
and facilitate compliance with tighter
regulations on permissible levels of lead
in drinking water.
Solvay is one of the first companies
to offer a PA6.10 material specifically
formulated for the plumbing market. Its
Technyl eXten (PA 6.10) materials provide
the same benefits as PA6.6, with lower
water-uptake, yielding dimensional
stability and chlorine resistance while
maintaining mechanical performance.
The added benefits of PA 6.10 materials
enable using these polyamides in more
demanding applications than standard
PA 6.6 materials, notably with higher
temperatures, and providing longer
product life.
Solvay engineering Plastics – France
Brass water meter housing and polymer
replacement using Technyl A 218W 50 Black
FA (PA6.6) Photo credit: Solvay Engineering Plastics
Fully assembled plastic water meter
Photo credit: Solvay Engineering Plastics
Epic expansion to the Middle East
Epic Piping will shortly commence
operations at a 400,000ft2 facility in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, marking
an important development for the
company’s international expansion and
overall manufacturing capabilities.
The addition of the large-scale facility
will allow Epic, which currently operates
four facilities across North America, to
expand production to more than 20,000
spools per month, with a total fabrication
capacity exceeding 1,000,000ft2.
“We are excited to announce our
global growth through the expansion of
Epic into the Middle East,” said Remi
Bonnecaze, chief operating officer of
Epic.
“This expansion allows us to better
meet our clients’ growing global
needs by increasing our production
capabilities and enabling us to take on
larger projects.”
The facility will be managed by Mazen
Azizieh, president of international
fabrication at Epic, and a team of
experienced individuals with local
relationships and operational expertise.
Epic’s fabrication capabilities include
carbon steel, chrome moly, stainless
steels, duplex steels, nickel based
alloys and jacketed piping.
epic Piping – USA