In the Competence Forum event of KraussMaffei Group's 180th anniversary, KraussMaffei Berstorff showed two major technical highlights of pipe extrusion:
With TCP (Thermoplastic Composite Pipeline) test production line, the company is taking a new step in fiber composite technology, and thus supporting prequalified customer-specific sample pipes to meet the pressure standards of the oil and gas industry.
The newly developed pipe extrusion die can produce 3 layers of pipes. The functional inner layer is made of PA12, so it is especially suitable for conveying corrosive and abrasive media.
Provide unique services for prequalified TCP sample pipes
With the TCP pilot production line, KraussMaffei Berstorff supports customers from the processing technology point of view to ensure that they meet the standards for fiber reinforced pipe design.
Matt Sieverding, President of Extrusion Technology at KraussMaffei Group, said, “In the newly developed prequalification, the services we provide are unique in the world, which brings tangible benefits to our customers because they can Earth shortens long and time-consuming process steps.
The basic pipe used to make the pipe can be produced on KraussMaffei Berstorff's internal production line, or it can be purchased in the market or provided by the user.
Then, the tape was wound on the Krasmaffei Berstorff TCP test line. The reconfiguration of the production line allowed the subsequent use of a protective layer to provide sheathing for the pipe.
Maximum flexibility with 3-layer processing
Fiber reinforced PE pipe made of UD tape and protective layer
"With our 3-tier process based on our system concept, we can produce TCP pipes. For customers, this process ensures maximum production flexibility and minimizes the risk of the production process. 'Sieverding said.
In the second stage of processing, the PE pipe placed on the winding system is heated on the surface by infrared heating. Then, the strip is connected to two continuous winding stations. The infrared heating of each layer ensures that The fusion between tube and reinforcement layer ensures complete bonding.
The corresponding guides ensure precise positioning and prevent potential tape overlap.
This fiber-reinforced pipe is ideally suited to meet the challenging safety requirements and high-pressure load-bearing applications proposed by the oil and gas industry. When used on land, working pressures sometimes reach 150 bar. When used offshore, pipes may have to withstand more than 500bar pressure.
The on-site demonstration system at the Competence Forum event was designed to produce pipes with an inner diameter of 50.8 to 152.4 mm and a maximum working pressure of 100 bar. The system is currently used to produce PE pipes coated with glass fiber reinforced PE tape. But in the long run Look, multilayer pipes, other fibers, and engineering polymers will also be trial-produced.
Engineering polymer as a functional inner layer
The 3-layer PE tube with a functional inner layer (made of PA12) is made with KraussMaffei Berstorff's innovative tube die as a supplement to the composite tube, KraussMaffe-Belles Toff is making a breakthrough in pipeline extrusion by processing engineering polymers.
By integrating the KM-3L RKW 250 F3 pipe die into a complete production line, it is possible to produce a functional 3-layer PE pipe with an inner layer made of PA 12. 'Our development team designs this innovative pipe die. It successfully combines various processing parameters of the raw material, such as temperature or shrinkage. 'Sieverding said that the combination of these materials immediately produced a clear advantage, because PA is much more expensive than PE, but it provides a very high Chemical resistance and abrasion resistance. To ensure complete bonding, an additional adhesive layer is required. Based on high impact strength and wear resistance, pipes made in this way are particularly suitable for conveying corrosive and abrasive Medium, such as media used in the petroleum, natural gas and chemical industries.
This on-site demonstration production system uses KME 75-36 B/R, KME 45-36 B/R and KME 30-25 D/C single-screw extruders designed for producing pipes in the 50 to 282mm size range. The yield of the processed PE layer was 800 kg/h, the yield of the processing adhesive layer was 30 kg/h, and the yield of the processed functional layer was 180 kg/h.