TPT January 2012

T echnology U pdate

Eliminating double-blanking problems

THE Sheet Seeker ® Fanner by Industrial Magnetics Inc helps increase production speeds by magnetically separating oily, sticky or polished sheet stock, thereby eliminating the difficult and time consuming task of trying to manually pry apart sheets in manual applications and preventing “double-blanking” in automated applications. Up to 60 per cent lighter than standard sheet fanners of the same fanning

strength, the Sheet Seeker’s powerful magnetic circuit forces steel sheets apart and automatically indexes with the stack to ensure optimum fanning down to the last sheet.
 Capable of fanning from 30 gauge sheets to 12 gauge plate, the Sheet Seeker’s light-weight design and convenient top-mounted carry handle allow for user friendly transport within the facility.
 IMI also has additional Sheet Fanner models capable of handling both ferrous

or non-ferrous sheet stock, in a wide range of sizes and gauges, utilising permanent magnet, electromagnetic and air fanning technology. More information can be found on the online Sheet Seeker ® Page, including product options and order online capability for many models.

Industrial Magnetics – USA Email: imi@magnetics.com Website: www.magnetics.com

Sustainability and performance in HDPE pipe applications

SABIC has launched the Vestolen A RELY family of tough, sustainable bimodal high- density polyethylene (HDPE) materials for pressure pipe applications. The portfolio offers converters energy savings and enables environmentally responsible pipe installation. The company has also developed a new strain hardening method, a fast and accurate method for evaluating the slow crack growth resistance behaviour of HDPE. This method avoids the use of detergents that can pose an environmental hazard, and avoids the use of valuable drinking water. “Our new SABIC ® Vestolen A RELY products in combination with the strain hardening method – that measures their performance – are key deliverables in SABIC’s global strategy to supply the pressure pipe industry with breakthrough technologies,” said Jean Engels, business manager HDPE SABIC. “SABIC takes great pride in proactively developing materials and methodologies that meet current and emerging industry needs, particularly in the areas of sustainability and cost effectiveness. We also welcome new partners who can help us drive development of new pipe solutions utilising our high- performance HDPE materials and extensive technological resources and expertise.” The first two grades within the Vestolen A RELY range – one designed for low sagging and the other engineered for high resistance to slow crack growth – contribute to the eco-responsible production and use

of pressure pipe. With these materials, converters can reduce energy. Developers and contractors can select trenchless pipe installation such as guided boring and horizontal directional drilling that reduce impact on the environment. Both new materials are classified as PE100 grades, demonstrating compliance with the highest industry standards for HDPE pressure pipe. Vestolen A RELY 5924R delivers low sag performance for large-diameter pipes and pressure pipes with a low standard dimension ratio (SDR). This grade has an internal pressure approval for PE 100 that complies with the EN12201 and EN1555 standards, underscoring its quality and performance for transporting potable water, gas, sewage and other liquids. Vestolen A RELY 5922R offers resistance to slow crack growth propagation in high- pressure pipe applications and can therefore be used with advanced trenchless pipe installation technologies such as re-lining, horizontal directional drilling and guided boring. Its resistance to slow crack growth is demonstrated by results of the FNCT (>8760h) and pipe notch test (>8760h, DIN and ISO 13479). This grade also has an internal pressure approval for PE 100, meeting EN12201 and EN1555 standards. The RELY products are produced at SABIC’s state-of-the-art HDPE plant in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, which was designed to put less stress on the environment than traditional facilities. The

plant cuts electricity usage by 8 per cent, air emissions by 85 per cent and sewage by 50 per cent, and uses SABIC’s own proprietary catalyst technology. The primary slow crack growth resistance testing methods for HDPE for pressure pipes have had significant drawbacks, including high cost, long durations of a year or more and uncertain reliability. SABIC’s new strain hardening method correlates well to traditional methods that assess the slow crack growth behaviour of HDPE. The method is typically able to determine the intrinsic slow crack growth behaviour via a simple tensile test at 80°C. Advantages of this test method are low measurement variation, absence of surfactants and notches, small amount of required testing material (<50g) and testing times of only a few hours. The strain hardening method can be easily implemented at accredited laboratories, and the company anticipates that it will become the standard for HDPE slow crack growth testing. SABIC Vestolen A RELY 5924R and 5922R are available globally. Additional grades within the product line are due for release in the near future. SABIC – Saudi Arabia Website: www.sabic.com SABIC Europe – The Netherlands Fax: +31 46 7220000 Website: www.sabic-europe.com

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J anuary 2012

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