Available immediately, KraussMaffei Berstorff’s new system for internal pipe cooling gives producers an effective way of countering escalating market pressures.
The internal pipe cooling (IPC) system reduces the initial cost and the space requirements for a new pipe extrusion line. It will also increase the productivity of already installed pipe extrusion lines.
The IPC system uses ambient air which is sucked through the center of the pipe at high speeds against the haul-off direction by means of a side channel compressor. IPC, used in addition to conventional external water cooling in vacuum tanks and cooling baths, cools the moving pipe gently from the inside. The new technology can cut the required length of the cooling zone by as much as 40%. This means producers save floor space without losing production speed. The total purchase cost of the extrusion line is also reduced. Alternatively, keeping the cooling zone the same length, adding an IPC system can increase the productivity by up to 60% compared with a conventional production line. “We’re confident that our system will quickly gain strong acceptance among our customers, because it offers overwhelming competitive advantages,” says Michael Hofhus, who heads up the Pipe Product Group at KraussMaffei Berstorff.
According to KraussMaffei Berstorff, the gains are especially striking in production of thick-walled pipe where standard cooling methods can only do a remarkably inefficient job of transporting heat away from the pipe. From the point of view of processing technology, the fact that the melt is fed centrally into the extruder is a great benefit. As with conventional pipe extrusion lines, the melt flows directly from the extruder into the pipe head. This avoids the many drawbacks of lateral melt feed, the company says.
KraussMaffei Berstorff adds that continuous active control of the air suction volume adjusts for ambient conditions to ensure the uniform cooling performance essential to guarantee consistently high product quality.
Furthermore, the IPC system makes a contribution towards energy-efficient production. “Because the system operates only with ambient air, it can save energy. No special cooling media are required. An additional advantage is that productivity can be increased without using much more cooling water than before,” points out Daniel Lachhammer, Product Manager Pipe Extrusion at KraussMaffei Berstorff.
The IPC system can be used with all PO pipe extrusion lines from 110mm to 2,500mm diameter producing SDR 26 pipe and all thick-walled pipes.
Source : www.adsalecprj.com
